The study introduces a hybrid modeling framework that integrates a logistic ordinary differential equation with a Long Short-Term Memory neural network to form a Physics-Informed Neural Network (PINN) for predicting wheat plant height. Using only time and temperature as inputs, the PINN outperformed other longitudinal growth models, achieving the lowest average RMSE and reduced variability across multiple random initializations. The results suggest that embedding biological growth constraints within data‑driven models can substantially improve prediction accuracy for plant traits.

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 examined Xanthomonas strains causing bacterial spot on tomato in Oklahoma fields during 2018‑2019, revealing a shift from X. euvesicatoria pv. euvesicatoria (Xee) to X. euvesicatoria pv. perforans (Xep) race T4, which also expanded to pepper. Phenotypic assays and whole‑genome sequencing highlighted differences in race composition, host range, copper sensitivity, and effector repertoires, and identified a novel species, Xanthomonas oklahomensis.