The Role of Hybridization in the Evolution and Emergence of New Fungal Plant Pathogens

Hybridization speeds up the emergence and evolution of a new pathogen species

Plant pathogens can evolve new host specificities and overcome host resistances over surprisingly few generations, a process that is greatly accelerated by agricultural practices. A new study provides a striking example in which the rapid emergence of a new pathogen via introgressive hybridization mirrors the evolution of a hybrid cereal crop.