Tag Archives: plants

Making plants blue through gene editing could simplify weed removal by robots

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Changing the color of crops may make it easier to distinguish between target plants and weeds

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Common crops such as wheat and corn could be genetically modified to be brightly colored to make them easier for weeding robots to work with, researchers have suggested.

Weeding reduces the need for herbicides, but the artificial intelligence models that power weeding robots can have trouble distinguishing weeds from crops that are similar in shape and color.

To avoid this problem, Pedro Correia Researchers from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and their colleagues have suggested that crop genomes could be adapted to express pigments such as anthocyanins, which make blueberries blue, and carotenoids, which make carrots orange.

It is also possible to grow crops with unusually shaped leaves or other traits that are invisible to the naked eye but can be detected by sensors such as those in the infrared spectrum.

Correia said AI's weeding struggles could get worse as wild species adapt to agriculture, taking advantage of their ability to cope with changing climate. This type of new domestication can produce crops that are more environmentally sustainable and higher yielding, but can also be difficult to distinguish from their unchanged ancestors.

“We're trying to change a very small number of genes to increase productivity,” Correia says. “It would be great if he could change one or two more genes to make them more recognizable and to be able to use robots to weed.”

charles fox The University of Lincoln in the UK says there is precedent for intentionally changing the color of crops. Orange carrots were not common until producers selectively bred stable varieties. But he thinks genetic modification is probably not the easiest way to improve the effectiveness of weed-killing robots.

“Other methods would probably be much easier and less controversial because people generally don't like genetic modification,” Fox says. “Sounds like a lot of effort.”

Correia says he's not suggesting creating something new or adding animal genes. The research involves modifying crop genomes to incorporate genes for pigments already produced in other plants. “We're just making some changes to the crop so they can eat it too,” he says. “We'll have to test everything and test for side effects and things like that, but I think it's quite possible.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Study: Certain plants are more effective than others in removing air pollution through green walls

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Biologists are University of Surrey They investigated interspecific variation in particulate matter accumulation, washout, and retention in 10 broad-leaved plants, focusing on leaf characteristics.

thomson other. We found that the interaction between macromorphology and micromorphology in green-walled plant species determines their particulate matter removal ability.Image credit: Thomson other. 2024., doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170950.

Green wall is a vertical system that has received particular attention because it can be installed without occupying additional space at street level.

They also offer other benefits, such as reduced dependence on existing soil conditions and additional ecosystem services.

Green wall is a term that includes walls covered with all forms of vegetation.

Green facades and living walls are two types of green walls, where green facades usually include climbing plants, whereas living walls include planting materials and plants to support a more diverse variety of plants. Includes technology.

The reduction of air pollutants by green walls depends on several factors such as plant type, barrier dimensions, leaf area index, humidity, wind speed, and orientation of the location.

“By planting vertically against green walls, communities can purify the air without taking up too much street space,” said Mamatha Thomson, a postgraduate researcher at the University of Surrey.

“Our study suggests that this process depends not only on leaf shape but also on the micromorphological properties of the leaf surface.”

“We believe that the right mix of species creates the most effective green walls. We look forward to conducting further research to see if we are right. .”

In this study, Thomson et al. planted 10 species: Evergreen Candy Tuft (Iberis sempervirens), Ivy (hedera helix) And that Wild marjoram (Ornamental pill beetle)in a custom-built 1.4 meter green wall.

The leaves of the evergreens candytuft and ivy were found to be particularly good at trapping pollutant particles, both large and small.

Meanwhile, rain was able to wash most of the pollutants from the lavender's hairy leaves.

Candytuft and marjoram also performed well in washing away small pollution particles.

“We hope that urban planners and infrastructure experts can use our findings to think more carefully about what they plant,” said Prashant Kumar, a professor at the University of Surrey.

“Having a green wall is a great way to remove pollution, but what you plant on top of it can make a big difference to its success.”

of result It was published in the magazine Total environmental science.

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Mamatha Thomson other. 2024. Investigating the interplay between particulate matter scavenging, scavenging, and leaf properties in green-walled species. Total environmental science 921: 170950; doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170950

Source: www.sci.news

Deadly Plants: Lethal to Pollinators but Nourishing to Their Offspring

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The Arisaema plant is a death trap for pollinating mushroom gnats.

