Plants react to their immediate environment in a number of ways and use the information so gleaned to make crucial decisions about growth and survival. In a new study, researchers from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal have discovered a new molecular mechanism via which seedlings react to the absence of light and use it to modulate their growth rate to ensure optimum conditions for survival.

A new collaborative study by researchers at University of Calcutta and University of Kalyani has found that a close symbiotic relationship between three species - a plant, a fungus, and bacteria - can be harnessed to promote the growth of rice plants by allowing them to take up more nitrogen from the environment.

Ozone, the gas best-known for protecting us from the ultraviolet rays of the sun, can turn harmful if produced in excess quantities by human activities. A team of researchers from the Banaras Hindu University have studied the effect of elevated ozone on plants that inhabit the lush grasslands of central India.

Just like animals, plants often face threats from their environment, including attacks by parasites, pests, and grazing animals. Unlike animals, however, plants cannot simply move away from the source of such threats. A new study from researchers at NIPGR, New Delhi, offers insights into the intricacies of the plant defence system and how it recognizes and responds to danger, particularly from insect pests.

The Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, recently released a website which compiles peer-reviewed information on over 10000 species of plants. The website, which is free to access, was launched on 2 March 2019.

Researchers from the University of Mysore have recently found that an enzyme extracted from the leaves of a medicinal plant, Tricosanthus tricuspidata, can counter the tissue damage caused by the bite of the venomous saw-scaled viper. This is the first scientific report of the anti-snake venom properties of this plant, which is known to be used by local tribal communities to treat snakebites.

For plants, choosing to fight against a pathogen often comes at the cost of compromised growth and development. Now, scientists from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi and the Indian Institute of Science, Education & Research, Thiruvananthapuram (IISER-TVM) find a new molecular player that helps maintain this delicate balance.