Iowa State University scientists have harnessed data analytics to look “under the hood” of the mechanisms that determine how genetics and changing environmental conditions interact during crucial developmental stages of plants.
A new study published in the academic scientific journal New Phytologist focuses on how changes in temperature affect the height of sorghum plants, and the scientists who conducted the experiments said the research could help to breed more resilient crops as well as shed light on mechanisms that play a critical role in plant growth. The research revolves around the concept of phenotypic plasticity, or how a given trait can differ as a result of environmental conditions. For instance, a plant may grow to a different height in a dry environment than a plant with identical genetics that grows in a wet environment.
Understanding plasticity can help plant breeders design crop varieties that will perform well under a range of environmental conditions, said Jianming Yu, a professor of agronomy and the Pioneer Distinguished Chair in Maize Breeding at Iowa State University and corresponding author of the study. But looking only at the final mature traits of plants paints an incomplete picture of plasticity. Instead, the new study examines the growth rate of sorghum during a critical stage of development, between 40 and 53 days after planting. Zeroing in on that rapid-growth phase in the plant’s life cycle allowed the researchers to examine the mechanisms that govern sorghum’s phenotypic plasticity in greater detail.
“Looking at the developmental phase allows us to look under the hood to see what causes the final mature traits,” Yu said.
Read more at: Iowa State University
Sorghum plants grow in an Iowa field. ISU researchers showed genomes interact with environments during plant development to determine final height in sorghum. (Photo Credit: Qi Mu)