Reviews
In celebration of plants
In Defense of Plants: An Exploration into the Wonder of Plants by Matt Candeias 2021. Mango Publishing. Having read a lot of books from a plants-
Close Encounters
Condensed tannin distribution in fine roots linked to mycorrhizal type
Both tannin distribution and root anatomy showed distinct patterns depending on mycorrhiza type.
Growth & Development
Three new methods indicate that rising carbon dioxide reduces seedling respiration
Can new careful methods help us understand how plant respiration will be affected by rising carbon dioxide concentrations?
Plants & People
Advancing flowering is altering the dates of some cultural events
Concern that flowers are blooming earlier is about more than wish to return to the good old days.
Close Encounters
Rare pictures of Rare-Earth Elements in live hyper-accumulating fern roots and shoots: silicon might play a role in detoxification
New X-raying method reveals how a fern accumulates rare-earth elements in its tissues
Growth & Development
Understanding the timing sequence of maize leaf development
Detailed information on the dynamics of leaf production and extension along a maize (Zea mays) shoot can improve crop model predictions.
Plants & People
How “The Week in Botany” works
I’ve changed the system for sending the emails out for The Week in Botany, so I thought now was a good time to revisit how
Reviews
Cereal thriller brings home the bacon*
Amber Waves: The extraordinary biography of wheat, from wild grass to world megacrop by Catherine Zabinski 2020. The University of Chicago Press. Biographies are usually written
Ecosystems
Agriculture changes plant disease dynamics in nearby wild plants
Landscape management could help combat plant viruses.
Taxonomy & Evolution
Hybridisation of native and foreign Sorbus trees in the Polish Carpathian mountains
Sorbus is a highly diverse tree genus but is this the result of hybridisation and introgression between native and foreign species?
Computational Models
Man vs machine: Which model is superior at predicting phenology?
A comparison of the performance of knowledge-based models, data-driven machine-learned models, and an ensemble of both.
Growth & Development
Nurse cushion plants show independent trait adaptation to differing habitats
More independence in trait adaptation may mean a greater leeway to adapt to changing climate.