15 Latest Inventions in Botany For 2018

Last Updated: Mar 19, 2019

Latest Inventions in Botany For 2018: Botany is even more fascinating now than it used to be in previous centuries. Metabolomics, genomics, and transcriptomics show us the complicated way these organisms’ function and respond to the environment.

The discoveries made in 2018 showcase how little we still know about them – and how much more are we going to learn!

Table of Contents

1. Genes that turn legumes into Jumbo-like Plants
2. Studying the intricacies of Photosynthesis on the enzyme level
3. miRNAs control flowers
4. Validation for herbal medicine
5. Plant extracts found to be effective Fungicides
6. Female flowers found more resistant to certain fungal infections
7. Network of genes that controls petal senescence was discovered
8. Silicone as a plant protector
9. Metabolomics shows the unseen differences in a popular plant
10. Novel Genetics-based approach to optimize crop production
11. Auxin triggers a specific pathway in palm oil plants
12. Tracing the evolutionary history of an amazing plant group
13. Novel grafting approaches offered to help pepper plants
14. Unexpected benefits of wet leaves
15. Cognition in plants is real

1. Genes that turn legumes into Jumbo-like Plants

A team of researchers has found two mutants in pea plants that had significantly bigger organs and symmetrical flower petals.

In one of the mutants, leaves even resembled elephant ears. The genetic analysis of the new mutants has revealed that the genes responsible for such mutations – BIO and ELE1 – interact both with each other and transcription factors responsible for organ growth.
This discovery adds to our understanding of how the plants manage to grow.

Reference: “BIGGER ORGANS and ELEPHANT EAR-LIKE LEAF1 control organ size and floral organ internal asymmetry in pea | Journal of Experimental botany | Oxford Academic”. Accessed March 19, 2019. Link.

2. Studying the intricacies of Photosynthesis on the enzyme level

RuBiSco is considered one of the most abundant enzymes of Earth.

It is engaged in the first stage of carbon fixation in plant photosynthesis. Using modern techniques, the researchers have studied the activity of this enzyme in Arabidopsis thaliana in response to different temperature regimens.
By understanding the relationship between temperatures and RuBiSco, the adjustments aimed at better crop growth and production can be made.

Reference: “Temperature response of Rubisco kinetics in Arabidopsis thaliana: thermal breakpoints and implications for reaction mechanisms | Journal of Experimental Botany | Oxford Academic”. Accessed March 19, 2019. Link.

3. miRNAs control flowers

In a plant called Cleistogenes songorica, one can find two types of flowers: some of them are located at the top, while others are embedded in the leaf sheath.

The researchers got interested in the mechanism behind the development of these two flower types.
It was found that different aspects of flower growth and development, such as the development of the parts of the flower (anther, petals, stigma, etc.), are controlled by various microRNAs – a class of RNA molecules involved in gene control.

Reference: “Analysis of microRNA reveals cleistogamous and chasmogamous floret divergence in dimorphic plant | Scientific Reports”. Accessed March 19, 2019. Link.

4. Validation for herbal medicine

Herbal medicine is still widely used around the world. In rural areas of some countries, such as Pakistan, herbal remedies can sometimes be the only treatments available.

A study done by local researchers focused on local gynecological herbal-based remedies has shown that some plants used for the treatment of different complaints, including menses disorders and honorrhea, can be useful from pharmacological points of view.
Local plants of Asteraceae and Amaranthaceae families were shown to be the most effective.

Reference: “Ethnopharmacology and toxicology of Pakistani medicinal plants used to treat gynecological complaints and sexually transmitted infections – ScienceDirect”. Accessed March 19, 2019. Link.

5. Plant extracts found to be effective Fungicides

Castor oil plants have several important uses in medicines. However, they have their own diseases, mainly wilt, caused by a fungal species, Fusarium oxysporum.

