Aboveground plant performance is strongly influenced by belowground microorganisms, some of which are pathogenic and have negative effects, while others, such as nitrogen-fixing bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, usually have positive effects. Recent research revealed that belowground interactions between plants and functionally distinct groups of microorganisms cascade up to abovegroun...

The use of hydroponic systems for cultivation in controlled climatic conditions and the selection of suitable genotypes for the specific environment help improving crop growth and yield. We hypothesized that plant performance in hydroponics could be further maximized by exploiting the action of plant growth-promoting organisms (PGPMs). However, the effects of PGPMs on plant physiology have been...

Understanding of the selective effects of insect herbivory on plants comes primarily from studies of herbivory aboveground. The impact of belowground herbivory, either in isolation or in concert with herbivory aboveground, on plant fitness is only beginning to be understood. I reduced the densities of root-boring ghost moth (Hepialus californicus) larvae and/or flowerand seed-feeding insects of...

Pink-pigmented facultatively methylotrophic bacteria (PPFMs), persistent colonizers of plant leaf surfaces, belong to the genus Methylobacterium and are mostly transmitted through seeds. Plant growth-promoting activity of methylotrophic bacteria and their effects on disease suppression were evaluated on rice under greenhouse conditions. Rice seeds were inoculated with Methylobacterium sp. strai...

This study evaluated whether the herb Ruellia nudiflora is locally adapted to a specialist insect seed predator (SP) and insect folivores, and if plant local adaptation (LA) to the former is more likely. A reciprocal transplant experiment was conducted using three sites in Yucatan (Mexico) (n = 864 plants). A third of the plants of each origin were placed at each site, and we recorded the follo...

Myrmecochory, or seed dispersal by ants, is a dispersal syndrome found among several thousand plant species occupying different ecosystems and geographical regions. Typically, ants benefit from consuming a lipid-rich appendage on the seed and in return provide seed dispersal service to the plant. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the selective advantage for plants resulting from ...

Medicinal plants are globally valuable sources of herbal products, and they are disappearing at a high speed. This article reviews global trends, developments and prospects for the strategies and methodologies concerning the conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plant resources to provide a reliable reference for the conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants. We emphasized th...

Seed size in higher plants is an important agronomic trait, and is also crucial for evolutionary fitness. In flowering plants, the seed comprises three major anatomical components, the embryo, the endosperm and the seed coat, each with different genetic compositions. Therefore, seed size is coordinately determined by the growth of the embryo, endosperm and maternal tissue. Recent studies have r...

The comparative effects of different concentrations of saline soil and saline irrigation water were investigated on growth of canola (cv. Ganyou-5). Plants were subjected to control (non-saline), 0.2% (EC 2.5 dS.m-1), 0.4% (EC 4.5 dS.m-1) and 0.6% (EC 6.5 dS.m-1) of sea salt concentrations in soil as well as saline irrigation water. Vegetative growth parameters recorded were plant height, numbe...

Defining sustainable agricultural practices requires an understanding of both aboveand below-ground consequences to management strategies. While alternatives to biocides are sought for the control of weeds, insects and pathogens, biocide use will continue with the goal of reducing quantities used in an integrated approach. The impact of three fungicides on plant growth, seed yield, seed nutrien...