
Why Plants Follow the Sun
June 1, 2012 |
While the observation that plants follow the sun has been recorded since the 15th Century, how this was scientifically achieved and why this occurred remained a mystery for years. But a team of European scientists may have solved the mystery and they say that the answer lies in a class of plant hormone called auxin. Scientists from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VIB) and University of Ghent in Belgium have identified that auxin is stored at specific sites in the plant.
The scientists led by Elke Barbez, with supervision from Jürgen Kleine from VIB and Jirí Friml, also from VIB and the University of Ghent, found out that auxin transport within the plant plays a vital and complex role. Auxin is produced in the growing sections of the plant before it is sent to other parts where it is needed, including the stem. For the plant to best absorb sunlight, the stem needs to straighten out as soon as possible. More auxin is then delivered to the underside of the stem than to the topside, resulting with the underside growing faster and the stem straightening out. If auxin transport is regulated, plants are able to take full advantage of local and changing conditions.
The researchers said that their findings will benefit agricultural scientists and farmers. They added that increasing auxin levels at the right moment in the right place would result in better growth and increased yields.
Read more about this research at http://phys.org/news/2012-05-sun_1.html. The Nature article is available at http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v485/n7396/full/nature11001.html.
|
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
News from Around the World
- Scientists Sequence the Tomato Genome
- FAO: End Hunger and Malnutrition to Achieve Sustainable Dev't
- DNA Discovery in Drought Resistant Crops
- Mexico Ratifies the Nagoya Protocol
- Trait Stacking for Biotech Crops: An Essential Consideration for Agbiotech Development
- IITA Project Saves Africa from Striga Infestation
- ICARDA, CIMMYT Build Partnership for Wheat Research
- African Heads of State and Governments Agree to Give Biotechnology a Try
- Time is Ticking for Some Crop's Wild Relatives
- It's in the Genes: Research Pinpoints How Plants Know When to Flower
- USDA Provides Funding to Cooperators for Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention
- Rising CO2 Levels Affects Gene Flow in Wild and Domesticated Rice
- Iowa State University to Get More Staff to Create Biotech Research Powerhouse
- Glyphosate Tolerant Canola Receives Approval in Canada
- APEC: Biotech to Improve Food Security
- Seminar on Plant Genetic Transformation in Indonesia
- Rice Bowl Index Highlights Solutions for Food Security Challenges Across Asia-Pacific
- Chinese Ethnic Minority Gains Info on Agri-biotechnology
- Embargo on Bt Brinjal a Great Disservice to India Says Academician
- Seminar on Modern Biotech Informs Filipino Stakeholders
- Why Plants Follow the Sun
- Debate on GM Wheat in Great Britain
- Plants Could More Efficiently Use Light for Food Production
- Minister Announces £250M Strategic Investment in UK BioScience
-
Research Highlights
- Effects of Cry1F on Army Worm's Predator
- Scientists Investigate Long-term Effects of Bt Cotton on Aphids
- Plastids Do Not Form Interconnected Networks
-
Beyond Crop Biotech
- New Cannabis Without the 'High'
- Pesticides and Bee Health: EFSA Reviews the Science
- Scientists Unveil Pathways for Biosynthesis of Noscapine
-
Announcements
- SEAMEO-BIOTROP Provides Fellowship for National Training Courses in 2012
-
Resources
- Publication on "Environmental Safety of Biotech and Conventional IPM Technologies"
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (February 12, 2025)
- Gene Editing Supplement (February 12, 2025)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet