Discovery may yield stronger crops

Chinese scientists have discovered a possible "death switch" mechanism in plant's immunity system that triggers infected cells to self-destruct, thus limiting the spread of the disease and keeping other parts of the plant healthy.

Scientists said the discovery provides clues to cell death control and immunity for plants, and they hope further research can lead to a new generation of disease-resistant crops that use significantly less pesticide and are more environmentally friendly.

The research was done by scientists from Tsinghua University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Genetics and Development Biology. Their findings were published in the journal Science on Friday.