Increasing energy demands and the necessity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are key motivating factors driving the development of lignocellulosic crops as an alternative to non-renewable energy sources. The effects of global climate change will require a better understanding of the genetic basis of complex adaptive traits to breed more resilient bioenergy feedstocks, like willow […]

How much wheat do we need? One prediction is we need production to double between 2005 and 2050. This challenge is more difficult due to abiotic stress with climate change. Long Li and colleagues have been examining root system morphology. Root system morphology is important for sustainable agriculture, but the genetic basis of root traits […]

Is there selection minimizing the costs of ovule production? Such selection should lead to a smaller ovule size in relation to seed size and, at the same time, smaller variation in ovule size within plants, the latter because the minimum structures and resources for functioning of ovules should be the same among ovules. Additionally, within […]

Of the many threats to global food security, one of the most pressing is the increased incidence of extreme weather events. In addition to extreme rainfall, a combination of global sea level rise and storm surge is likely to result in frequent episodes of seawater flooding in arable systems along low-lying coasts. Hanley et al. […]

The exine, or outer layer of a pollen grain or spore, is extremely varied in structure. Decades of research have attempted to discover the underlying developmental mechanisms that give rise to the enormous diversity of pollen and spore exines. The organization of the exine starts with the establishment of an elaborate glycocalyx, a cell coat, […]

Although hypernodulating phenotype mutants of legumes, such as soybean, possess a high leaf N content, the large number of root nodules decreases carbohydrate availability for plant growth and seed yield. In addition, under conditions of high air vapour pressure deficit (VPD), hypernodulating plants show a limited capacity to replace water losses through transpiration, resulting in […]

Coastal plant communities globally are highly vulnerable to future sea-level rise and storm damage, but the extent to which these habitats are affected by the various environmental perturbations associated with chronic salinization remains unclear. In this study, Ury et al. examine the relationship between North Carolina wetland tree community composition and basal area change and […]

Plant modelling can efficiently support ideotype conception, particularly in multi-criteria selection contexts. This is the case for biomass sorghum, implying the need to consider traits related to biomass production and quality. This study, by Larue and colleagues, evaluated three modelling approaches for their ability to predict tiller growth, mortality and their impact, together with other […]

Juvenile-to-adult phase transition is marked by changes in leaf morphology, mostly due to the temporal development of the shoot apical meristem, a phenomenon known as heteroblasty. Sugars and microRNA-controlled modules are components of the heteroblastic process in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves. However, our understanding about their roles during phase-changing in other species, such as Passiflora edulis, […]

Davide Scaglione and colleagues have paper for anyone who needs to carry a genotyping experiment with cost-efficiency and reproducibility for population genetics and genome wide association studies.

Earlier this year we reported on how it looked like bladderworts were farming their food, as much as hunting it. A paper submitted before those came out adds to the story, by examining the 'trophic level' of bladderwort and butterwort prey.

The ability of wheat genotypes to save water by reducing their transpiration rate (TR) at times of the day with high vapour pressure deficit (VPD) has been linked to increasing yields in terminal drought environments. Further, recent evidence shows that reducing nocturnal transpiration (TRN) could amplify water saving. Previous research indicates that such traits involve […]