plant science Archives - Page 57 of 82 - The Global Plant Council

Potassium is an essential nutrient for all living things. Plants need it in large quantities, especially for growth and in order to withstand stress better. For this reason, they absorb large quantities of potassium from the soil. In agriculture, this leads to a lack of available potassium in the soil – which is why the mineral is an important component in fertilizers. A team of researchers has now shown where and how plants detect potassium deficiency in their roots, and which signalling pathways coordinate the adaptation of root growth and potassium absorption to to uphold the plants potassium supply.

Using an improved version of the gene editing tool CRISPR/Cas9, researchers knocked out up to twelve genes in plants in a single blow. Until now, this had only been possible for single or small groups of genes. The method makes it easier to investigate the interaction of various genes.

Beta-cyclocitral produced by plants after herbivore attack increases defense responses while inhibiting the production of metabolites for growth.

Spectacular fossil plants preserved within a volcanic ash fall in China have shed light on an evolutionary race 300 million years ago, which was eventually won by the seed-bearing plants that dominate so much of the Earth today.