Phosphite (Phi) and phosphate (Pi) share the same root uptake system, but Phi acts as a biostimulant that modulates plant growth and disease resistance in a species‑ and Pi‑dependent manner. In Arabidopsis, Phi induces hypersensitive‑like cell death and enhances resistance to Plectosphaerella cucumerina, while in rice it counteracts Pi‑induced susceptibility to Magnaporthe oryzae and Fusarium fujikuroi, accompanied by extensive transcriptional reprogramming.

The study generated a single‑cell transcriptomic atlas of tomato adventitious root development, revealing that vascular tissues retain high developmental potential and that the DOF11‑LEA3 regulatory axis drives this process. Cross‑species integration shows tomato AR‑initiating cells share transcriptional programs with woody dicots but not Arabidopsis, suggesting AR competence is an ancestral vascular identity module. These results highlight tomato as a more representative model for AR biology and provide targets for improving vegetative propagation.

A comprehensive multi‑environment trial of 437 maize testcross hybrids derived from 38 MLN‑tolerant lines and 29 testers identified additive genetic effects as the primary driver of grain yield, disease resistance, and drought tolerance. Strong general combining ability and specific combining ability patterns were uncovered, with top hybrids delivering up to 5.75 t ha⁻¹ under MLN pressure while maintaining high performance under optimum and drought conditions. The study provides a framework for selecting elite parents and exploiting both additive and non‑additive effects to develop resilient maize hybrids for sub‑Saharan Africa.

The study establishes a reproducible in vitro regeneration protocol for the native Chilean grass Polypogon australis, a facultative metallophyte valuable for phytoremediation of copper‑contaminated soils. Mesocotyl explants cultured on MS medium with Dicamba yielded callus induction (38.9%) and somatic embryogenesis, producing plantlets without additional organogenic hormones, thereby confirming totipotency and enabling large‑scale propagation and future genetic engineering.

The study demonstrates that the transcription factor WIND1 drives somatic embryogenesis by simultaneously repressing existing shoot identity genes and activating embryogenic regulators through coordinated histone acetylation dynamics. WIND1 physically interacts with the histone deacetylase HDA9 and the acetyltransferase complex component ADA2a, enabling locus-specific H3K27 deacetylation and acetylation, which remodels chromatin to reprogram cell fate during regeneration.

The study used chemically induced effector-triggered immunity combined with single-cell transcriptomics to map immune responses across all leaf cell types in Arabidopsis, revealing that while a core defense program is universally activated, individual cell types deploy distinct transcriptional modules. Functional assays showed that epidermis‑specific transcriptional regulators are essential for preventing pathogen penetration, indicating a spatial division of immune functions within the leaf.

The study co‑expressed BABY BOOM and WUSCHEL2 in maize embryos and used single‑cell transcriptomics to infer cell‑type‑specific gene regulatory networks underlying induced somatic embryogenesis. By prioritizing and functionally validating four novel transcription factors, the authors enhanced maize transformation efficiency and produced fertile transgenic plants.

The study investigates how the alternatively spliced MP11ir isoform of the ARF5 transcription factor, lacking the PB1 domain, influences somatic embryogenesis in Arabidopsis by altering auxin homeostasis. Overexpression of a truncated ΔARF5 protein inhibits embryo formation, while MP11ir expression partially rescues the mpS319 mutant by restoring auxin biosynthesis gene expression, highlighting MP/MP11ir as key regulators of the embryogenic transition.

The study examines how the SnRK1 catalytic subunit KIN10 integrates carbon availability with root growth regulation in Arabidopsis thaliana. Loss of KIN10 reduces glucose‑induced inhibition of root elongation and triggers widespread transcriptional reprogramming of metabolic and hormonal pathways, notably affecting auxin and jasmonate signaling under sucrose supplementation. These findings highlight KIN10 as a central hub linking energy status to developmental and environmental cues in roots.