Plant material and growth conditions
Tomato cv. Money-maker seeds were used in the described experiments. Unless otherwise specified, seeds were placed into propagator trays containing Bulrush peat (Bulrush pesticide-free black peat, low nutrient and low fertilizer mix) and a top layer of vermiculite and left at 20 °C until germination. Germinated seeds were transplanted to individual pots containing Bulrush soil (pesticide-free compost mix and nutrient and fertilizer rich) in a growth cabinet for 16h - 8h / day-night and 23°C / 20°C cycle C at ~150 μE m–2s–1 at ~ 60% relative humidity (RH).Nicotiana benthamiana seeds were cultivated in a similar manner specified for tomato for 16h - 8h/ day-night cycle; 26°C / 22°C at ~150 μE m–2 s–1 at ~ 60% relative humidity (RH). Aubergine (Solanum melongena ) cv. Black Beauty seeds were placed into propagators containing Bulrush peat and a layer of vermiculite on the top and incubated at 20°C for 1-2 weeks until germination. Seedlings were then transplanted to individual pots containing Bulrush soil and grown and cultivated as for tomato. Arabidopsis thaliana (hereafter referred to as Arabidopsis) Columbia-0 (Col-0) and transgenic lines were grown in a soil mixture of 2/3 Levington M3 soil and 1/3 sand for 8h - 16h/day - night and 21ºC / 18ºC cycle at ~150 μE m–2 s–1 at ~ 60% RH. Ten-day-old plants were transplanted to individual pots.