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Pulpit flowers, famous for trapping and killing pollinators, may also act as nurseries for insect eggs, revealing a more subtle and mutually beneficial relationship that challenges existing assumptions. Become.

These jug-shaped plants are Alisa EmmaThey mimic the look and smell of musty mushrooms to attract fungus gnats, which are major pollinators. But when insects dip into the flower's spathe in search of this pungent food, they are unable to crawl out because the interior of the flower's elongated hood is too waxy. The gnat struggles violently inside its mottled red-green cup, scattering pollen all around it to thoroughly pollinate the plant, but eventually dies of exhaustion.

At least this is what botanists think I've been thinking about it for a long time.

But when Kenji Suetsugu A team from Japan's Kobe University hatched 62 flowers of the Asian pulpit jack-in-the-pulpit species Alisa Emmathunbergi, they realized something was wrong. The gnat was helplessly captured and laid eggs in the crown of the flower. When the flowers begin to wither, these larvae feed on the shriveled and rotting flesh and emerge as adults a few weeks later.

The fact that traps can serve the dual function of pollination sites and nurseries for the next generation of pollinators is “really surprising,” Suetsugu says.

Furthermore, some adults are able to escape from flower traps before it is too late. So the ducks aren't “technically lethal,” Suetsugu said. This suggests that plants strike a balance between ensuring pollination and not completely depleting the number of pollinating gnats.

These findings suggest that the relationship between jack-in-the-pulpit and its pollinators is much more complex than previously thought and cannot be neatly categorized as purely mutualistic or antagonistic.”, says Suetsugu.

This relationship may represent a step in the evolution of plants, from purely deceptive pollinators to mutually beneficial relationships with pollinators. Importantly, the findings may also suggest that there is more to the relationships between other plants and pollinators around the world than meets the eye.

Indeed, these findings challenge some preconceived ecological concepts. Jeff Ollerton at the University of Northampton, UK. In this particular case, the situation is mixed, as only some insects seem to be benefiting.He has more types of Alisa Emma (This genus includes more than 190 species) To learn more, you need to study this species in detail.

“The deeper we look into plant-pollinator interactions, the more we learn about the ability of plants to manipulate pollinator behavior and how pollinators can evolve strategies to acquire resources. There are more surprises to come,” Ollerton said.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Research Indicates Multicellularity Emerged in Streptococcal Plants Approximately One Billion Years Ago

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A new study led by scientists at the University of Göttingen has provided evidence that the first multicellular streptococci probably existed about a billion years ago.

bierenbrodspot other. We sequenced 24 new transcriptomes of Klebsormidiophyceae and combined them with 14 previously published genome and transcriptome datasets. Image credit: Bierenbroodspot other., doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.070.

streptococcus is best known as a clade of plants that contains a rich diversity of embryophytes (land plants).

However, next to the embryophytes there is a series of freshwater and terrestrial algae that are responsible for important information on the emergence of key traits in land plants.

this house, Klebsolmidioalgae stand out. Klebsolmydiophytes thrive in diverse environments, from the mundane (ubiquitous on tree bark and rocks) to extreme environments (from the Atacama Desert to Antarctica), display filamentous body surfaces, and can be found on land. They can show remarkable resilience as habitat colonizers.

Currently, the lack of a strong phylogenetic framework for Klebsolmydiophyceae hinders our understanding of the evolutionary history of these important traits.

Dr Tatyana Dariyenko, co-lead author of the study, said: “These small, hardy little creatures have a very high diversity in their morphology and are very good at living in sometimes very harsh environments. “It's really interesting that we're adapting.”

“Our comprehensive sampling aimed to map the global distribution of Klebsolmydiophyceae and highlight its adaptability, ecological importance and hidden diversity.”

“We analyzed the molecular clock based on genetic data calibrated using fossils.”

When delving into the complex evolutionary history of Klebsolmydiophyceae, Dr. Darienko and colleagues faced the challenge of disentangling phylogenetic relationships using traditional markers.

To overcome this, they utilized hundreds of genes obtained from the transcriptomes of 24 isolates from different continents and habitats.

“Our approach, known as phylogenomics, was to reconstruct the evolutionary history by considering whole genomes or large parts of genomes,” said Iker Irisarri, Ph.D., co-senior author of the study. Ta.

