The morphogenesis of fast growth in plants.

Growth rate represents a fundamental axis of life history variation. Faster growth associated with C photosynthesis and annual life history has evolved multiple times, and the resulting diversity in growth is typically explained via resource acquisition and allocation. However, the underlying changes in morphogenesis remain unknown.

Defending the leaf surface: intra- and inter-specific differences in silicon deposition in grasses in response to damage and silicon supply.

Understanding interactions between grasses and their herbivores is central to the conservation of species-rich grasslands and the protection of our most important crops against pests. Grasses employ a range of defenses against their natural enemies; silicon-based defenses have been shown to be one of the most effective. Silicon (Si) is laid down on the leaf surface as spines and other sharp bodies, known as phytoliths, making grasses abrasive and their foliage indigestible to herbivores.

Plant-pathogen interactions and elevated CO2: morphological changes in favour of pathogens.

Crop losses caused by pests and weeds have been estimated at 42% worldwide, with plant pathogens responsible for almost $10 billion worth of damage in the USA in 1994 alone. Elevated carbon dioxide [ECO(2)] and associated climate change have the potential to accelerate plant pathogen evolution, which may, in turn, affect virulence. Plant-pathogen interactions under increasing CO(2) concentrations have the potential to disrupt both agricultural and natural systems severely, yet the lack of experimental data and the subsequent ability to predict future outcomes constitutes a fundamental knowledge gap.