The development of deep learning brings opportunities to train computers to solve complex questions. Self-driving vehicles are classic examples of an application of deep learning in the real world. However, the large amounts of data that are required for building accurate models and avoiding overfitting…

In many ecosystems, nitrogen (N) is a limiting factor for plant growth. In agro-ecosystems, the application of synthetic N fertiliser has solved that issue. However, N fertiliser application is costly both to the farmers and the environment (in terms of N leaching and atmospheric release of greenhouse…

Mathematical modeling, as a series of useful methods for functional and causal interpretation of experimental high-throughput studies, enables us to explore the complex field of plant metabolism. The application of differential equations as a mathematical method has been developed and reviewed for decades…

Acid soils (pH < 5.5) mobilize aluminum (Al) in the rhizosphere, which damages the root meristem and hinders exploration for nutrients and water. Zhang et al. demonstrate that a mutation in ZmPGP1, an auxin transport protein, imparts enhanced root growth under toxic Al conditions. The enhanced root…

Phytophthora spp. are highly aggressive fungus-like pathogens that cause various blight and rot diseases in many crops. Upon invasion of host cells, Phytophthora delivers thousands of effector proteins. Some of these effectors suppress the host RNA silencing pathway, which is mediated by a diverse…

The secondary cell wall (SCW) plays an important role in the structural integrity of plants and is key to efficient water conductivity. Despite the important role of the SCW, little known about how and when SCW components are assembled. Currently, it is understood that cellulose deposition is a precursor…

Previously, Monte et al. showed that the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha perceives the jasmonate pathway precursor dn-OPDA instead of the well known JA-Ile phytohormone of vascular plants. Now, Monte and colleagues focus on the MpJAZ, downstream of the signal transduction pathway. MpJAZ is the sole…

Floral color and patterning each play a role in filtering pollinator visits to any given flower. However, just as the color and patterning of flowers is multidimensional, so too should be our understanding of the relative importance of color-related traits in pollinator preference. Hirota et al.…