Unveiling root trait syndromes in trees: Evolutionary insights into mycorrhizal partnerships
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants, particularly long-lived trees, need to balance nutrient acquisition, herbivore and pathogen defence, and ultimately organic matter decomposition. The intricate relationship between these processes is crucial for the survival and growth of trees over their extended lifespans. Zheng et al. investigated…
Perspective: Exposing belowground plant communication
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants possess a fascinating ability to communicate with each other through a complex system of chemical signals. Aboveground, they use airborne volatile signals to attract predatory insects, prime defenses in neighbors, facilitate nutrient transfer, and promote plant interactions. However, less is known…
Review. Mycorrhizal symbiosis: Genomics, ecology, and agricultural application
Plant Science Research WeeklyThis outstanding Tansley review by Martin and van der Heijden spans the scale of research on mycorrhizal symbiosis from molecules to ecosystems, and spans time from the earliest encroachment of plants and fungi onto land to the future applications of our understanding. This very comprehensive review…
Roots of misinformation on common mycorrhizal networks in forests
Plant Science Research WeeklyAs an educator, I reply on metaphors and stories to engage my readers, yet the line between hyperbole and engagement is thin. The concept of plant-plant communication is exciting, and certainly has some truth, but unfortunately has spilled over into a narrative that perhaps is more fiction than fact.…
Tracking water transport to the host plants by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (New Phytol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyIn spite of several years of observation of the symbiotic relationship between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, we are still learning about the intricate mechanisms and processes behind their relationship. Symbiotic fungi provide nutrients (mainly phosphorus and nitrogen), stress tolerance, and…
Plants’ PHR2-controlled phosphate starvation response regulates fungal symbiosis in rice (Nature Comms)
Plant Science Research WeeklyPlants’ interaction with microbes in the rhizosphere affects their health and productivity. Plant-arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) fungi symbiosis is associated with almost 80% of land plants. The fungi provide phosphate, stress tolerance, and firmness to the soil in exchange for carbon. While low phosphate…