Effect of N supply on the carbon economy of barley when accounting for plant size.

Nitrogen availability and ontogeny both affect the relative growth rate (RGR) of plants. In this study of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) we determined which growth parameters are affected by nitrate (N) availability, and whether these were confounded by differences in plant size, reflecting differences in growth.

A mutation that eliminates bundle sheath extensions reduces leaf hydraulic conductance, stomatal conductance and assimilation rates in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum).

Bundle sheath extensions (BSEs) are key features of leaf structure whose distribution differs among species and ecosystems. The genetic control of BSE development is unknown, so BSE physiological function has not yet been studied through mutant analysis. We screened a population of ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS)-induced mutants in the genetic background of the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) model Micro-Tom and found a mutant lacking BSEs.