Phosphite (Phi) and phosphate (Pi) share the same root uptake system, but Phi acts as a biostimulant that modulates plant growth and disease resistance in a species‑ and Pi‑dependent manner. In Arabidopsis, Phi induces hypersensitive‑like cell death and enhances resistance to Plectosphaerella cucumerina, while in rice it counteracts Pi‑induced susceptibility to Magnaporthe oryzae and Fusarium fujikuroi, accompanied by extensive transcriptional reprogramming.

The authors introduce the ENABLE(R) Gene Editing in planta toolkit, a streamlined two‑step cloning system for creating CRISPR/Cas9 knockout vectors suitable for transient or stable transformation. Validation was performed in Oryza sativa protoplasts and Arabidopsis thaliana plants, and the toolkit includes low‑cost protocols aimed at facilitating adoption in the Global South.

The study visualizes subcellular dynamics following activation of the NRC4 resistosome, showing that NRC4 enrichment at the plasma membrane triggers calcium influx, followed by sequential disruption of mitochondria, plastids, endoplasmic reticulum, and cytoskeleton, culminating in plasma membrane rupture and cell death. These observations define a temporally ordered cascade of organelle and membrane events that execute plant immune cell death.

The study performed daily large-scale glycome, transcriptome, and proteome profiling of developing fibers from the two cultivated cotton species, Gossypium barbadense and G. hirsutum, across primary and secondary cell wall stages. It identified delayed cellulose accumulation and distinct compositions of xyloglucans, homogalacturonans, rhamnogalacturonan‑I, and heteroxylans in G. barbadense, along with higher expression of specific glycosyltransferases and expansins, suggesting these molecular differences underlie the superior fiber length and strength of G. barbadense.

The study finely dissected shoot stem cell–enriched tissues from maize and Arabidopsis thaliana and optimized single‑cell RNA‑seq protocols to reliably capture CLAVATA3 and WUSCHEL‑expressing cells. Cross‑species comparison and functional validation, including spatial transcriptomics and mutant analyses, revealed conserved ribosome‑associated RNA‑binding proteins and sugar‑kinase families as key regulators linked to shoot development and yield traits.

The study engineered autoluminescent reporter constructs that visually indicate jasmonic and salicylic acid signaling with up to 53‑fold contrast. Using consumer‑grade cameras, the authors monitored hormone activity in Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana benthamiana throughout development and during pest and pathogen attacks.