The study investigated the effects of four decades of maize breeding and increased planting density on root system architecture by analyzing root crowns of hybrids across six site‑years using shovel excavation and X‑ray tomography to generate detailed 3D traits. Modern hybrids exhibited smaller, thinner crowns yet explored a greater soil volume and shared a larger proportion of topsoil with neighboring plants, indicating an adaptation to higher density planting. These findings highlight how breeding for yield has indirectly reshaped root interactions and competition in maize agriculture.

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 trehalose‑6‑phosphate (Tre6P) produced in the shoot vasculature systemically modulates root system architecture by altering carbon allocation, while locally produced Tre6P in roots also influences root development. Vascular-specific overexpression of Tre6P synthase reduced root growth and sucrose levels, whereas vascular Tre6P phosphatase had opposite effects, as confirmed by reciprocal grafting and metabolite profiling.

The study examines how ectopic accumulation of methionine in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves, driven by a deregulated AtCGS transgene under a seed‑specific promoter, reshapes metabolism, gene expression, and DNA methylation. High‑methionine lines exhibit increased amino acids and sugars, activation of stress‑hormone pathways, and reduced expression of DNA methyltransferases, while low‑methionine lines show heightened non‑CG methylation without major transcriptional changes. Integrated transcriptomic and methylomic analyses reveal a feedback loop linking sulfur‑carbon metabolism, stress adaptation, and epigenetic regulation.

The study examined natural variation in Brachypodium distachyon and found that stress‑induced lignification of the exodermis impedes lateral root emergence, producing a distinct ‘fishbone’ root architecture. Premature exodermal lignification, driven by up‑regulated lignin biosynthesis genes, was reversible with a lignin biosynthesis inhibitor, highlighting the exodermis as a mechanical regulator of root system plasticity in grasses.

The study introduces Ariadne, a semi‑automated tool that maps root system architectures onto a Pareto‑optimality framework to assess trade‑offs between transport efficiency and construction cost. Using Arabidopsis thaliana, the authors demonstrate that RSA consistently occupies Pareto‑optimal configurations across stages, genotypes, and environments, with developmental stage, the hy5/chl1-5 genotype, and manganese availability identified as key modulators of the cost‑efficiency balance.

The study identifies a mutant allele qSOR1‑v that enhances root gravitropism, creating a steeper, deeper root system architecture in rice, which translates into higher grain yield under upland drought without yield penalty under well‑watered conditions. The allele's conserved position across angiosperm orthologs and its functional validation in Arabidopsis LZY3 demonstrate its potential for engineering vertical rooting in diverse crops.

The authors present an open‑source Python framework that quantifies root system architecture from 3D point clouds derived via low‑cost photogrammetry, without taxon‑specific branching assumptions. Using field‑grown soybean as a case study, they extract biologically meaningful 3D features across developmental stages and soil types, revealing environment‑influenced traits like taproot tortuosity while confirming consistent metabolic scaling relationships.

The study compared root system architecture (RSA) between elite Midwestern soybean breeding lines and diverse USDA landraces across three developmental stages and two soil environments, phenotyping 432 root systems for structural traits and biomass. A novel 3D photogrammetry-based modeling approach was tested on a subset of roots, revealing that landraces have smaller overall roots but greater phenotypic plasticity than breeding lines, indicating trade‑offs between above‑ground and below‑ground trait plasticity.

The study shows that the SnRK1 catalytic subunit KIN10 directs tissue-specific growth‑defense programs in Arabidopsis thaliana by reshaping transcriptomes. kin10 knockout mutants exhibit altered root transcription, reduced root growth, and weakened defense against Pseudomonas syringae, whereas KIN10 overexpression activates shoot defense pathways, increasing ROS and salicylic acid signaling at the cost of growth.