Flowering Content

Genetics of Alternating Sexes in Walnuts

Andy Fell — January 02, 2025 - 11:52am

The genetics behind the alternating sexes of walnut trees has been revealed by biologists at the University of California, Davis. The research, published Jan. 3 in Science, reveals a mechanism that has been stable in walnuts and their ancestors going back 40 million years — and which has some parallels to sex determination in humans and other animals.

How Plants Sense Scent

Andy Fell — April 25, 2024 - 4:10pm

Plants need to be able to communicate with themselves, for example sending signals from their leaves to their roots or flowers, so that they can coordinate growth and optimize resource use. They also need to communicate with other plants and organisms, which they achieve by releasing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), tiny molecules that are often associated with distinct smells. Scientists know a lot about how plants emit these odorous signals, however very little is known about how they receive and interpret them.

Gene Blocking Lettuce Germination Also Regulates Flowering Time

Patricia Bailey — March 28, 2016 - 9:25am

A gene known to direct seed dormancy and the timing of germination also influences flowering in lettuce and the model plant Arabidopsis, reports the �ٺ��Ƶ Seed Biotechnology Center.