QUIZ – Plants and microbes

Plants have evolved in a microbial world. We’re learning more about these relationships and how we might use bacteria and fungi to manage pests and increase environmental stress tolerance. This quiz is based on content from a Canola Watch podcast with two leaders in this field, AAFC researchers Susan Boyetchko and Tim Dumonceaux. LISTEN. You don’t have to listen to the podcast to complete the quiz, but you’ll probably find it all very interesting.

1. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) research scientist Susan Boyetchko has identified a bacterial biopesticide that works to control what canola pest?

Cleavers

Clubroot

Flea beetles

Sclerotinia stem rot

2. AAFC research scientist Tim Dumonceaux gives the example of broad beans, which communicate with each other to put up defenses against aphids, for example. How do they communicate?

Electrical signals in soil water

A network of mycorrhizal fungi between roots

Air-borne hormones

Nerve impluses through connected roots

3. Dumonceaux is working to identify microbial species that plants recruit to help with what?

Drought tolerance

Frost tolerance

Disease resistance

Insect repellant

4. About 150 years ago, Charles Darwin referred to the root of a plant as what?

The foundation of the plant

The brain of the plant

The heart of the plant

The digestive tract of the plant

 Loading...