12 October 2020
Science
FEATURE
| 8 min READ
What makes a plant killer? Meet the scientists hot on the trail of invading pathogens
Most microbes live in and around our crops causing no harm whatsoever, often providing vital nutrients through decomposing organic matter, or symbiosis with plant roots. Yet a sudden event, perhaps just a fateful gust of wind, can turn even the most placid of microbes into a devastating pathogen.