
Dr. Sam Wilkinson, Dept. Biology, York
Plant pests and diseases are a major threat to global food security. Our reliance on unsustainable chemical pesticides highlights the urgent need for alternative crop protection strategies. Hormones such as jasmonic acid (JA) play a key role in coordinating plant defence responses. Previous research found that soaking seeds in JA can enhance resistance in plants. A similar protective effect can also be elicited by exposing seeds to plant-beneficial microbes. This project aims to determine whether a dual treatment of soaking tomato seeds with JA and beneficial microbes offers greater protection than either treatment alone. Plants will be grown in a controlled environment chamber, with growth monitored over three weeks. Resistance to the pest Mamestra brassicae and the pathogen Botrytis cinerea will then be assessed. A student undertaking this project will learn to prepare seed treatments, cultivate tomato plants, monitor growth, rear insects, culture fungal pathogens, and evaluate pest and pathogen resistance. The student will be expected to take increasing ownership of the project after receiving initial guidance. Students will need to find their own accommodation and be expected to present their findings orally at a research day in York in September 2025