parasite – Plant en Zo

Parasite plants give their development a headstart

For their nutrients are parasitic plants dependent on their host plant. Logically they make sure to time their germination accordingly. Up till now the assumption was that parasitic plants only develop an haustorium when they perceive specific haustorium inducing signals from their host. Now a new study shows that that is not the whole story.

Parasite organ formation

Parasitic plants need another plant to survive. With an organ called an haustorium they latch on their host plant to siphon away its nutrients. Now a new study shines some light on how the development of an haustorium is regulated.

Self-restricting parasites

For parasitic plants it is a disadvantage if they all latch on the same host. Now Swedish and Japanese researchers show in PNAS that some parasitic plants at least can control this.

Microbial helpers

Microbial helpers Striga, a parasitic weed, causes large cereal production losses in Sub-Sharan Africa. Preventing striga infections is therefore important. Now a group of international researchers discovered that microbes may hold the key to preventing striga infections. Striga infects many cereals. As they are dependent on their host, striga seeds wait with germinating till theyContinue reading “Microbial helpers”