The timing of flowering has major effects on crop productivity and plant adaptation. Here we review FT genes which encode important floral activators and discuss recent work in the model legume Medicago highlighting the importance of an FT ortholog FTa1 in flowering. Our work and others shows that while FT orthologs promote flowering in many plants, there appears to be considerable diversity in the upstream pathways that regulate these genes.

The phytohormone auxin plays fundamental roles in plant development, including the formation of symbiotic nitrogen-fixing nodules in legumes. This study shows that (i) microRNA160 represses the expression of five transcription factors of the auxin response factor family in Medicago truncatula; and (ii) that its overexpression in the root affects both root growth and nodule number. The miR160/ARF regulatory loop may thus be involved in auxin-dependent regulation of nodule organogenesis.

VIGS (virus-induced gene silencing) technology is a powerful technology for determining the function of unknown genes in species recalcitrant to stable genetic transformation. Here we provide an overview of the VIGS systems available for legumes, and present their successful applications in functional genomics studies. We also discuss the limitations and future challenges of VIGS technology in legumes.

Aphids are sap-sucking insects that cause significant yield losses in agriculture. This review focuses on the progress made in understanding plant defense responses against aphid infestation particularly in legumes. Over the last decade, increased research efforts have been made to understand how aphids manipulate the plant to establish a successful feeding site. Progress in this area is described.

Comparative functional genomic studies involving chickpea and wilt disease causing fungus, Fusarium oxysporum are conducted to enrich present understanding of Fusarium–legume interplay. This report describes the differential pattern of molecular responses associated with wilt disease in susceptible and resistant chickpea. Molecular information deciphered from the present case study is expected to promote the development of legume crop protection strategies.

Drought can significantly reduce peanut yield and increase the likelihood of aflatoxin contamination. Selections of drought tolerant peanuts have been difficult because of strong environment × and genotype interactions. The goal of this research was to identify potential molecular mechanism(s) utilising peanut genotypes with contrasting drought responses through a candidate-gene approach. The identification of drought regulated genes, determination of their specific gene-expression patterns, and the association with the levels of drought tolerance will provide a basis for drought tolerant plant selection in peanut breeding programs.

Heat stress induces reproductive failures in various crops, the underlying biochemical mechanisms are not known. The present work demonstrates that heat stress impairs sucrose metabolism in male reproductive organs of chickpea to impair their functioning. Selecting genotypes having superior sucrose metabolism in male components under heat stress would improve heat tolerance in this crop.

The variation in carbon isotope discrimination (Δ¹³C), an integrator of plant behaviour indicating drought tolerance, was studied using a reference collection of chickpea germplasm. High Δ¹³C was associated with early maturity, moderate shoot biomass production, high seed yield and high harvest index (HI). There were indications that Δ¹³C’s association with grain yield was indirectly through final shoot biomass and HI.