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Image: Plant defense priming in response to herbivory. Primer stimuli are environmental cues (e.g. volatile organic compounds from damaged neighboring plants, direct herbivore damage, spectral and chemical information) that elicit plant endogenous signaling and so ready plants for faster and stronger responses when additional attacks by herbivores occur (trigger stimulus). Intensity of the priming stimulus and the plant’s inherit sensitivity determine how strongly the plant is responding to a stimulus, reaching from alterations in endogenous signaling that may not significantly affect metabolism to a direct induction of defense metabolism. If the endogenous signal intensity elicit by environmental stimuli ranges within a critical signal intensity, a subsequent trigger stimulus (e.g. direct damage by a herbivore) will result in a faster and stronger expression of the plant defense metabolism. The reliability of a priming stimulus as a predictor of subsequent fitness-affecting damage will affect endogenous signal intensity and retention and thus if the priming information is stored in short- (e.g. transient, transcript and phytohormone accumulation) or long-term memory (e.g. epigenetic alterations). Defense priming allows the integration of environmental information to optimize plant responses while minimizing the costs associated with unreliable (false) environmental information. Credit: Plant Signaling & Behavior

News Plant Science

Are plants intelligent? It depends on the definition

Goldenrod plants exhibit adaptive responses to environmental cues, such as perceiving nearby plants through far-red light and changing behavior when attacked by herbivores. This ability to solve problems and adjust based on environmental information is argued to fit a very…

Isabel18/07/2024

Image credit: Amalophyllon miraculum leaf. Credit: Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0)

Botany News

A tiny new plant species reaffirms the “miraculous” survival of Western Ecuador’s ravished biodiversity

A new 5 cm-high plant species discovered in western Ecuador reaffirms the region's surprising biodiversity. Found in a farmer's backyard, this tiny plant, named Amalophyllon miraculum, highlights the importance of preserving small forest fragments. The discovery challenges assumptions of widespread…

Isabel16/07/2024

Image: Plant breeders play a crucial role in ensuring the long-term success of crops. Credit: CSIRO

News Plant Science

Shortage of skilled plant breeders could impact global food security

A global shortage of skilled plant breeders threatens food security. With many specialists nearing retirement and fewer graduates entering the field, urgent action is needed to bolster training and ensure the sustainability of agricultural production worldwide.

Isabel15/07/2024

Image: Eleanor Brant collecting leaf samples for molecular analysis of gene edited sugarcane. Credit: Charles Keato

Agriculture News Plant Science

Fine-Tuning Leaf Angle with CRISPR Improves Sugarcane Yield

Researchers fine-tuned sugarcane leaf angles by editing varying copies of the LG1 gene in its genome, optimizing light capture and increasing biomass yield. A specific edit led to a 56% decrease in leaf angle and an 18% increase in biomass.…

Isabel11/07/2024

Philaenus spumarius. Credit: Elke Freese/Wikimedia Commons

News Plant Health

Study shows climate change boosts olive tree-devouring bacteria in the Mediterranean

Climate change is boosting the spread of Xylella fastidiosa, a bacterium devastating Mediterranean crops like olive and grapevines. Researchers predict increased risks under global warming scenarios, stressing the importance of climate in plant disease outbreaks and the need for enhanced…

Isabel08/07/2024

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Are plants intelligent? It depends on the definition

A tiny new plant species reaffirms the “miraculous” survival of Western Ecuador’s ravished biodiversity

Shortage of skilled plant breeders could impact global food security

Fine-Tuning Leaf Angle with CRISPR Improves Sugarcane Yield

Study shows climate change boosts olive tree-devouring bacteria in the Mediterranean

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