Plant roots perform important functions anchoring the plant and providing it with minerals and water. At the same time, they are involved in selective uptake and avoidance of certain soil compounds and thus accomplish barrier function which is not considered in the contemporary literature. In this critical review, we analyse the toolkit of morpho-anatomical, structural, and other components which operate at a cellular, tissue, and organ level that support the view that the root as organ fulfils barrier function.

Drought is one of the main limiting factors affecting tea plant yield and tea quality. We found that chloride and amino acids are important components associated with K⁺-alleviated drought stress in tea plants. Our results could be used to identify pathways involved in the establishment of K⁺-enhanced drought tolerance in tea plants.

Developing seeds of some higher plants are photosynthetically active and contain chlorophylls, which are typically destroyed during seed maturation. However, in some crops, chlorophylls degrade incompletely, which compromises seed quality, and represents a severe challenge for farmers. Here we address dynamics of plastid conversion and photochemical activity alterations, accompanying chlorophylls degradation in maturing embryos of yellow- and green-seeded cultivars of pea (Pisum sativum). Our data enhance the existing knowledge about mechanisms, underlying incomplete chlorophylls degradation during seed maturation.

D-limonene synthase is a key enzyme for synthesis of limonene, which is the largest component of Citrus essential oil. A large number of d-limonene synthase genes were identified in Fortunella crassifolia. Previous reports have only identified a few d-limonene synthase genes in some Citrus species. The genetic diversity of d-limonene synthase gene in F. crassifolia will help us to understand the evolution and functional diversity of limonene synthase.

Heat stress has become a serious threat to global rice production, which is likely due to the changing climate scenario. Efforts to develop high-yielding cultivars have reduced the genetic variability in rice to withstand harsh environmental conditions. This study aimed to identify novel heat-tolerant mutants via gamma irradiation to provide a unique genetic resource for breeding programs and reliable selection indices for screening heat-tolerant rice germplasm during early growth.

Seed abortion hinders the propagation of many woody plants. We identified a gene called DiMYB1 from dove tree, a rare and endangered ornamental plant, and observed that overexpression of DiMYB1 can cause aggravated seed abortion in A. thaliana. Our results indicated that DiMYB1 plays a critical role in seed development in dove tree, which is important for understanding the mechanism of seed abortion and improving this species’ fecundity.

Nitrate fertilisers are commonly used to improve the yield and quality of crops. However, nitrate is a costly resource, and losses into the environment have negative impacts on ecosystems. By overexpressing a nitrate transporter gene (StNPF1.11), we discovered that plant height, leaf chlorophyll content and tuber protein content were increased in young potato plants. These findings show that biological processes underlying plant nitrate nutrition can potentially be exploited to improve the sustainability and quality of potato and other crops.