Plants can tell the time, and this affects their responses to certain herbicides used in agriculture according to new research led by the University of Bristol.
Plants can tell the time, and this affects their responses to certain herbicides used in agriculture according to new research led by the University of Bristol. The study, in collaboration with Syngenta, found that plant circadian rhythms regulate the sensitivity of plants to a widely used herbicide according to the time of day. The findings could benefit agriculture by reducing crop loss and improving harvests.
Just like human jet lag, plants have body clocks that are crucial for their life in a world that has day and night. Plant biological clocks make a crucial contribution to their growth and the responses of crops to their fluctuating environments.
Dr Antony Dodd, Senior Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences and senior author of the paper, said: "This proof of concept research suggests that, in future, we might be able to refine the use of some chemicals that are used in agriculture by taking advantage of the biological clock in plants. Approaches of this type, combining biotechnology with precision agriculture, can provide economic and environmental benefits."
In a new paper, published today [Friday 16 August] in the journal Nature Communications, the researchers found that the death of plant tissue and slow-down in growth resulting from the herbicide glyphosate depends upon the time that the herbicide is applied and also the biological clock.
Read more at University of Bristol
Image: A crop field. (Credit: Dr. Antony Dodd)
