In durum wheat cultivar mixtures, susceptibility to Septoria foliar disease is increased due to a delayed induction of defense-related genes and metabolites compared with pure stands. This delay appears to be triggered by contrasting root architectures that promote early resource competition, suggesting a root-mediated signaling cascade that modulates aerial pathogen resistance.

Foliar application of Trichoderma harzianum cell‑free culture filtrates (CF) increased fruit yield, root growth, and photosynthesis in a commercial tomato cultivar under prolonged water deficit in a Mediterranean greenhouse. Integrated physiological, metabolite, and transcriptomic analyses revealed that CF mitigated drought‑induced changes, suppressing about half of water‑stress responsive genes, thereby reducing the plant’s transcriptional sensitivity to water scarcity.

The study profiled root transcriptomes of Arabidopsis wild type and etr1 gain-of-function (etr1-3) and loss-of-function (etr1-7) mutants under ethylene or ACC treatment, identifying 4,522 ethylene‑responsive transcripts, including 553 that depend on ETR1 activity. ETR1‑dependent genes encompassed ethylene biosynthesis enzymes (ACO2, ACO3) and transcription factors, whose expression was further examined in an ein3eil1 background, revealing that both ETR1 and EIN3/EIL1 pathways regulate parts of the network controlling root hair proliferation and lateral root formation.

The study examined how individual hormone treatments (auxin, ethylene, gibberellin) influence root architecture and ion accumulation under salt stress in three tomato accessions, revealing species-specific hormonal effects on lateral root development and Na/K ratios. Genetic analyses using Arabidopsis mutants and a tomato ethylene‑perception mutant (nr) identified novel hormonal signaling components that modulate salt stress responses, highlighting potential strategies to improve crop performance.

The study investigated how plant roots promote water infiltration through dry soil layers using dye tracing in model soil microcosms. Results indicate that dissolved root exudates, possibly by altering surface tension, are the primary drivers of infiltration, with root architecture also contributing. These insights suggest that root traits influencing exudation and structure could improve drought resistance in crops.

The study investigated how Arabidopsis thaliana SR protein kinases (AtSRPKs) regulate alternative RNA splicing by using chemical inhibitors of SRPK activity. Inhibition with SPHINX31 and SRPIN340 caused reduced root growth and loss of root hairs, accompanied by widespread changes in splicing and phosphorylation of genes linked to root development and other cellular processes. Multi‑omics analysis (transcriptomics and phosphoproteomics) revealed that AtSRPKs modulate diverse splicing factors and affect the splicing landscape of numerous pathways.

The study examined how altering ethylene biosynthesis (ACO1) or perception (etr1.1) in a hybrid poplar (P. tremula × P. tremuloides T89) influences the assembly of root and shoot fungal and bacterial communities, using amplicon sequencing and confocal microscopy. Ethylene modulation had limited impact on the sterile plant metabolome but triggered distinct primary and secondary metabolic changes in microbe‑colonized plants, correlating with reduced fungal colonisation of shoots and increased root fungal colonisation, while arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and bacterial communities were largely unchanged.

The study investigates the role of the Arabidopsis transcription factor AtMYB93 in sulfur (S) signaling and root development, revealing that AtMYB93 mutants exhibit altered expression of S transport and metabolism genes and increased shoot S levels, while tomato plants overexpressing SlMYB93 show reduced shoot S. Transcriptomic profiling, elemental analysis, and promoter activity assays indicate that AtMYB93 contributes to root responses to S deprivation, though functional redundancy masks clear phenotypic effects on lateral and adventitious root formation.

The study investigates the Arabidopsis ribosomal protein RPS6A and its role in auxin‑related root growth, revealing that rps6a mutants display shortened primary roots, fewer lateral roots, and defective vasculature that are not rescued by exogenous auxin. Cell biological observations and global transcriptome profiling show weakened auxin signaling and reduced levels of PIN auxin transporters in the mutant, indicating a non‑canonical function of the ribosomal subunit in auxin pathways.

The study introduces an in-soil fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensing system that continuously records three-dimensional strain from growing pseudo-roots, enabling non‑destructive monitoring of root architecture. Using two ResNet models, the system predicts root width and depth with over 90% accuracy, and performance improves to 96‑98% after retraining on data from actual corn (Zea mays) roots over a 30‑day period. This prototype demonstrates potential for scalable, real‑time root phenotyping and broader soil environment sensing.