Previously, toxic fungicides were used as protection against this disease. However, the researchers have found an alternative-plant extract.
Such common plants as henna, neem cake, and aloe extracts were found to be highly effective at killing fungal cells.
Now the researchers plan to study these plants further, in order to develop better methods of protection against fungal infections.

Suggested Reading: How do Fungi reproduce?

Reference: “International Journal of Current microbiology and Applied Sciences (IJCMAS)-Current Issues Volume 5 Number 7 July 2016″. Accessed March 19, 2019. Link.

6. Female flowers found more resistant to certain fungal infections

By using an alpine plant that has both hermaphroditic and female flowers, researchers have tried to find out what has driven the evolution towards separate female plants development.

It was found that female plants were more resistant to certain types of fungal diseases.
Based on the research results, it was proposed that dioecious plants may have developed in conditions where fungal diseases were prevalent, and resistance to them was crucial for survival.

Suggested Reading: Best Botanical Gardens In US.

Reference: “The role of infectious disease in the evolution of females: Evidence from anther‐smut disease on a gynodioecious alpine carnation” – Emily L. Bruns, Ian Miller, Michael E. Hood, Valentina Carasso, and Janis Antonovics. Accessed March 19, 2019. Link.

7. Network of genes that controls petal senescence was discovered

A team of scientists has attempted to describe the falling of petals in terms of genes instead of poetry.

They tracked the changes in the transcriptome of Oncidium orchid petals in the course of their development.
It was found that the shift to petal senescence was controlled by a complex gene network including genes responsible for circadian rhythms as well as some plant hormones genes, including gibberellin, brassinosteroid, and salicylic acid, as well as some signaling cascades.

Reference: “Transcriptome analysis of Oncidium petals provides new insights into the initiation of petal senescence” – Cui-Ping Yang, Zhi-Qiang Xia, Jin Hu, Yu-Fen Zhuang, Ying-Wen Pan & Jin-Ping Liu. Accessed March 19, 2019. Link.

8. Silicone as a plant protector

Silicone has not been previously considered an essential element for higher plants.

However, mounting evidence shows that plants do absorb this element. Moreover, modern transcriptomics has revealed the crucial importance of this element in stressful conditions.
Based on new research done in 2018, it was shown that though silicone does not alter gene expression in plants in a regular environment, its role changes when the plants are under biotic stress.
For instance, Si supplementation is necessary to counteract damage in plants growing in conditions with high salt content.

Suggested Reading: What is thigmotropism?.

Reference: “The controversies of silicon’s role in plant biology” – Devrim Coskun, Rupesh Deshmukh, Humira Sonah, James G. Menzies, Olivia Reynolds, Jian Feng Ma, Herbert J. Kronzucker, and Richard R. Bélanger. Accessed March 19, 2019. Link.

9. Metabolomics shows the unseen differences in a popular plant

A unique study was carried out in Denmark. The researchers undertook a broad metabolic analysis of 15 different populations of broadleaf plantains, Plantago major, that came from different areas of the country.

This study has shown that the metabolomes of the plants significantly differed depending on the location, as soil pH, the presence of herbivores, light levels and other parameters all influenced the number of metabolites.
Potentially, many inferences about the plant growth conditions and even geographic location can be made based on the features of their metabolism.

Reference: “Untargeted metabolic profiling reveals geography as the strongest predictor of metabolic phenotypes of a cosmopolitan weed”. Accessed March 19, 2019. Link.

10. Novel Genetics-based approach to optimize crop production

Crops Phosphorus (P) is a crucial element for plants. In the case of P deficiency, root development and architecture can be heavily impaired.

That is why most crops are dependent on phosphorus fertilizers, but their overuse is dangerous.
It is now possible to identify genetic loci in plants that are responsible for efficient P absorption.
By monitoring and selecting for these loci, it is possible to improve overall yield in crops, as well as evade overuse of fertilizers.

