Immunized Plants - Survival of the Fittest: Learning from the Grapevine

Cultivated plants, despite scientific progress, are paradoxically becoming more fragile and more at risk of disease than in the past: testifying to the endless waves of epidemics that are hitting our countryside and vineyards. Owing to commonly used agronomic techniques we are undermining biodiversity and the natural resilience of our crops. To confront costly and dangerous diseases, like epidemics, bold and innovative protection strategies are needed.
Instead of combatting the pathogen and the vector head on, this book focuses on the plant host and the real possibility of reinforcing that host through a process of induced resistance. All plants, grapevines included, like animals, learn from their "experiences" and are able to become immunized: after infection, they can become resistant to diseases and other stress factors. This volume proposes the use of plants that are naturally immunized, those that have passed the gauntlet of Darwinian natural selection and have demonstrated stable and transmissible tolerances and resistances.