The growth-defense tradeoff, which refers to the relationship between immune activation by foreign signals or mutations that cause autoimmunity, has long been linked to reduced plant growth. Recent research have shown that growth and defence can be uncoupled, demonstrating that metabolic regulation is not the only cause of the growth-defense tradeoff, which was previously assumed to be a diversion of metabolic resources away from development and towards defence. Beyond lowering plant biomass, immunity activation affects plant development in other ways, such as through modifications to the structure of the plant. The growth-defense tradeoff, which refers to the relationship between immune activation by foreign signals or mutations that cause autoimmunity, has long been linked to reduced plant growth. Recent research have shown that growth and defence can be uncoupled, demonstrating that metabolic regulation is not the only cause of the growth-defense tradeoff, which was previously assumed to be a diversion of metabolic resources away from development and towards defence. Beyond lowering plant biomass, immunity activation affects plant development in other ways, such as through modifications to the structure of the plant.
