The study created a system that blocks root‑mediated signaling between wheat varieties in a varietal mixture and used transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling to reveal that root chemical interactions drive reduced susceptibility to Septoria tritici blotch, with phenolic compounds emerging as key mediators. Disruption of these root signals eliminates both the disease resistance phenotype and the associated molecular reprogramming.

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 how Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) infection reshapes root-associated bacterial and fungal communities in two Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes. TuMV markedly reduced bacterial diversity and altered community composition in a genotype‑specific manner, while fungal communities stayed stable; bacterial co‑occurrence networks later recovered and even increased in complexity, highlighting microbial resilience. These findings underscore virus‑driven selective filtering of bacterial root microbiota and the role of host genotype in mediating microbiome responses to viral stress.

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 examined how the bioinoculant Trichoderma afroharzianum T22 influences Pisum sativum growth under iron-sufficient versus iron-deficient conditions, finding pronounced benefits—enhanced photosynthesis, Fe/N accumulation, and stress‑related gene expression—only during iron deficiency. RNA‑seq revealed distinct gene expression patterns tied to symbiosis, iron transport, and redox pathways, and microbiome profiling showed T22 reshapes the root bacterial community under deficiency, suggesting context‑dependent mutualism.

The study presents an optimized Agrobacterium-mediated transformation protocol for bread wheat that incorporates a GRF4‑GIF1 fusion to enhance regeneration and achieve genotype‑independent transformation across multiple cultivars. The approach consistently improves transformation efficiency while limiting pleiotropic effects, offering a versatile platform for functional genomics and gene editing in wheat.

Seed treatment with melatonin markedly improved root biomass, nodulation, nitrogen balance, and yield in three peanut genotypes, particularly Kainong 308. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing revealed genotype‑ and compartment‑specific reshaping of bacterial communities, with enrichment of key Proteobacteria and more complex co‑occurrence networks that correlated with enhanced plant traits. These results highlight melatonin’s dual function as a plant bio‑stimulant and microbiome modulator.

The study examined how plant‑derived benzoxazinoid metabolites influence interactions among root‑associated bacterial strains and between these bacteria and their plant host. Using both simple pairwise assays and more complex multi‑organism setups, the authors found that these chemicals modulate bacterial‑bacterial and bacterial‑plant interactions, altering plant defense, immunity, and sugar transport especially when bacterial inocula are present. The work highlights the role of the soil chemical legacy in shaping holobiont dynamics and demonstrates the utility of combining reductionist and holistic experimental approaches.

The study compares iron deficiency and drought tolerance between two soybean genotypes, Clark (tolerant) and Arisoy (sensitive), using multi‑omics analyses. Clark maintains iron homeostasis, higher antioxidant protein expression, and recruits beneficial root microbes (Variovorax, Paecilomyces) that support nutrient uptake and nodule function, while Arisoy shows impaired physiological and microbial responses. The findings identify host‑microbe interactions and specific molecular pathways as potential targets for breeding and microbiome‑based biofertilizers.

The study shows that drought triggers ABA accumulation and JA reduction in sorghum roots, accompanied by transcriptional activation of genes linked to mineral homeostasis, hormone signaling, and osmotic regulation, while Fe supplementation enhances ferritin expression and mitigates oxidative stress. Drought also diminishes root bacterial diversity but enriches beneficial taxa such as Burkholderia, whereas fungal diversity remains stable, and functional profiling reveals shifts toward phototrophy, methylotrophy, and nitrate reduction. These findings highlight ferritin’s protective role and suggest specific bacterial inoculants for improving sorghum drought resilience.