Healthy Plants Provide Environment 
for Disease Resistance
By Dennis Stephens 
January 2000

New biotechnology strategies to improve resistance to pathogens by plants has shown a better understanding of how plants protect themselves. The complexity of the interactions between plants and their pathogens have shown that a product will not be forthcoming for some time. Understanding how plants respond to pathogens can help in realizing that we can provide strategies to assist the plant in utilizing the mechanisms to fight off pathogens.

How a Plant defends against pathogens

A plant does not have an immune system like we do. However, the plants are equipped with a variety of mechanisms to defend itself from the entrance of the pathogen. The first defense that a plant will utilize is the response of dispersing new proteins. These proteins are called pathogenesis-related proteins. The purpose of the proteins is to restrict the growth of the pathogens. The second response is that plants will induce synthesis of phytoalexins, which is an antimicrobial compound to restrict the growth of the pathogen. The final response that a plant will have against a pathogen is the production of hydrogen peroxide. This will kill the cells around the pathogen in order to restrict the growth of the pathogen.

Understanding the complexities of the plant and how it responds to pathogens should lead us to develop products to better enhance the health of the plant there by providing a better defense for containing pathogens and the transfer of pathogens to other plants. New plant food introductions are providing a catalyst for new and healthier tissue growth. This process is being done by adding extracts to fertilizers. These extracts are being added to allow the plant to better absorb nutrients and limit harmful metals from being absorbed by the plant. Further studies have shown that implementation of these extracts has improved soil conditions and this has created a better environment for plant root growth.

A healthy plant must show a positive root growth in order to develop the proteins that were mentioned previously. A balanced food intake must be accomplished in order for plants to continue its ability to utilize what is contained within its cells. The over use of fertilizers should be addressed. However, it is just as important for us to be diligent in determining what elements should be applied and by what method of introduction.

A product that is fairly new to the public is now being used by some commercial facilities and the results are showing very encouraging responses from the plants. Monty’s Joy Juice is a highly concentrated liquid fertilizer that contains the needed elements for plants to thrive. The product has an additive that utilizes the elements in the fertilizer and the elements contained in the soil. Plants that have been fed Monty’s Joy Juice have shown an increase in the plant’s ability to produce more roots and show stronger healthier growth.