Powdery mildew is one of the most dreaded plant diseases: The parasitic fungus afflicts crops such as wheat and barley and is responsible for large harvest shortfalls every year. Beat Keller and ...

Fungi are a diverse group of organisms with a huge variation in reproductive strategy. While almost all species can reproduce sexually, many reproduce asexually most of the time. When sexual ...

Genetically, powdery mildew is perfectly adapted to its host plants. Evidently, sexual reproduction and new combinations of genetic material usually prove disadvantageous for the fungus. Asexual ...