An attract-kill pattern is essentially a biological interaction between plant roots and pathogens where plants entice pathogens towards their roots, to ultimately neutralize them. This has been seen to have an important role in the suppression of diseases such as Phytophthora in intercropping systems.
An example of this process can be seen in recent research from Key Laboratory of Agro-Biodiversity and Pest Management of Education Ministry of China where they indicated that maize roots attracted the zoospores of Phytophthora capsici and inhibited their motility while also causing cystospores lysis. The phenomenon has been found in various interactions between roots of non-host plant and Phytophthora.
