Plant Perception and Response to the Environment

We are currently experiencing a period of rapid environmental change, driven by human activity. This is concurrent with a period of rapid global population growth and development that is straining our natural resources. This is impacting on energy prices that are further increasing the cost of commodities. These combined factors impinge upon our food security. If we are to meet the resultant increased demand for food, without further destruction of natural ecosystems such as the rainforest, then we must increase productivity within the existing arable areas. This need is challenged by climate change that creates an unstable agricultural environment, causes the spread of novel plant diseases and requires a reduction in the environmental footprint of our agricultural process. Scientific advances are critical if we are to meet these challenges.

In this programme we are studying the impact of the environment and environmental change on plant productivity. We are both advancing our basic knowledge of the plants’ interaction with the environment, but also applying this knowledge to improve the productivity of wheat and other crops. This work provides the foundation for stable food production in a changing climate without further detrimental impacts on the environment.

Our research themes

Nutrient Acquisition and Efficiency of Use

The availability of elemental nutrients is often a limiting factor to plant growth. Nitrogen and phosphorus are two of the most limiting plant nutrients, but other nutrients such as sulphur and potassium can be very limiting in certain environments.

This research theme assesses the plant structures and symbioses associated with nutrient acquisition and how this is integrated with metabolism to optimise nutrient use efficiency.

Modern agricultural processes are highly reliant on the application of energy intensive inorganic fertilisers. Enhancing the plants’ use of nutrients and reducing reliance on inorganic fertilisers will improve the sustainability of our food production systems.

Adaptation to the Physical Environment

Plants measure the levels and temporal nature of environmental factors including temperature, light, salinity and water availability. Changes in these conditions result in adaptive responses such as flowering, temperature acclimation and the activation of stress responses. Plants constantly perceive and integrate information over both the short term (day-night) and long term (seasonally), and adjust their development accordingly. They must also have rapid responses that enable them to survive extremes of temperature, salt and drought. Elucidating the mechanisms underlying these varied responses is critical for understanding how plants adapt to particular environments. It is also key for developing plant breeding strategies that mitigate the effects of climate change and enable crops to be productive in diverse agricultural systems. Understanding the likely impact of climate change on natural and agricultural systems is an important component of the Earth & Life Systems Alliance (ELSA) programme and work in this theme is closely aligned with ELSA activities.

The environment directs plant development and this theme represents an area of overlap with the Plant Growth & Development Programme. Research in this theme assesses the plants perception and measurement of the environment and work in the Plant Growth & Development Programme assesses how this impacts on plant development.

The Biotic Environment

Plants interact with diverse organisms, both symbiotic (covered in the nutrient section) and pathogenic, including fungi, bacteria, viruses, and insects. Pests and pathogens can have dramatic impacts on crop yields, effects that are commonly countered by the extensive and increasingly costly use of agricultural chemical inputs. A more sustainable and cost-effective approach is through the deployment of genetic resistance. These organisms often direct plant metabolism and development to their own benefit. Improving our understanding of the mechanisms by which pathogens and pests modulate the plant, the mechanisms by which the plant resist attack and the co-evolution of parasites with their hosts has and will continue to reduce their impact and related costs on crop production.

Integrating Diverse Environmental Signals

A plant in the natural environment is continuously exposed to a diversity of environmental signals and stresses. The plant must integrate this information and decide how to allocate resources to optimize survival and seed set.

Historically the diverse environmental signals have been studied in isolation. However, this research theme brings together leading international researchers who study the breadth of the plant’s interaction with its environment, providing a unique opportunity to assess how the plant integrates this diverse information to dictate the level and nature of the response. Such an integrated approach to analyzing the plants’ response to the environment is an emerging area of research, facilitated through the integration created within this programme.