Tag: Abiotic Interactions

Many bryophytes and other non-seed plants are tolerant to vegetative desiccation, which is thought to have been necessary for colonization of land. By contrast, most seed plants lack this capacity, although they retain desiccation tolerance in their pollen and seeds. However, some seed plants, known…

Global climate change affects weather patterns, and excess soil salinity harms plant growth. Previous studies have shown interaction between the circadian clock and salt responses. In normal conditions, the core circadian clock oscillator GIGANTEA (GI) sequesters the SOS2 kinase, part of the salt-overly…

Soil salinization causes massive yield losses in agriculture, and its impact on plants goes beyond what our eyes can see. Roots are immediately affected by the direct exposure to a salt-(NaCl) rich substrate. Here, Zou et al. investigate the salt-induced altered root gravitropic responses in Arabidopsis…

Soil microbial communities respond rapidly to stress, potentially leading to altered compositions in stressful environments and consequently impacting plant natural selection. Bolin and Lau investigated the influence of microbial responses to stress and persistent microbial legacy effects on plant selection.…

Drought stress is a major problem and can cause large reductions in yield. Water productivity is the amount of yield per unit of water used, hence a higher water productivity is associated with more drought tolerance. Here, Zaïm et al. discovered three genomic loci associated with increased water productivity…

When we speak about rice, we’re often referring to one of two domesticated species, Oryza japonica or Oryza indica. However, there are an additional 25 species in the genus Oryza. These so-called wild relatives harbor substantial genetic diversity that holds promise for crop improvement. Here, Prakash…

In my cruise around the internet looking for fascinating plant science, I found this tasty morsel. It’s a Spotlight feature of new paper on the effects of salt stress on plants of the genus Capsicum. I don’t want to detract from author Robert Calderon’s fine writing, so head over to Physiologia…

July brings delicious fruit harvests in the Northern Hemisphere, and a very special focus issue of Plant Physiology. I particularly like this issue because of the wide variety of species covered, starting with apple, banana, blueberry, cherry, citrus, and so on. It’s a nice departure from our usual…