Researchers in South Korea have discovered a bacteria that can protect tomatoes from a deadly infection that has no cure to this day.<br />The next mission is to figure out how the bacteria's disease-fending system works. <br />Cho Sung-min reports. <br /> The tomato business in South Korea is thriving.<br />Data show the nation produces more than three-hundred-fifty-thousand tons of love apples a year.<br />Despite those big yields, though, experts say tomatoes are one of the most easily heavily damaged kinds of produce when farms are hit by bacterial wilt.<br /><br /> When infected with bacterial wilt, the plant's leaves and water transport system damaged immediately,... and then the disease spreads down to the roots in the soil.<br /><br /> "When a plant is infected with bacterial wilt, there is simply no way to save it. The disease spreads rapidly once it makes contact, and eventually dries up and wilts the plant."<br /> <br /> Until now, the only way to minimize the damage was to plant one of the few tomato varieties that are slightly more resistant.<br />But there is hope -- local researchers have recently discovered a bacteria that keeps the disease away.<br />Interestingly enough, this particular microbe, in almost all cases, is found in soil near the roots of tomato plants.<br /><br /> "Traditionally, the focus was on a plant's natural ability to protect itself from such diseases,... but this discovery opens a new way of thinking. Now, we feel a need to look at what's in the soil, and how the surrounding conditions affect a plant's ability to fend off infections."<br /><br /> Scientists say their next mission is to find out *how the bacteria protects the plant,... and ultimately find ways to use that mechanism to develop a pesticide that protects all plants from the deadly infection.<br />Cho Sung-min, Arirang News. <br />
