Genetius

The study examined how corolla morphology predicts nectar volume and sugar concentration in 156 flowering plant species from the UK and Zambia, distinguishing tubular from non‑tubular flowers. Results showed that tube length and width drive nectar traits in tubular flowers, while corolla width and shape are key predictors in non‑tubular flowers, with weak phylogenetic signal overall. These morphological proxies offer a framework for estimating nectar resources relevant to mosquito and pollinator ecology.

The study identified and validated systemic defense gene markers in hybrid aspen and silver birch by mining homologous biotic stress-response genes and testing their activation after leaf wounding and flagellin treatment in in‑vitro propagated clones. Early‑responsive genes LOX2, MPK3, and EIN2 were linked to wounding in silver birch, while JAZ10 and EIN2 marked combined flagellin‑wounding responses in hybrid aspen, establishing a reproducible platform for future forest‑tree stress research.

The study examined how elevation influences natural seed set, pollen limitation, and selfing capacity across seven zoogamous plant species in Afromontane grasslands on Mount Cameroon, finding a mid‑elevation peak in reproductive success that sharply declines toward the summit where pollination services and physiological constraints limit seed production. Despite partial self‑compatibility, high‑elevation populations did not shift toward increased selfing, indicating that both declining pollinator visitation and abiotic stress jointly restrict reproduction at the upper vegetation limit.

The authors integrate phenotypic plasticity theory with factor analytic mixed models to evaluate yield stability in cereals, defining adaptive plasticity as consistent superior performance across environments without trade‑offs. Using wheat and oat data, they demonstrate that adaptive plasticity aligns positively with factor analytic performance metrics, whereas maladaptive plasticity shows negative correlations, highlighting the need for biologically grounded statistical approaches in agronomy.

The authors constructed the largest dated phylogenetic tree of euphyllophytes, integrating broad backbone phylogenies with species‑level trees for over 121,000 angiosperms, 1,000 gymnosperms and 5,600 ferns using PyPHLAWD. The resulting framework reveals temporal patterns of topological and age uncertainty and is designed for easy future updates as data expand.

The study presents a scalable, cost‑effective bead‑beating CTAB DNA extraction protocol compatible with 96‑well plates, enabling a single worker to process up to 960 plant samples per day. The method yields high‑quality DNA from diverse species (leaf tissue and soybean seeds) suitable for PCR‑based genotyping, genome‑editing detection, and copy‑number analysis.

The authors present a polyvinyl alcohol-based microneedle system that delivers small molecules into plant tissues with up to 3.5‑fold higher accumulation and >90% dose reduction versus conventional sprays. The platform efficiently delivered fluorescent dyes, gibberellic acid (enhancing growth in tomato and rescuing Arabidopsis ft‑10 mutants), and salicylic acid (conferring viral resistance in Nicotiana benthamiana) while causing minimal wounding stress. This low‑cost, easily fabricated technology offers a precise, environmentally friendly tool for agricultural applications.

Fendioxypyracil is a newly developed protoporphyrinogen oxidase‑inhibiting herbicide that shows high efficacy against a range of grass and broadleaf weeds, surpassing the activity of the commercial PPO inhibitor saflufenacil. Greenhouse trials and enzyme assays confirm its potent PPO inhibition and rapid necrotic action, supporting its use for broad‑spectrum, post‑emergence weed management and resistance mitigation.

The study demonstrates that jasmonates synergize with host-derived strigolactones to induce seed germination in the root parasitic plants Orobanche minor and Striga hermonthica, activating multiple divergent KAI2 receptors. This cooperative signaling elucidates host recognition mechanisms and supports a cost‑effective "suicidal germination" strategy for crop protection.

The study surveyed diverse cyanobacterial lineages to compare in vivo carbon‑acquisition pathways, CO₂‑concentrating mechanisms (CCMs), and Rubisco kinetic properties and isotope fractionation. Results reveal lineage‑specific differences but a common pattern of high Rubisco turnover with low CO₂ affinity, suggesting co‑evolution with powerful CCMs, and a positive link between Rubisco isotope fractionation and CO₂/O₂ specificity.