Floral visitors of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.): Elucidating their nectar-robbing behaviour and impacts on the plant reproduction.

Nectar robbing is common in angiosperms, especially in long tubular flowers or flowers with spurs that keep nectar out of reach of visitors. However, the robbing behaviour of bees is less understood. Here, we studied the sesame visitors, their robbing behaviour, and the impacts of robbing on plant reproductive fitness.

Spatial and Temporal Variations in Richness, Diversity and Abundance of Floral Visitors of Curry Plants ( L.): Insights on Plant-Pollinator Interactions.

The reproductive success of flowering plants relates to flower-visitor communities and plant-pollinator interactions. These traits are species- and region-specific and vary across regions, pollinator groups, and plant species. However, little literature exists on the spatiotemporal variation in visitor activity, especially in India.

Intercropping with Pigeonpea ( L. Millsp.): An Assessment of Its Influence on the Assemblage of Pollinators and Yield of Neighbouring Non-Leguminous Crops.

Intercropping is practiced in modern intensive agriculture considering many benefits, including additive crop yield. However, it may have competitive or facilitative interactions between pollinator-dependant crops. Here, we investigated the reproductive aspects of pigeonpea () We assessed the influence of blooming pigeonpea on pollinator's assemblage and the yield of neighbouring non-leguminous crops (e.

Specialized metabolites contributing to colour and scent volatiles in flowers.

The present study focuses on the emitted and endogenous scent profiles of flowers. Among the 34 compounds identified, sesquiterpenoids were found to dominate the floral volatiles composition. Profiles from endogenous scent volatiles showed higher number of compounds than the emitted ones.

Expression dynamics of miRNAs and their targets in seed germination conditions reveals miRNA-ta-siRNA crosstalk as regulator of seed germination.

Seed germination paves the way for the dormant embryo to establish itself as a new plant marking the first critical step in postembryonic plant growth and development. Germination starts with the uptake of water (imbibition), followed by induction of transcription, translation, energy metabolism, and cell division processes. Although small RNAs have been implicated in many developmental processes, their role during seed germination stages and conditions remained elusive.

Small RNA mediated regulation of seed germination.

Mature seeds of most of the higher plants harbor dormant embryos and go through the complex process of germination under favorable environmental conditions. The germination process involves dynamic physiological, cellular and metabolic events that are controlled by the interplay of several gene products and different phytohormones. The small non-coding RNAs comprise key regulatory modules in the process of seed dormancy and germination.