Summary Plants often respond to pathogen or insect attack by inducing the synthesis of toxic compounds such as phytoalexins and glucosinolates (GS). The Arabidopsis mutant pad2-1 has reduced levels of the phytoalexin camalexin and is known for its increased susceptibility to fungal and bacterial pathogens. We found that pad2-1 is also more susceptible to the generalist insect Spodoptera littora...

There is evidence to suggest that a surprising proportion of published experiments in science are difficult if not impossible to reproduce. The concepts of data sharing, leaving an audit trail and extensive documentation are fundamental to reproducible research, whether it is in the laboratory or as part of an analysis. In this work, we introduce a tool for documentation that aims to make analy...

Clubroot is a soil-borne disease caused by the protist Plasmodiophora brassicae (P. brassicae). It is one of the most economically important diseases of Brassica rapa and other cruciferous crops as it can cause remarkable yield reductions. Understanding P. brassicae genetics, and developing efficient molecular markers, is essential for effective detection of harmful races of this pathogen. Samp...

The cabbage butterfly, Pieris melete hibernates and aestivates as a diapausing pupa. We present evidence that the optimum of low temperature and optimal chilling periods for both summer and winter diapause development are based on a similar mechanism. Summer or winter diapausing pupae were exposed to different low temperatures of 1, 5, 10 or 15°C for different chilling periods (ranging from 30 ...

Only a few environmental factors have such a pronounced effect on plant growth and development as ultraviolet light (UV). Concerns have arisen due to increased UV-B radiation reaching the Earth's surface as a result of stratospheric ozone depletion. Ecologically relevant low to moderate UV-B doses (0.3-1 kJ m(-2) d(-1)) were applied to sprouts of the important vegetable crop Brassica oleracea v...