This special issues of New Phytologist is full of Open Access articles, reviews and commentaries about mycorrhizas and a good resource for students who want to learn more about this important topic. A Supplemental Resource for TTPB “Plants and their microsymbionts” View resource
An introduction to seven of the more serious biological threats to food security, including wheat stem rust, potato blight, black sigatoka, witchweed (Striga hermonthica), rice blast, Asian soybean rust, and cassava brown streak virus. View resource
Nice Open Access overview of auxin history and signaling, good for teaching. Enders, T.A. and Strader, L.C. (2015). Auxin activity: Past, present, and future. American Journal of Botany. 102: 180-196. “Long before its chemical identity was known, the phytohormone auxin was postulated to regulate plant growth. In the late 1800s, Sachs hypothesized that plant growth […]
This April 2014 Special Issue on Water is freely accessible and includes reviews on all aspects of plant water use from guard cells to cavitation. Great resource for teaching undergraduate or graduate plant physiology. View resource
A Supplement from Nature about how drought affects agriculture (Free Access). “Climate change means the coming decades are likely to bring more frequent episodes of severe drought, with potentially devastating impact on the world’s ability to feed a growing population. We therefore need a sustainable agricultural system that makes the most efficient use of water […]
California’s current extreme drought must be a lesson for managing water in a warmer, more densely populated world, say Amir AghaKouchak and colleagues. View full article
In 1935, Japanese scientist Gonjoro Inazuka crossed a semi-dwarf Japanese wheat landrace with two American varieties resulting in an improved variety, known as Norin 10. Norin 10 derived varieties eventually ended up in the hands of Norman Borlaug, beginning one of the most extraordinary agricultural revolutions in history. This international exchange of germplasm ultimately saved […]
Useful article for Plant Nutrition lessons – how P use has changed over the past 400 years in China. “The biogeochemical cycle of phosphorus (P) has been massively altered in China, challenging its food security and causing eutrophication of freshwaters. This study shows, for the first time to our knowledge, how P cycling in China […]
Useful article for Plant Pathology lessons – an in-depth look at our current understanding of plant-pathogen interactions, including interviews from leaders in the field. “Just like animals, plants have to fight off pathogens looking for an unsuspecting cell to prey on. Unlike animals, however, plants don’t have mobile immune cells patrolling for invaders. “Every cell […]