“This very powerful method allows us to reconstruct evolutionary relationships with very high precision.”

Researchers have uncovered a new phylogenetic tree for the family Klebsormydiophyceae, revealing that it can be divided into three orders.

“A deep dive into phylogenetic frameworks and our molecular clocks has revealed the ancient ancestor of Klebsormydiophyceae, a multicellular entity that flourished millions of years ago. Its descendants began to diverge into three distinct branches more than 800 million years ago,” said co-lead author Maaike Bierenbroodspot.

Scientists are investigating the evolutionary history of multicellularity within streptococci.

They discovered that the ancient common ancestor of land plants, other chain algae, and Klebsormydiophyceae was already multicellular.

“This discovery reveals the genetic potential of multicellularity among streptococci and shows that the origins of this important trait date back almost a billion years,” said co-author Jan de Vries. the professor said.

of study It was published in the magazine current biology.

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Maike J. Bielenbrodspot other. Phylogenomic insights into the first multicellular streptococci. current biology, published online on January 19, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.070

Source: www.sci.news

The Harmful Effects of Extreme Drought on Plants may be Underestimated

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One of the shelters used to simulate extreme drought. It is located at the Central Plains Experiment Station in Colorado.

melinda smith

An experiment conducted at 100 sites around the world shows that during extreme droughts, grassland productivity declines much more than we thought. This finding suggests that plants may be struggling to cope with more frequent and severe droughts that are expected to result from climate change.

melinda smith Researchers at Colorado State University have designed a shelter that can be placed on top of land and topped with a piece of plastic to deflect some of the rain away from the vegetation below.

Working with other researchers around the world, Smith and her team were able to install such shelters in 100 grassland or shrubland locations across six continents.

For each site, Smith said, the team aimed to recreate conditions that would be considered extreme drought in the area, the type of conditions that occur once every 100 years. For example, in areas of Europe with high rainfall, more plastic strips are placed on roofs compared to drier areas to better simulate drought.

A year later, the researchers discovered that while some experiments were successful in reproducing drought conditions, others were unsuccessful because certain areas had higher than average rainfall.

In the 44 sites that experienced extreme drought, plant growth decreased by 38% in grasslands and 21% in shrublands. “That was huge,” Smith said, adding that the reduction in plant growth was much more severe than the researchers had observed in previous studies.

They also found that arid regions with low biodiversity are particularly vulnerable to drought. “Dry places are already at their limit,” Smith said. “Their systems don't have a lot of buffers to deal with it.”

Smith hopes these insights can improve global climate models that have previously underestimated the role of drought in the carbon cycle.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

