Plants are members of complex communities and function as a link between above- and below-ground organisms. Associations between plants and soil-borne microbes commonly occur and have often been found beneficial for plant fitness. Root-associated microbes may trigger physiological changes in the host plant that influence interactions between plants and aboveground insects at several trophic lev...

Crowth and photosynthesis of wheat (Triticum aestivum 1. cv Super DwarO plants grown onboard the space shuttle Discovery for 10 d were examined. Compared to ground control plants, the shoot fresh weight of space-grown seedlings decreased by 25%. Postflight measurements of the O, evolution/photosynthetic photon flux density response curves of leaf samples revealed that the C0,-saturated photosyn...

Plant volatiles are the metabolites that plants release into the air. The quantities released are not trivial. Almost one-fifth of the atmospheric CO2 fixed by land plants is released back into the air each day as volatiles. Plants are champion synthetic chemists; they take advantage of their anabolic prowess to produce volatiles, which they use to protect themselves against biotic and abiotic ...

The “Thar Desert” region of Rajasthan in north-west India is one of the most inhospitable landscapes on earth. The desert has sparse vegetation and the ground surface is exposed to sun, atmosphere and associated physical forces. Ever increasing human and livestock population have put heavy demands for plant products, resulting in over exploitation of well adapted plants. Plants like species of ...

Land, surface waters, and ground water worldwide, are increasingly affected by contaminations from industrial, research experiments, military, and agricultural activities either due to ignorance, lack of vision, carelessness, or high cost of waste disposal and treatment. The rapid build-up of toxic pollutants (metals, radionuclide, and organic contaminants in soil, surface water, and ground wat...