If there was a recurring theme in the March 2016 plant news it may have been plant defense.
Defense against foreign genes, defense against herbivores, and defense against disease all made an appearance.
“Research at North Carolina State University has identified “pollen blockers” in corn that can prevent organic corn from being pollinated by genetically modified (GM) plants.”
And “…dissecting the networks responsible for the development of Kranz Anatomy in C4 species could potentially be translated into C3 crops that are less efficient in hot and dry environments in an effort to increase yield in a sustainable way.“
Understanding Kranz Anatomy to help boost photosynthetic efficiency in plants.
“A protein that signals tissue damage to the human immune system has a counterpart that plays a similar role in plants, report researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI).”
Discovery shows parallels between plant and human immune systems.
More “Greatest Hits” of 2016 Plant News to Come….
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