Trends in Plant SciencePub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-04-06DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2026.03.005
Roman Pavela, Filippo Maggi, Eleonora Spinozzi
{"title":"Pest behavioural disruption by plant metabolites: a crop protection challenge.","authors":"Roman Pavela, Filippo Maggi, Eleonora Spinozzi","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.03.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.03.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plant secondary (specialized) metabolites play a pivotal role in disrupting pest behaviour, offering a promising and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional pesticides. These compounds can interfere with insect feeding, oviposition, and host selection, thereby reducing crop damage and pest populations. Recent advances highlight the ecological selectivity and rapid biodegradation of these metabolites, making them attractive for sustainable crop protection. Innovative formulation techniques are enhancing their persistence and efficacy, yet challenges remain in understanding synergistic effects, nontarget impacts, and practical implementation. Harnessing the full potential of plant metabolites for pest behavioural disruption requires integrated research and development, paving the way for their broader adoption in integrated pest management strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":"1219-1230"},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147628667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in Plant SciencePub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-04-14DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2026.03.010
Yingying Gao, Joost van den Heuvel, Xingtan Zhang, Joost J B Keurentjes
{"title":"Deflecting the parasitic paradigm: new insights into mutualistic transposons in plant genomes.","authors":"Yingying Gao, Joost van den Heuvel, Xingtan Zhang, Joost J B Keurentjes","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.03.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.03.010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Inherited transposable elements (TEs) embedded in genomes have an incomparable potential for large-effect mutagenesis. Notwithstanding that transposable elements can be destructive when mobile, it is undeniable that some beneficial effects arise as well. From a population-level perspective, de novo genetic variation arising from TE transposition endows species with increased potential to colonize and thrive in extremely diverse environments. With an emphasis on plant genomes, this review provides an overview of recent insights into functional transpositions and the mechanisms behind them. We will discuss the underappreciated application prospects of mobile elements as prominent endogenous mutagens through recent evidence of transposition-induced phenotypic variation. These novel findings suggest a shift away from the view of TEs as solely parasitic entities and advocate for a more mutualistic role.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":"1205-1218"},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147692420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in Plant SciencePub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-05-12DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.027
Yajie Zhao, Jingwei Wei, Jian Wu
{"title":"Plasmodesmata act as decoders of temperature fluctuations.","authors":"Yajie Zhao, Jingwei Wei, Jian Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.027","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.027","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A recent study by Pandey et al. shows that during variable cold with intermittent warming, plasmodesmata act as tissue-level gates for robust bud dormancy release. By controlling callose deposition, plasmodesmata restrict intercellular communication, preventing premature dormancy release, suggesting a bet-hedging strategy that could enhance survival under climate warming.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":"1132-1134"},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147933639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Women in plant science around the world.","authors":"Marilia Almeida-Trapp, Katie Field, Saijaliisa Kangasjärvi, Keiko Yonekura-Sakakibara","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.07.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.07.001","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":"1123-1128"},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148498062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in Plant SciencePub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-05-07DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.015
Zequn Fan, Hiba Shahgaleh, Shiming Ding
{"title":"Nitrous oxide mitigation in hybrid maize mediated by Massilia.","authors":"Zequn Fan, Hiba Shahgaleh, Shiming Ding","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.015","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.015","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Massilia presents a functional paradox in maize heterosis: its enrichment correlates with lower nitrous oxide (N<sub>2</sub>O) emissions, yet it lacks reduction genes. We propose that Massilia functions as an ecological hub, coordinating the rhizosphere microbiome and engineering the microenvironment to suppress N<sub>2</sub>O emissions. This paradigm guides new strategies for breeding climate-smart crops.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":"1147-1150"},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147857316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in Plant SciencePub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-04-30DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.009
Mingzhuo Li, Aditi Dey Poonam, Qingshang Wei
