Perfluorobutanoic Acid (PFBA) Induces a Non-Enzymatic Oxidative Stress Response in Soybean ( L. Merr.).

Short-chain perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are generally considered to be of less environmental concern than long-chain analogues due to their comparatively shorter half-lives in biological systems. Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) is a short-chain PFAS with the most root-shoot transfer factor of all PFAS. We investigated the impact of extended exposure of soybean plants to irrigation water containing environmentally relevant (100 pg-100 ng/L) to high (100 µg-1 mg/L) concentrations of PFBA using phenotypical observation, biochemical characterization, and transcriptomic analysis.

Molasses Grass Induces Direct and Indirect Defense Responses in Neighbouring Maize Plants.

Plants have evolved intricate defence strategies against herbivore attack which can include activation of defence in response to stress-related volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by neighbouring plants. VOCs released by intact molasses grass (Melinis minutiflora), have been shown to repel stemborer, Chilo partellus (Swinhoe), from maize and enhance parasitism by Cotesia sesamiae (Cameron). In this study, we tested whether the molasses grass VOCs have a role in plant-plant communication by exposing different maize cultivars to molasses grass for a 3-week induction period and then observing insect responses to the exposed plants.