We have isolated a new class of photomorphogenic mutants in Arabidopsis. Hypocotyl elongation is not inhibited in the mutant seedlings by continuous blue light but is inhibited by far red light, indicating that these mutations are phenotypically different from the previously isolated long hypocotyl (hy) mutants. Complementation analysis indicated that recessive nuclear mutations at three geneti...

The use of shelterwoods to favour the development of natural or underplanted seedlings is common in temperate forests but rare in the pine forests of the Mediterranean area. Our aim was to assess the use of shelterwoods in Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) woodlands in southern France to promote the survival and growth of two co-occurring oak species: the deciduous Quercus pubescens and the evergr...

A study was performed to determine the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal inoculation, using a locally isolated Claroideoglomus claroideum (Gc) ecotype, on the seedling development of chilean pepper plants, and to select an appropriate growth substrate. The first experiment consisted of two stages: (i) a seedling production stage of pepper plants were germinated and grown, inoculated ...

The diversity of traits associated with plant regeneration is often shaped by functional trade-offs where plants typically do not excel at every function because resources allocated to one function cannot be allocated to another. By analyzing correlations among seed traits, empirical studies have shown that there is a trade-off between seedling development and the occupation of new habitats, al...

Stressful parental (usually maternal) environments can dramatically influence expression of traits in offspring, in some cases resulting in phenotypes that are adaptive to the inducing stress. The ecological and evolutionary impact of such transgenerational plasticity depends on both its persistence across generations and its adaptive value. Few studies have examined both aspects of transgenera...

Photoreceptors, especially the far-red light-absorbing phytochrome A, play a crucial role in early seedling development, triggering the transition from etiolated to photomorphogenic growth. Here, we describe the biological functions of two GRAS proteins from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), SCARECROW-LIKE21 (SCL21) and PHYTOCHROME A SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION1 (PAT1), which are specifically involve...

KARRIKIN INSENSITIVE 2 (KAI2) is an α/β hydrolase involved in seed germination and seedling development. It is essential for plant responses to karrikins, a class of butenolide compounds derived from burnt plant material that are structurally similar to strigolactone plant hormones. The mechanistic basis for the function of KAI2 in plant development remains unclear. We have determined the cryst...

Waterlogging tolerance is typically evaluated at a specific development stage, with an implicit assumption that differences in waterlogging tolerance expressed in these systems will result in improved yield performance in fields. It is necessary to examine these criteria in fields. In the present study, three experiments were conducted to screen waterlogging tolerance in 25 rapeseed (Brassica n...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The lack of studies assessing the simultaneous expression of tolerance and resistance traits during seedling development and overall seedling defences as compared with adult plants, in general, constitutes a significant research need that can greatly improve our understanding of overall investment in defences during plant ontogeny. METHODS Using two seedling and two juveni...

The function of miR165/166 in plant growth and development has been extensively studied, however, its roles in abiotic stress responses remain largely unknown. Here, we report that reduction in the expression of miR165/166 conferred a drought and cold resistance phenotype and hypersensitivity to ABA during seed germination and post-germination seedling development. We further show that the ABA ...