Advances in understanding plant root growth regulators

Publication date: 18/01/2021
Extent: 30 pages

Contributions by: Findimila Dio Ishaya and Amanda Rasmussen, University of Nottingham, UK

Chapter synopsis: Global food production needs to increase by more than 60% by 2050 while concurrently reducing fertiliser applications to crops to reduce greenhouse emissions, production costs and environmental pollution. This chapter explores the role of hormones on nitrogen and phosphate uptake and responses. In particular it focuses on auxin, cytokinin and strigolactones in each nutrient condition and how they interact with each other to control root architectural responses. Past success with stay-green crop varieties, modified in cytokinin regulation of nitrogen remobilisation, demonstrates the real-world significance of a detailed understanding of hormone networks. The chapter also highlights current limitations in our understanding and exciting directions for the future.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2020.0075.04