Plant biotechnology often refers to crops and, more recently, algae, but biotechnology also applies to mosses. As Decker and Reski summarize, mosses have some of the same desirable features as algae, including a largely haploid lifecycle that facilitates genetic studies (including homologous recombination and gene editing), and culturability in photobioreactors. To date, moss biotech has […]
Bulliform cells lie in rows along the upper (adaxial) surface of the maize leaf, and through changes in volume contribute to leaf-rolling, which is a response to water deficit. Several mutants have been identified that affect bulliform cell formation and function, but as yet their occurance in natural populations have not been investigated. One limitation […]
Plants perceive and respond to touch and other physical contact including wounding. Van Moerkercke et al. explored the network of rapid gene responses to a gentle water spray, simulating rainfall. Many of these mecho-induced genes are also responsive to jasmonate, the hormone involved in response to herbivory. A high proportion encode transcription factors (TFs), including […]
Disease-suppressive soils have long been known, although it hasn’t always been clear how they function. Previous studies have suggested that soil microbes are responsible for disease suppression, because the suppressive property can be transferred to other soils and is lost when soil is sterilized. Carrión et al. grew sugar beet seedlings in suppressive or conducive […]
Some species of Streptomyces bacteria produce antimicrobial compounds that have been shown to enhance plant resistance to pathogens. Kim et al. show that his protection can extend to a pollinator. The Streptomyces defends the plant against Botrytis cinerea and protects the bees against insect pathogens (entomopathogens). Furthermore, the beneficial microbe can enter the endosphere and […]
Many discussions about organic food production are dominated by dogma rather than pragmatism. Nevertheless, here’s a useful report that examines the impact of organic farming methods in England and Wales on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Are the well-documented lower yields offset by differences in how the food is produced? Smith et al. suggest not: that […]
Review: Exchange of small regulatory RNAs between plants and their pests Trans-species small RNAs are the latest class in the family of signals that move between plants and their attackers. Hudzik et al. review this topic, covering small RNAs that move from plant to pest and from pest to plant. The transmitted RNAs function by […]
Legumes are important crops because they are protein-rich, as a consequence of symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF). In the past 20 years, through forward and reverse genetics more than 200 genes have been identified that are involved in this process, from recognition through nodule differentiation and metabolism. Roy et al. provide a comprehensive list of these […]
ABA is synthesized in response to water stress and promotes stomatal closure, thus decreasing transpiration. Crop yields can be increased by controlling transpiration early in the growing season, ensuring that soil water resources persist through the seed-set period. Building upon earlier studies, Vaidya, Helander et al. have identified a synthetic ABA agonist that binds tightly […]