What we cannot see is how plants sense force, at least not yet. But a discovery by plant biologists will help make it possible to study how mechanical forces, such as gravity, affect the way that plant cells form and grow. They have created the first artificial scaffolds that can support the growth of individual plants cells.
Fruits can be dichotomously classified as fleshy or dry. Although many factors have been proposed to explain the pattern that the fleshy-fruited species occur with deceasing latitude and altitude, the relative importance of these factors has not yet been resolved. Researchers have investigated in a recent study factors affecting fruit type (fleshy vs. dry): plant growth form, environmental constraints (summarized by climate region), and phylogenetic conservatism.
Researchers have used a handheld device that looks a little like a ray gun to record how plant leaves on different Alaskan mountains reflect light. And, it turns out, different populations of plants of the same species—for instance, plants living on neighboring mountaintops—reflect light differently, in ways that echo their genetic variation from each other.
A new study has sequenced the genome of Arabidopsis thaliana at a level of detail never previously achieved. Now, for the first time, this study reveals the secrets of the Arabidopsis centromeres, shedding light on their evolution and providing insights into a paradox that has mystified scientists for decades.
Tree DNA has revealed how African rainforests responded to past climate change including ice ages, new research shows. The new study found clues to support this, by identifying genetic signs of points when two populations of the same species emerged from one ancestral population – probably caused by the forest fragmenting into separate sections.
Sometimes the pathogens that infect plants also affect people—through our pocketbooks. Which is why plant pathologist spend a lot of time studying microbes that infect tomatoes, peppers and strawberries.
Researchers have been studying seed dispersal to understand how chemicals impact interactions between fruit and the animals that eat them.
Scientists have figured out how plants respond to light and can flip this genetic switch to encourage food growth. The discovery could help increase food supply for an expanding population with shrinking opportunities for farming.
Predicting the spread of nonnative plants that have the potential to become invasive may seem like an unachievable goal. Recent research shows important, predictive clues can be found in how we live and work.
Researchers are optimistic the value and versatility of one of the world’s top crops will be improved following the discovery of genes which could increase the grain size of sorghum.
