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Functional Plant Biology Functional Plant Biology Society
Plant function and evolutionary biology
Functional Plant Biology

Functional Plant Biology

Volume 48 Number 2 2021


Effects of Si on relative water content, ion content (Na+, K+ and Si), antioxidant enzyme activities, chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, intercellular CO2 concentration, stomatal conductance in Kunlun14 and Ganpi6 seedlings under alkali stress. Furthermore, effects of glucosamine on O2 and H2O2 content in Kunlun14 and Ganpi6 seedlings under alkali stress.

FP20167Identification of salt tolerance QTL in a wheat RIL mapping population using destructive and non-destructive phenotyping

Muhammad A. Asif, Melissa Garcia, Joanne Tilbrook, Chris Brien 0000-0003-0581-1817, Kate Dowling, Bettina Berger, Rhiannon K. Schilling, Laura Short, Christine Trittermann, Matthew Gilliham, Delphine Fleury, Stuart J. Roy 0000-0003-0411-9431 and Allison S. Pearson
pp. 131-140

Soil salinity causes major yield losses in bread wheat, which is moderately tolerant to salinity stress. Using high throughput genotyping and phenotyping techniques, we identified quantitative trail loci (QTL) for different salt tolerance sub-traits in bread wheat and shortlisted potential candidate genes. These QTL and candidate genes may prove useful in breeding for salt tolerant wheat cultivars.

FP19287CaPSY1 gene plays likely the key role in carotenoid metabolism of pepper (Capsicum annuum) at ripening

Xiaochun Wei, Chunyang Meng, Yuxiang Yuan, Ujjal Kumar Nath, Yanyan Zhao, Zhiyong Wang, Shuangjuan Yang, Lin Li, Liujing Niu, Qiuju Yao, Fang Wei and Xiaowei Zhang 0000-0003-0796-9247
pp. 141-155

Phytoene synthase (PSY) is the first enzyme in carotenoid biosynthesis, which plays important role in fruit coloration at ripening. CaPSY1 was predicted as putative candidate based on relative expression values using five fruit developmental stages of Zunla-1 and in ripen fruits of five contrasting pepper lines. The CaPSY1 gene was validated functionally through silencing and overexpression by VIGS in ripen fruits and in Arabidopsis thaliana respectively.

FP20007Intrinsic root morphology determines the phosphorus acquisition efficiency of five annual pasture legumes irrespective of mycorrhizal colonisation

Jonathan W. McLachlan 0000-0003-0592-4424, Adeline Becquer, Rebecca E. Haling, Richard J. Simpson, Richard J. Flavel and Chris N. Guppy
pp. 156-170

Mycorrhizal fungi are ubiquitous in agroecosystems and contribute to the phosphorus acquisition of many plants. Five annual pasture legumes were grown to determine the effect of mycorrhizal fungi on plant adaptations to low phosphorus supply. Mycorrhizal colonisation improved the shoot yield and phosphorus acquisition of the legumes in phosphorus-deficient soil, but markedly reduced root acclimation responses to phosphorus deficiency. The relative efficiency of phosphorus acquisition was dependent on the intrinsic root morphology of the legumes, irrespective of mycorrhizal colonisation.


Soybean is the largest oilseed crop in the world, providing almost 28% edible vegetable oils for human. In higher plants triacylglycerols (TAGs) are the most common storage lipids in seed as the form of lipid droplets. The limited understanding of soybean oil biosynthesis has become a significant obstacle for the improvement of soybean oil production. This study focussed on the genetic engineering of soybean to increase the amount of seed oil with better nutrition value as well as better stress tolerance.

FP20190Multidimensional analysis of actin depolymerising factor family in pigeon pea under different environmental stress revealed specific response genes in each subgroup

Hongyan Cao, Rohul Amin, Lili Niu, Zhihua Song, Biying Dong 0000-0002-5136-6729, Hanghang Li, Litao Wang, Dong Meng, Qing Yang and Yujie Fu 0000-0002-6225-057X
pp. 180-194

The expression characteristics of several key CcADFs were revealed by analysing the stress response pattern of CcADFs and the time series RNA-seq of aluminium stress. This study extends the relationship between plant ADF family and aluminium tolerance, as well as adding to the understanding of CcADF family in woody crops. Moreover, it provides a basis for the ADF family gene to become a candidate gene for molecular breeding.


We showed a working model for BR action in the guard cell response of Arabidopsis thaliana. We investigated the role and the relationship between H2S and H2O2 in EBR-induced stomatal closure, and suggest that EBR can promote H2O2 production in guard cells, further increases L-/D-CDes activity and H2S synthesis, and finally causes stomatal closure. Our findings elucidate the important role of H2S and H2O2 in guard cell BR signaling.

FP20104Disentangling the photosynthesis performance in japonica rice during natural leaf senescence using OJIP fluorescence transient analysis

Faliang Zeng, Guojiao Wang, Yinpei Liang, Naihui Guo, Lin Zhu, Qi Wang, Hongwei Chen, Dianrong Ma and Jiayu Wang 0000-0001-7967-0725
pp. 206-217

Natural senescence companied with grain filling influence rice yield, a longer active photosynthetic duration ultimately improving grain yield. In this work, we found an efficient and useful tool for estimate leaf senescence linked to active photosynthetic duration. This information will be of value for further rice breeding for enhanced yield.

FP19285Delayed greening in phosphorus-efficient Hakea prostrata (Proteaceae) is a photoprotective and nutrient-saving strategy

Thirumurugen Kuppusamy 0000-0002-3864-2477, Dorothee Hahne 0000-0002-6883-1949, Kosala Ranathunge 0000-0003-2826-9936, Hans Lambers 0000-0002-4118-2272 and Patrick M. Finnegan 0000-0001-5021-1138
pp. 218-230

Hakea prostrata (Proteaceae) shows delayed greening during leaf development. This strategy is linked to nutrient-use efficiency. We show that delayed greening helps H. prostrata to save nutrients through sequential allocation of these resources first to cell production and structural development and then to chloroplast development. Delayed greening also offers photoprotection to young leaves during early leaf expansion.


Plant functional traits can directly reflect plants performance under environmental. We show that traits growth relationships are strongly size-dependent in tropical rainforest in south-west China: diameter growth rates correlated significantly with leaf economic spectrum traits for middle sized trees, but for large sized trees hydraulic efficiency traits play a more important role on growth. This suggests ontogenetic shift of functional traits could potential contribute to different growth response to climate change.

Committee on Publication Ethics

Call for Papers

We are seeking contributions for the following Special Issues. More

Australian Society of Plant Scientists

Official Journal of the Australian Society of Plant Scientists (asps.org.au).

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Best Paper Award

Phan Thi Thanh Hoai has been awarded the ASPS-FPB Best Paper Award for 2023.

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