NEWS FROM
PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM
 |
 |
Published monthly on behalf of SPPS by Wiley-Blackwell.
 |
|
|
|
 |
CO2 counteracts drought
|
Increased CO2 emissions and subsequent global warming is expected to cause more frequent episodes of drought in the US and many other parts of the world where maize is an important crop. Since drought is a primary limiting factor for maize yield, increases in atmospheric CO2 might lead to reductions in yield. But it turns out that the greenhouse gas to some extent actually counteracts the effects of drought and reduces the harmful effects of water stress. Richard Sicher and Jinyoung Barnaby from USDA in Beltsville, Maryland, USA tested the effect of ambient (38 Pa) and elevated (70 Pa) CO2 on maize subjected to drought 17 days after sowing. While drought altered the concentrations of 28 out of 33 tested metabolites and transcripts of 14 stress-related genes, the drought response was delayed by elevated CO2. Most of the responsive genes and metabolites were related to stress and overall the greenhouse gas delayed physiological drought responses by 2 days.
Read full article here: Sicher & Barnaby (March 2012) Physiologia Plantarum 144: 238
|
|
NEWS IN BRIEF
FROM OTHER JOURNALS
|
|
Timing the catapult
|
|
Source: Noblin et al (16 March 2012) Science 335: 1322
|
|
|
|
Complex fossil forest discovered
|
|
Source: Stein et al (5 January 2012) Nature 483: 41
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Overwhelming interest in Fascination of Plants Day
|
| |
|
|
The Fascination of Plants Day now includes the event "Plants - symbol on graves" in Kassel, Germany. From www.steve-thorpe.co.uk
|
|
|
Already more than 275 institutions from 37 countries have signed up to make local events at the first Fascination of Plants Day on 18 May 2012. In Europe alone, 28 countries participate, and among them Poland made a blast on 14 March when 27 organisations, research units and botanical gardens announced their participation. The last two countries to enroll were India and Israel. They are now represented by a local National Coordinator, who will guide plant science institutions, universities, botanical gardens, museums, farmers and companies to open their doors for a variety of plant-based events for all the family.
The master coordinator Jan-Wolfhard Kellmann is overwhelmed by the interest. Originally thought to be just a little public outreach initiative of EPSO (European Plant Science Organisation), the scope of Fascination of Plants Day has broaden from pure science to almost all aspects of plants. A good example is the city of Kassel in Germany where the graveyards' directors have arranged the event "Plants - symbol on graves".
You can read more about the Fascination of Plants Day at the official homepage or in a former article in SPPS Newsletter.
|
|
