Knotroot foxtail [Setaria parviflora (Poir.) Kerguélen], a perennial Setaria species, is becoming more problematic in forage and grazing systems across the southeastern United States. Knotroot foxtail reproduces through the production of rhizomes and seeds, further complicating management strategies. Significant knowledge gaps exist regarding the biology and control of this species. This research aimed to understand the influence of burial depth on S. parviflora propagules and the physiological differences between it and other Setaria species. Experiments were conducted between October 2019 and February 2021 in Clarke County, GA, to investigate the influence of burial depth (1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 cm) on the emergence and growth of knotroot foxtail rhizomes and seeds. Zero emergence was estimated at 8.7, 10.8. and 11.2 cm for small rhizomes, large rhizomes, and seeds, respectively. Therefore, producers could implement tillage events to a depth of 11.2 cm or greater to control knotroot foxtail. A separate study compared knotroot foxtail, yellow foxtail [Setaria pumila (Poir.) Roem. & Schult.], green foxtail [Setaria viridis (L.) P. Beauv.], and giant foxtail (Setaria faberi Herrm.) plant morphology. Despite similar appearances aboveground, yellow, and knotroot foxtail had different total and belowground biomass two to five months after emergence, which suggest differences in root formation and perennialization of knotroot foxtail. The present research determined that burying propagules using tillage could be included in management recommendations concerning knotroot foxtail; however, it should be complemented with herbicide applications during the growing season to assist in controlling foxtail plants produced by seeds.

Plant organ morphogenesis spans several orders of magnitude in time and space. Because of limitations in live-imaging, analysing whole organ growth from initiation to mature stages typically rely on static data sampled from different timepoints and individuals. We introduce a new model-based strategy for dating organs and for reconstructing morphogenetic trajectories over unlimited time windows based on static data. Using this approach, we show that Arabidopsis thaliana leaves are initiated at regular 1-day intervals. Despite contrasted adult morphologies, leaves of different ranks exhibited shared growth dynamics, with linear gradations of growth parameters according to leaf rank. At the sub-organ scale, successive serrations from same or different leaves also followed shared growth dynamics, suggesting that global and local leaf growth patterns are decoupled. Analysing mutants leaves with altered morphology highlighted the decorrelation between adult shapes and morphogenetic trajectories, thus stressing the benefits of our approach in identifying determinants and critical timepoints during organ morphogenesis.

Most plant primary transcripts undergo alternative splicing (AS), and its impact on protein diversity is a subject of intensive investigation. Several studies have uncovered various mechanisms of how particular protein splice isoforms operate. However, the common principles behind the AS effects on protein function in plants have rarely been surveyed. Here, on the selected examples, we highlight diverse tissue expression patterns, subcellular localization, enzymatic activities, abilities to bind other molecules and other relevant features. We describe how the protein isoforms mutually interact to underline their intriguing roles in altering the functionality of protein complexes. Moreover, we also discuss the known cases when these interactions have been placed inside the autoregulatory loops. This review is particularly intended for plant cell and developmental biologists who would like to gain inspiration on how the splice variants encoded by their genes of interest may coordinately work.

Phenotypic diversity of flowering plants stems from common basic features of the plant body pattern with well-defined body axes, organs and tissue organisation. Cell division and cell specification are the two processes that underlie the formation of a body pattern. As plant cells are encased into their cellulosic walls, directional cell division through precise positioning of division plane is crucial for shaping plant morphology. Since many plant cells are pluripotent, their fate establishment is influenced by their cellular environment through cell-to-cell signaling. Recent studies show that apart from biochemical regulation, these two processes are also influenced by cell and tissue morphology and operate under mechanical control. Finding a proper model system that allows dissecting the relationship between these aspects is the key to our understanding of pattern establishment. In this review, we present the Arabidopsis embryo as a simple, yet comprehensive model of pattern formation compatible with high-throughput quantitative assays.

Longspine sandbur is a troublesome weed infesting corn in the Great Plains. However, herbicides are now available to control this species. This study characterized longspine sandbur ecology in irrigated corn to aid producers in integrating herbicides into their production systems. Longspine sandbur began emerging May 25, and by June 15, 84% of the seasonal emergence had occurred. Plant development was related to cumulative growing degree days. Seeds were viable early in longspine sandbur's development, with 20% of seeds viable by heading. Producers can minimize seed production of longspine sandbur in field borders by mowing plants at the boot stage. Bur production per plant was related to time of emergence, with seedlings emerging in late May producing 1,120 burs per plant. Seedlings emerging 4 wk later produced 84% fewer burs. Controlling longspine sandbur before 4 wk of interference prevented loss of corn grain yield.

