The root of armor

摘要

In the southeastern U.S., repeatedly replanted peach orchards result in trees that are like sitting ducks for soilborne pathogens.Most growers plant on Guardian rootstocks, which were bred by the U.S. Department ofAgriculture to be resistant to peach tree short life. However, they are susceptible to Armillaria—the wood decay fungus that today poses a major economic threat and is the focus of research and breeding efforts across a variety of growing regions and crops.