Scientists identify fungal protein driving crop defoliation in cotton and olives

Across cotton fields and olive groves, a silent fungal adversary has long stripped plants bare without science fully understanding why. Researchers at the University of Cologne have now identified the precise protein secreted by Verticillium dahliae that triggers complete defoliation — and discovered that the gene encoding it travels on a mobile genetic element capable of spreading between fungal species. This knowledge, published in Nature Communications, marks a turning point in humanity's long struggle to protect its harvests from invisible enemies, offering a foundation for both early dete