China creates world's first AI-powered plant epidemic protection system

Scientists have developed a platform that enables the creation of artificial immune receptors for plants. These receptors recognize proteins of specific viruses, bacteria, and fungi and trigger a protective response.

Such receptors can be produced in weeks instead of years. The system has already been tested on rice: out of 391 artificial receptors, about 18% produced a strong and precise immune response. They recognized pathogens of 14 viruses, two bacteria, a fungus, and an oomycete that affect crops including potatoes and tomatoes.

The technology is planned to be used to develop crops resistant to multiple diseases at once.