A major challenge when supporting the development of intercropping systems remains the design of efficient species mixtures. The ecological processes that sustain overyielding of legume-based mixtures compared to pure crops are well known, but their links to plant traits remain to be unravelled. A common assumption is that enhancing trait divergence among species for resource […]

Annals of Botany will release a Special Issue inspired by the 3D Tree Models for Forest Dynamics workshop held in Helsinki, Finland.

Botanists show how abscisic acid receptors in poplar can ease drought stress.

Arundo donax often reproduces clonally, but a new study finds small differences can affect how it recovers from drought stress.

As mentioned a couple of days ago, there’s a big push to try growing biofuels on marginal land. “Since irrigation of biomass crops is unlikely to be economic, it is important to identify genotypes that optimize the use of water in different climatic regions and those that are tolerant to salinity and water-deficit stresses,” said […]

Botanists use the orchid genus Epipactis as a model for speciation, but unravelling its family tree has been difficult.

Sulphur (S) is an essential macronutrient for seeds, so why do brassicas store it in leaves?

Doubling the chromosomes of Arabidopsis arenosa does not always lead to strong ecological niche differentiation.

Compensatory base changes (CBCs) that occur in stems of ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) can have important phylogenetic implications. Li et al. quantify how CBCs affect selection of substitution models and values for species delimitation in a more recent Corydalis lineage by using both DNA- and RNA-specific models. They demonstrate that application of conventional […]

For the first time, whole-genome cytogenomic maps were established for octoploid plants.

Extensins are hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins thought to strengthen the plant cell wall, one of the first barriers against pathogens, through intra- and intermolecular cross-links. The glycan moiety of extensins is believed to confer the correct structural conformation to the glycoprotein, leading to self-assembly within the cell wall that helps limit microbial adherence and invasion. However, this […]

The nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) transcription factor complex is important in plant growth, development and stress response. Information regarding this transcription factor complex is limited in cassava (Manihot esculenta). In this study, 15 MeNF-YAs, 21 MeNF-YBs and 15 MeNF-YCs were comprehensively characterized during plant defence. The regulation of MeNF-Ys in response to Xam indicated their […]