{"title":"Microneedle-assisted molecular delivery in plants.","authors":"Mingzhuo Li, Aditi Dey Poonam, Qingshang Wei","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Traditional agricultural delivery methods, such as foliar spray and soil application, suffer from low uptake efficiency, environmental contamination, and short-term effects, whereas nanoparticle-mediated delivery platforms face issues of stability, cytotoxicity, and regulatory concerns. Recently, microneedle (MN) technology has emerged as a promising alternative for precise, minimally invasive delivery of agrochemicals and biomolecules. In this opinion article, we explore the evolution of MN-based delivery systems in agriculture. We discuss the structure-function relationships of MNs (solid, hollow, dissolving, and coated MNs) and highlight their applications in nutrient delivery, pathogen control, and genome editing for plants. We conclude with challenges and future directions for integrating MNs into precision agriculture to improve crop productivity, sustainability, and genetic manipulation.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":"1151-1163"},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147821138","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in Plant SciencePub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-05-12DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.026
Mitesh Khisti, Nese Sreenivasulu
{"title":"Balancing yield, quality, and nutrition through fine-tuned brassinosteroid signalling.","authors":"Mitesh Khisti, Nese Sreenivasulu","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.026","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.026","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Increasing evidence indicates that brassinosteroids (BRs) signalling influences not only yield but also crop quality and nutritional attributes that underpin consumer preference and food security. This review synthesises recent insights into BR-mediated signalling networks controlling panicle architecture, grain or fruit size and shape, influencing yield, quality, and nutrition-related traits across cereals and horticultural crops. We highlight how targeted manipulation of BR signalling components, together with their interactions with other hormonal pathways and natural variation, can be tapped to address future nutritional targets across crops. By consolidating mechanistic and translational advances, this review provides a conceptual framework to guide the rational exploration of BR signalling for the simultaneous improvement of yield, quality, and nutritional value in major crop species.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":"1231-1241"},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147933634","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in Plant SciencePub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-05-14DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.016
Liangliang Li, Lam-Son Phan Tran, Weiqiang Li
{"title":"Dihydroxyhexanoic acid: a barrier molecule for fungal turgor.","authors":"Liangliang Li, Lam-Son Phan Tran, Weiqiang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.016","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.016","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plant pathogenic fungi rely on appressoria to penetrate the host surface, a core mechanism for agricultural diseases. A recent study by Kumakura et al. identified 3,5-dihydroxyhexanoic acid-derived polymers as crucial for regulating appressorial turgor generation, alongside melanin, providing a broad-spectrum target for developing crop antifungal agents for disease management.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":"1138-1140"},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147942996","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in Plant SciencePub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-05-16DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.020
Jinping Zhao, Yanxia Ding, Junqi Song
{"title":"A pathogen-exclusive nutrition niche.","authors":"Jinping Zhao, Yanxia Ding, Junqi Song","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.020","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.020","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A recent study by Wang et al. found that Xanthomonas exploits host carbohydrates through the conserved effector AvrBs2, which catalyzes UDP-α- D-galactose into xanthosan. Exclusively consumed by the pathogen via XanT and XanP, this 'nutrition niche' enables efficient carbon acquisition and virulence, offering new anti-xanthosan strategies for sustainable disease control.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":"1135-1137"},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147960346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in Plant SciencePub Date : 2026-09-01Epub Date: 2026-05-07DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.012
Ganesan Alagarasan, Huihui Li, Yunbi Xu, José Crossa, Rajeev K Varshney
{"title":"Genomic language model-based genomic prediction in plant breeding.","authors":"Ganesan Alagarasan, Huihui Li, Yunbi Xu, José Crossa, Rajeev K Varshney","doi":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tplants.2026.04.012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Genomic prediction based on molecular markers has substantially advanced genomic selection; however, prediction accuracy often plateaus despite continued increases in marker density and methodological refinement. This saturation limits the effective use of available genomic information. The emergence of genomic language models (GLMs) offers a new framework for incorporating richer sequence-based information into genomic prediction, potentially capturing biologically meaningful DNA sequence grammar that is poorly represented by traditional marker-based approaches. We conclude that the future of genomic prediction will be shaped not primarily by algorithmic refinement but by the biological expressivity of genomic representations, and that GLMs offer a principled path toward expanding this representational frontier.</p>","PeriodicalId":23264,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Plant Science","volume":" ","pages":"1164-1176"},"PeriodicalIF":21.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147843087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}