Reference: “Utilization of molecular markers for improving the phosphorus efficiency in crop plants” – Theivanayagam Maharajan, Stanislaus Antony Ceasar, Thumadath Palayullaparambil Ajeesh krishna, Muthusamy Ramakrishnan, Veeramuthu Duraipandiyan, Al‐Dhabi Naif Abdulla, and Savarimuthu Ignacimuthu. Accessed March 19, 2019. Link.

11. Auxin triggers a specific pathway in palm oil plants

In oil palm cultivation, the fruit developed without fertilization (parthenocarpic) is the most economically advantageous, as they contain the highest palm oil percentage.

It was found that auxin treatment before the opening of the flower stigmas could induce 100% development of parthenocarpic plants.
It was also found that auxin triggered a certain genetic pathway that eventually led to the development of parthenocarpic fruit.
The researchers hope that more research would lead to a better understanding of the parthenocarpic mode of development.

Reference: “Transcriptome analysis of oil palm inflorescences revealed candidate genes for an auxin signaling pathway involved in parthenocarpy [PeerJ]”. Accessed March 19, 2019. Link.

12. Tracing the evolutionary history of an amazing plant group

Caryophyllales is an order of higher plants that exhibit a fantastic variety of adaptations.

This group contains species with extreme heat tolerance (such as cacti), carnivorous plants (Venus flytrap) and even plants able to accumulate heavy metals.
The genome-wide transcriptomic analysis allowed the researchers to understand the relationships between such diverse species better and gain better insight into the evolution of such diverse adaptations.

Suggested Reading: 18 Amazon Rainforest Plants

Reference: “From cacti to carnivores: Improved phylotranscriptomic sampling and hierarchical homology inference provide further insight into the evolution of Caryophyllales” – Joseph F. Walker, Ya Yang, Tao Feng, Alfonso Timoneda, Jessica Mikenas, Vera Hutchison, Caroline Edwards, Ning Wang, Sonia Ahluwalia, Julia Olivieri, Nathanael Walker‐Hale, Lucas C. Majure, Raúl Puente, Gudrun Kadereit, Maximilian Lauterbach, Urs Eggli, Hilda Flores‐Olvera, Helga Ochoterena, Samuel F. Brockington, Michael J. Moore, and Stephen A. Smith. Accessed March 19, 2019. Link.

13. Novel grafting approaches offered to help pepper plants

Pepper, among other important crop plants, suffers greatly from the worsening of environmental conditions.

The higher salinity of the soils and water shortages are especially concerning.
In order to overcome these challenges, novel grafting techniques aimed at helping plants overcome stress, are being developed.

Reference: “Pepper Crop under Climate Change: Grafting as an Environmental Friendly Strategy | IntechOpen”. Accessed March 19, 2019. Link.

14. Unexpected benefits of wet leaves

Many decorative plants owners know the importance of leaf wetting. Now it gets the scientific basis.

Extensive evidence shows that leaf wetting significantly improves the efficiency of photosynthesis, plant growth and leads to other advantages both for the leaves themselves and plants as a whole.
Leaf wetting may become an important practice in crop plant growth, considering the complications brought by climate change.

Reference: “The value of wet leaves” – Todd E. Dawson, and Gregory R. Goldsmith. Accessed March 19, 2019. Link.

15. Cognition in plants is real

The knowledgeable, intellectual trees of fantasy may be the objects of fiction.

Still, the mounting evidence suggests that plants actually have cognition quite similar to animals.
They can react and adapt to stimuli in the same basic way animals do, though the types of reactions are different.
These newly discovered cognition processes are at present are of highest interest to plant neurobiologists.

Reference: “Are plants cognitive? A reply to Adams” – Miguel, Segundo-Ortina, and Paco Calvo. Accessed March 19, 2019. Link.

As you can see, botany in 2018 was far from the stale science it is sometimes viewed.

We continue to be highly dependent on plants, as they provide us with food, medicine and even novel questions about life itself and our place in the world.