Using emmer wheat to discover genes involved in drought tolerance
Plant Science Research WeeklyWheat is a major global crop, but its yields are severely compromised by drought, thus developing varieties with a higher drought tolerance is important. Emmer wheat (Triticum turgidum) is a wheat ancestor that contains more genetic diversity than cultivated varieties, so it can be used in genome wide…
Genomic regions of durum wheat involved in water productivity
Plant Science Research WeeklyDrought 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…
Oryza glumaepatula: A wild relative to improve drought tolerance in cultivated rice
Plant Science Research WeeklyWhen 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…
Natural variation of maize root hydraulic architecture underlies highly diverse water uptake capacities
Plant Science Research WeeklyWater uptake by roots is controlled by two factors: the architecture of the root system, and its hydraulic capacity. The later property is largely determined by the anatomical and physiological properties of the root cells, which include things like suberization and the presence of aquaporins (regulated…
Spatial resolution of an integrated C4+CAM photosynthetic metabolism (Sci. Advances)
Plant Science Research WeeklyC4 and CAM are both photosynthetic strategies that concentrate CO2 upstream of RuBisCO, somewhat uncoupling photosynthetic carbon fixation from transpirational water loss. Both strategies use the enzyme PEP-carboxylase to produce an organic acid, which can then be decarboxylated to provide CO2 to RuBisCO.…
Drought and Flowering Management by SlOST1-SlVOZ1 in Tomato
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellAuthor(s) and Institutions:
Leelyn Chong and Yingfang Zhu
State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, School of Life Sciences,
Henan University, Kaifeng 475001, China
Sanya Institute, Henan University, Sanya, 572025, China
Leelyn Chong and colleagues provide cues as to how plants…
Grow less or Grow more, That is the Question
The Plant Cell: In a NutshellLongkumer et al. explore how plant growth is regulated during drought.
Paul E. Verslues and Toshisangba Longkumer, Institute of Plant and Microbial Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, TAIWAN
Background: Plants can deliberately slow down their growth in response to even a small decrease in water…