SEEDNITAL

Hormonal coordination between plant growth and nutrients assimilation in response to temperature

Summary

The ability of seeds to germinate and establish a plant is the first critical step for crop production and strongly influences crop yield. Environmental conditions can change this early plant growth stages so drastically, that seeds able to perform well under fluctuating environments (vigorous seeds) are sought after by farmers. Temperature (Tª) and nitrogen (N) are important environmental factors that influence seed vigor and plant growth. Genetic and phenotypic analyses indicate that vigor can be substantially improved in crops such as B.napus and rice. Crops are supplied with large amounts of N-fertilizers to compensate for their low N-use efficiency and low N levels in the soil. This practice can promote toxicity by aluminium (Al) and further reduce N-uptake by plants, both processes altered by Tª. Seeds are able to respond to these environmental changes mainly through regulation of hormonal balances, with gibberellins (GA) being an absolute requirement for germination. Although it is known that seed development is affected by Tª and N, seed vigor traits have received much less attention. Here we propose a collaborative approach to study how seed vigor traits can be modified by a combination of different nutritional and Tª scenarios in important crops (B.napus and rice). Simultaneous molecular analyses will help identify promising genes for seed vigor improvement in crops. Biotechnological tools to address GA and protein interaction role in this process will also be generated.

CBGP

Luis Oñate-Sánchez
CBGP - Plant Development (DP)
Research Line: Studying Gibberellin Signaling to Improve Seed Germination and plant growth under Stress

PSC

Chao-Feng Huang
PSC - Plant Nutrition
Research Line: Plant Metal Stress Biology

IGDB

Xiangdong Fu
IGDB - Center for Molecular Agrobiology
Research Line: Hormonal Regulation for Plant Growth and Nitrogen Metabolism Coordination