The authors used a bottom‑up thermodynamic modelling framework to investigate how plants decode calcium signals, starting from Ca2+ binding to EF‑hand proteins and extending to higher‑order decoding modules. They identified six universal Ca2+-decoding modules that can explain variations in calcium sensitivity among kinases and provide a theoretical basis for interpreting calcium signal amplitude and frequency in plant cells.

The study demonstrates that ELF4 is essential for recruiting ELF3 into hypocotyl nuclei at dusk, a process that enhances ELF3’s ability to repress target gene expression and limit hypocotyl elongation, especially under short‑day conditions. Subnuclear localization patterns of ELF3 differ between hypocotyl and root tissues, indicating tissue‑specific temporal regulation by ELF4.

The authors compiled and standardized published data on Rubisco dark inhibition for 157 flowering plant species, categorizing them into four inhibition levels and analyzing phylogenetic trends. Their meta‑analysis reveals a complex, uneven distribution of inhibition across taxa, suggesting underlying chloroplast microenvironment drivers and providing a new resource for future photosynthesis improvement efforts.

The study applied Spatial Analysis of Field Trials with Splines (SpATS) and Neighbor Genome-Wide Association Study (Neighbor GWAS) to barley field data, revealing that neighboring genotypes contribute to spatial variation in disease damage. Neighbor GWAS identified variants on chromosome 7H that modestly affect net form net blotch and scald resistance, suggesting that genotype mixtures could mitigate pest damage.