Producers rely on cultural practices to manage downy brome, jointed goatgrass, and feral rye in winter wheat because there are no effective herbicides for in-crop control. This study characterized seedling emergence, growth, and development of these winter annual grasses, with the goal of suggesting or improving cultural control strategies. Feral rye seedlings emerged within 4 wk, whereas downy brome and jointed goatgrass seedlings emerged over a 10-wk period. Emergence patterns of these grasses suggest that delay of winter wheat planting may be effective in reducing feral rye densities, but this strategy most likely will be ineffective with downy brome or jointed goatgrass. Downy brome began anthesis 1 to 2 wk earlier than the other two grasses and winter wheat. Both downy brome and jointed goatgrass were shorter than winter wheat during the growing season, whereas feral rye was at least as tall as wheat. Producers mow infested wheat to prevent weed seed production, but this practice may not be effective with jointed goatgrass and downy brome because of their short stature and downy brome's earlier development. Conversely, mowing has potential in preventing feral rye seed production. The grasses produced between 340 and 770 seeds/ plant.

Dormancy is a critical factor for the survival and persistence of weedy species. Contemporary approaches can be used to identify genes that regulate dormancy directly or indirectly to elucidate key mechanisms, signals, and pathways. Several domesticated plant species have been used as model systems to mark quantitative trait loci (QTL) that affect dormancy in seeds and vegetative propagules directly. A few weedy species have also been used to mark QTL and to determine dormancy genes using microarray analysis. Given the number of serious weeds worldwide and the role that dormancy plays in their persistence, developing fundamental knowledge on dormancy is an important step toward developing new strategies for weed management. This paper describes current research and outlines some weeds that might be candidates for dormancy investigations using molecular genetic and genomics approaches. An underlying theme in the selection of weeds for dormancy investigations is their relation to crop species and the ability to adapt existing resources to investigate dormancy in weedy plants.

Goatsrue is a member of the Fabaceae family, native to Europe and western Asia. It contains the toxic alkaloid galegine. The objective of the study was to describe galegine concentration in aboveground goatsrue plant parts and total galegine pools over phenological growth stages. Twenty goatsrue plants at four locations were selected and a stalk was harvested from each at five stages of phenological development and separated into parts. Plant parts were freeze-dried, ground, and analyzed with liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Galegine concentration was significantly different in plant tissues; reproductive tissues had the highest levels of galegine (7 mg g−1), followed by leaf (4 mg g−1) and finally stem (1 mg g−1) tissues. Galegine concentration and pools varied over plant tissues and phenological growth stages. Galegine pools (dry weight by concentration) or the total amount of galegine per stalk were lowest at the vegetative growth stage (2 mg stalk−1) and increased until reaching a maximum at the immature pod stage (91 mg stalk−1). The pools decreased nearly in half (48 mg stalk−1) by the mature seed stage. Like galegine pools, galegine concentration also reached a maximum at the immature pod stage (4 mg g−1), and decreased by nearly half by the mature seed stage (2 mg g−1). The increased levels of galegine pools at immature pod stage corresponds with the time of meadow hay harvest, implying that goatsrue is potentially most toxic at the phenological stage when it is likely to be harvested as a contaminant in meadow hay.

Biennial wormwood has become an important weed problem in the northern Great Plains, but little is known about its biology. Biennial wormwood seeds were collected from Fargo, ND, and Fergus Falls, MN, for field experiments in 1999 and 2000 to determine the influence of transplanting date on growth, biomass, and seed production. Seeds were seeded in a greenhouse every 2 wk, and seedling rosettes were transplanted to the field 2 wk after emergence from April 30 until September 15 to simulate season-long emergence. Weekly destructive subsampling started 2 wk after transplanting and ended on September 29 in both years. All seedlings that grew for at least 5 wk after transplanting produced flowers by mid- to late August of the same year. Late-transplanted seedlings with less than 5 wk of growth did not flower or survive the winter. Biennial wormwood biomass allocation patterns resemble those of an annual species, with about 15% of the total dry weight allocated to roots, 20% to stems, 25% to leaves, and 40% to flowers. Transplant date had a substantial influence on biomass partitioning. Seedlings transplanted early in the growing season produced more biomass and seed than late-season transplants. Biennial wormwood seedlings transplanted on April 30 produced over 435,000 seeds per plant, whereas seedlings transplanted on August 15 produced 500 to 3,000 seeds. Biennial wormwood was photoperiod sensitive and flowered when the day length was about 14 h or less, between August 18 and 25, in both years.

