Colorado State University researchers found that restoring cytokinin signaling in immune-activated Arabidopsis thaliana improved growth and reproductive output without weakening disease resistance. The treated or genetically altered plants also became more resistant to pathogens with different lifestyles, suggesting that the long-recognized tradeoff between plant growth and defense can sometimes be partially uncoupled. The work remains limited to a laboratory model plant, but it points toward hormone crosstalk as a possible route for developing crops that maintain yield while defending themselves against disease. Plants face a hard choice whenever disease strikes. They can defend themselves, or they can keep growing at full strength. A new study from Colorado State University suggests that choice may not always need to be so painful. Researchers found a way to boost plant growth while keeping immunity strong in Arabidopsis thaliana, a small mustard-family plant widely used in biology research. The findings could one day help scientists design crops that resist disease without losing yield. The work focuses on plant hormones, the chemical signals that help plants respond to stress, pests …