The transformation of seedlings into super plants through a rare chemical scent

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plants by exposing them to certain chemicals at seed can affect subsequent growth. Researchers found that treating seeds with ethylene gas improved both growth and stress tolerance. This finding includes enhanced photosynthesis. Carbohydrate production in plants has the potential to be a breakthrough in improving crop yields and resilience to environmental stressors. Like other living things, plants can be stressed. Usually the conditions are as follows heat and drought. That can lead to stress, and when stressed, the plant may not grow as much or produce less. This can be a problem for farmers, so many scientists have tried genetically modified plants to make it more elastic. However, plants modified to obtain higher crop yields are low stress tolerance. This is because they put more energy into growing than protecting them from stress. Similarly, as plants improve their ability to withstand stress, production often decreases because they spend more energy protecting than growing. This brainteaser makes it possible It is difficult to improve crop yields. I was studying How the plant hormone ethylene regulates plant growth and stress responses. In Research to be published in July 2023, my lab made an unexpected and provocative observation. We found that when seeds that are normally underground germinate in the dark, adding ethylene improves both growth and stress tolerance. Ethylene is a plant hormone Because plants cannot move around, they cannot avoid stressful environmental conditions such as heat or drought. They receive various signals from their environment, such as light and temperature, which shape their growth, development, and how they respond to stressful situations. As part of this regulation, plants make various hormones They are part of a regulatory network that allows them to adapt to environmental conditions. Ethylene was first discovered as a gaseous plant hormone over 100 years ago. Since then, research has shown that all land plants studied produce ethylene. In addition to controlling growth and responding to stress, they are also involved in other processes, such as turning leaves in autumn and promoting fruit ripening. Ethylene as a way to “prime” plants My lab focuses on how plants and bacteria sense ethylene and how ethylene interacts with other hormonal pathways to regulate plant development. While conducting this research, my group accidental discovery. We were experimenting with germinating seeds in a dark room. Seed germination is a critical period in a plant’s life when seeds transition from dormancy to seedlings under favorable conditions. In this experiment, Seeds exposed to ethylene gas Continue this for a few days to see what effect it has. The ethylene was then removed. Normally, the experiment should end here. However, after collecting data on these seedlings, we transferred them to lightweight carts. This is not something we normally do, but we wanted to grow the plants to adulthood so we could have seeds for future experiments. After a few days of placing the seedlings under light, some lab members made the unexpected and surprising observation that the plants briefly gassed with ethylene. it was much bigger. These plants had larger leaves and longer and more complex root systems than plants not exposed to ethylene. These plants continued to grow at a faster rate throughout their lives. The plant on the left was not primed with ethylene, while the plant on the right was primed with ethylene. Both plants are the same age. Credit: Binder Lab, University of Tennessee, Knoxville My colleagues and I wanted to know if plants are diverse seed Exposure to ethylene during seed germination showed growth stimulation. We discovered it the answer is yes. We tested the effects of short-term ethylene treatment on germinating tomato, cucumber, wheat, and arugula seeds, all of which grew significantly. However, what made this observation unusual and exciting is that short ethylene treatments also Increased tolerance to various stresses salinity stress, high temperature, hypoxic conditions, etc. The long-term effects of short-term exposure to a stimulus on growth and stress tolerance are often referred to as priming effects. This can be thought of as pump priming priming allows the pump to start easier and faster. There are studies that investigated how plants grow after priming at different ages and developmental stages. but Seed priming Methods using various chemicals and stress are probably the most studied because they are easy to implement and, if successful, can be…

Source: scitechdaily.com

Future of Climate-Tolerant Plants to be Shaped by New Discoveries

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Researchers at the University of Nottingham have discovered an important role for diligent proteins in plant roots, regulating water and nutrient uptake by controlling the endothelial lignin barrier. This discovery has important implications for the development of drought-tolerant crops that require fewer resources. The researchers also emphasized the importance of this discovery in adapting agriculture to changing climate conditions and ensuring future food security.

Researchers have identified the role of proteins that seal plant roots and control the uptake of nutrients and water from the soil. This breakthrough could lead to the development of climate-resilient crops that require less water and less chemical fertilizers.

researchers University of Nottingham We have identified a new component of the plant root lignin barrier and a specific function of diligent proteins (DPs) located in the root endodermis that control water and nutrient uptake. Their research results are science.

Root function and endothelium

Plant roots function by absorbing mineral nutrients and water from the soil and controlling the proper balance within the plant. This control is carried out by a specialized layer of root tissue called the endothelium.

The endodermis contains a barrier to solute and water movement made of lignin, the same substance found in wood. This impermeable barrier blocks uncontrolled movement of substances into the roots by forming a tight seal between cells. This seal ensures that the only route for nutrients and water to enter the roots is through the endothelial cells. This gives the cells complete control over what enters and exits the plant through the roots.

Role of Diligent Protein

This study identified a new component of the lignin deposition machinery, focusing on the function of diligent proteins (DPs) present in the root endothelium. These proteins act in conjunction with other described root control components to direct and organize the correct deposition of lignin into the endothelium, ensuring that the plant receives an optimal balance of nutrients from the soil. will do so.

Dr Gabriel Castrillo, from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Nottingham, one of the study’s leaders, said: They can be future-proofed to secure future food supplies. This study shows how plant roots regulate water and nutrient uptake through DP-regulated lignin deposition. Without these proteins, proper root sealing is not completed and the nutritional balance within the plant is compromised. This knowledge can be used to engineer plants to grow with less water and chemical fertilizers. ”

Reference: “Diligent protein complexes direct lignin polymerization and construction of root diffusion barriers” Yi-Qun Gao, Jin-Quan Huang, Guilhem Reyt, Tao Song, Ashley Love, David Tiemessen,
Pei-Ying Xue, Written by Wen-Kai Wu, Michael W. George, Xiao Ya
Chen, Dai Ying Chao, Gabriel Castrillo, David E. Salt, October 26, 2023. science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.adi5032

Source: scitechdaily.com