Biochemical components in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), such as saponins, can act as protecting factors against bio-stresses. Saponins are also antifeedants and show oral toxicity towards higher and lower animals. Changes in saponins, such as variation in the carbon skeleton, or hydrolysis of saponin glycosides and other conjugates, may change their biological effects. The aims of this research were to study saponin variation in different growth stages of alfalfa and to investigate the biological role of saponins in the spotted alfalfa aphid, Therioaphis maculata. Saponins from alfalfa shoots in different growth stages were extracted, chemically purified and analysed by TLC. Specific saponins such as soyasaponin1 from root and shoot and two bisdesmosides of medicagenic acid, one from shoot and another from root tissues, were identified using reference compounds allowing changes in saponin composition during plant development in different shoot tissues of alfalfa to be assessed. The response of the alfalfa aphid to feeding on alfalfa in different growth stages was studied. No significant difference in the survival of aphids, from neonate to adult, was observed, but due to the antibiotic effects of saponins, two differences were found in the onset of nymph production and cumulative nymph production. The results show that the saponin composition in alfalfa changes with plant development and this, in turn, can often negatively affect the development of specific insect pests such as the spotted alfalfa aphid, suggesting a possible biological role of alfalfa saponins.

Kalanchoe pinnata (Lamarck) Persoon (Crassulaceae) (air plant, miracle leaf) is popularly used to treat gastrointestinal disorders and wounds. Recently, the species was tested to treat cutaneous leishmaniasis with successful results. This medicinal activity was associated with the phenolic fraction of the plant. Blue light induces biosynthesis of phenolic compounds and many changes in anatomical characteristics. We studied the effects of supplementary blue light on the leaf morphology of in vitro K. pinnata. Plants cultured under white light (W plants) only and white light plus blue light (WB plants) show petioles with plain-convex section, amphistomatic leaf blades with simple epidermis, homogeneous mesophyll with densely packed cells, and a single collateral vascular bundle in the midrib. W plants have longer branches, a larger number of nodes per branch, and smaller leaves, whereas WB plant leaves have a thicker upper epidermis and mesophyll. Leaf fresh weight and leaf dry weight were similar in both treatments. Phenolic idioblasts were observed in the plants supplemented with blue light, suggesting that blue light plays an important role in the biosynthesis of phenolic compounds in K. pinnata.

Most recent reviews of plant salinity response have included the concept of a nutritional disturbance as one likely mechanism by which shoot growth might be inhibited. None the less, few studies of dicotyledonous plants have presented data on nutrient transport into the most intensively growing shoot tissues. In this paper net nutrient deposition was followed for 3 d in 8 sequential, growing leaves of Lactuca sativa, which were grown either in conditions of moderate salinization, or in a growth-stimulating concentration of NaCl. The nutrient deposition was studied from 0.7 to 3.7 d following completion of stepwise salinization. This deposition was followed in immature leaves, which had attained only 1–2% of ultimate leaf mass by the completion of the study. In such young leaves development is still dominated by cell division. The transport of Ca2+ specifically to the youngest leaves was reduced by more than twice as much as was K+ transport. Transport of the other major divalent cationic nutrient, Mg2+, was not decreased for these leaves. The factors of increase for Na+ and Cl− after 3.7 d after completion of salinization averaged 152 and 62% over control levels for the three youngest leaves (for Na+ and Cl−, respectively). Though significant, these increases were only 27 and 14% as great as increases in three leaf sets of more developed growing leaves. Decreases in net K+ deposition and leaf K+ concentration were not greater for the youngest than they were for the oldest leaves. Net S deposition was reduced 44% more in younger than older growing leaves, but for most leaves not beyond the level expected due to reduced sink strength. The reduction in net P deposition also seemed more related to reduced sink strength, but was reduced to approx. 50% in both younger and more developed growing leaves. While Fe concentration was not reduced by salinization at any developmental stage, Zn2+ net transport and Zn concentration were both reduced in the two youngest leaves (57 and 70%, respectively). Given the moderate treatment imposed (Na:Ca ratio of 22) the results suggest that Ca2+ transport to the youngest leaves is probably highly sensitive to salinization of the root medium and is perhaps a key physiological response in the inhibition of leaf growth.