Institut für Nutzpflanzenwissenschaften und Ressourcenschutz (INRES)

Widerspruch begegnen – viele Antworten, ein Ökolandbau

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Widerspruch begegnen – viele Antworten, ein Ökolandbau Kemper, Roman; Athmann, Miriam; Häring, Anna; Neuhoff, Daniel; Müller-Lindenlauf, Maria; Schmitz, Lauren; Stumm, Christoph; Tiemann, Inga; Döring, Thomas F. Die Wissenschaftstagung Ökologischer Landbau wird 'erwachsen'. Bereits zum 18. Mal bietet die WITA ein Forum für die deutschsprachige Präsentation und Diskussion aktueller Forschungsergebnisse im ökologischen Landbau. Sinnbildlich für das 'Erwachsensein' steht der Umstand, dass die Durchführung der Tagung – anders als bisher – ohne direkte staatliche Förderung und damit auf eigenen Beinen stehend organisiert wurde. Erfreulich und ermutigend ist zugleich, dass die Beteiligung an der Tagung trotz unsicherer Perspektiven der Forschungsförderung ungebrochen hoch bleibt. Ein klarer Indikator hierfür sind die über 200 angenommenen Fachbeiträge, welche die Vielseitigkeit, Spezifität und methodische Bandbreite der Wissensgewinnung im ökologischen Landbau widerspiegeln – von klassischen disziplinären Zugängen über interdisziplinäre Forschungsfragen bis hin zu transdisziplinären, praxisintegrierten Ansätzen. Im Mittelpunkt der 18. WITA stehen damit neue wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse zur Weiterentwicklung eines Landwirtschaftsmodells, das auf biologische Vielfalt, proaktiven Ressourcenschutz, Kosteninternalisierung, systemisches Denken und gesellschaftliche Verantwortung setzt. Das Tagungsmotto "Widerspruch begegnen – viele Antworten, ein Ökolandbau" lädt dabei zugleich zur Auseinandersetzung mit Zielkonflikten und Umsetzungsdefiziten sowie zur Diskussion disziplinübergreifender Lösungsansätze ein. Das 'Erwachsenwerden' der Öko-Forschungs-Community zeigt sich in einer kritischen Selbstreflexion innerhalb des ökologischen Landbaus bei gleichzeitiger Beibehaltung 'jugendlicher Opposition' mit einer klaren Positionierung gegenüber einem landwirtschaftlichen Mainstream, der noch immer weit weg ist von nachhaltigen Produktionsweisen.

The putative endo-1,4-β-D-glucanase GLU3 regulates cellulose biosynthesis in barley roots

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT

The putative endo-1,4-β-D-glucanase GLU3 regulates cellulose biosynthesis in barley roots Guo, Li; Rosignoli, Serena; Rasmussen, Magnus Wohlfahrt; Suresh, Kiran; Sangiorgi, Giuseppe; Camerlengo, Francesco; Zeisler-Diehl, Viktoria V.; Schreiber, Lukas; Dockter, Christoph; Pauly, Markus; Tuberosa, Roberto; Hochholdinger, Frank; Salvi, Silvio The plant cell wall is a crucial structure that ensures plant cell integrity and facilitates environmental adaptation. Cellulose is the primary component of the plant cell wall. Its biosynthesis is orchestrated through the plasma membrane-localized multiprotein cellulose synthase complex, which includes a membrane-anchored endo-1,4-β-glucanase. Here, we identified a barley (Hordeum vulgare) mutant with short roots resulting from repressed cell division and elongation, which we designated H. vulgare endo-β-1,4-Dglucanase 3-1 (hvglu3-1). HvGLU3 encodes a putative membrane-anchored endo-1,4-β-glucanase that is highly conserved across plant species. The hvglu3-1 mutant exhibited a 60% reduction in cellulose content, accompanied by changes in hemicellulose and suberin levels and an altered lignin structure in the roots. Subcellular localization analyses and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays suggested a direct interaction between HvGLU3 and primary cellulose synthases. We investigated the reprogramming of the tissue-specific transcriptome in hvglu3-1 root tips using a combination of laser capture microdissection and RNA sequencing. This approach revealed that 74% of all genes that are actively expressed in the elongation zone are influenced by root cellulose biosynthesis. Gene coexpression analyses highlighted the essential role of cellulose biosynthesis in diverse biological processes, including cell wall organization, phytohormone signaling, and stress responses, to regulate root tissue development. Overall, our study demonstrates the partially conserved role of HvGLU3 in controlling cellulose biosynthesis in roots and provides valuable transcriptomic resources for future studies.

Molecular mechanisms affected by boron deficiency in root and shoot meristems of plants

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Molecular mechanisms affected by boron deficiency in root and shoot meristems of plants Chu, Liuyang; Schäfer, Cay Christin; Matthes, Michaela S. Boron deficiency is an abiotic stress that negatively impacts plant growth and yield worldwide. Boron deficiency primarily affects the development of plant meristems— stem cells critical for all post-embryonic tissue growth. The essential role of boron in meristem development was first established in 1923. It remains unclear whether boron directly integrates into meristem molecular signalling pathways. In addition to its stabilizing function in the primary cell wall, growing evidence suggests roles for boron in various molecular processes including phytohormone cascades. These indications enhance a mechanistic understanding of why boron is crucial for proper meristem development. In this review we compile and discuss molecular pathways influenced by boron availability in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), maize (Zea mays), rice (Oryza sativa), and oilseed rape (Brassica napus) with a focus on the auxin-, ethylene-, and cytokinin-mediated hormone cascades. We particularly compare and contrast phenotypic and molecular adaptations of shoot and root meristems to boron deficiency and pinpoint tissue-specific differences.

Rhizospheric Bacillus isolates control Fusarium wilt on cotton and enhance plant biomass and root development

Fri, 02 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Rhizospheric Bacillus isolates control Fusarium wilt on cotton and enhance plant biomass and root development Aslam, Seema; Baber, Muhammad; Naqqash, Tahir; Javed, Muhammad; Bredenbruch, Sandra; Grundler, Florian M. W.; Schleker, A. Sylvia S. Cotton is a globally significant crop, serving as a source of natural fiber for the textile industry and contributing to various other products. Its economic importance is substantial, impacting livelihoods and international trade. However, cotton production faces numerous challenges, including Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum (Fov), which can lead to significant yield and fiber quality losses. Plants alter their root exudate profiles in response to pathogens, often selectively enriching for beneficial rhizobacteria with antagonistic activity and plant growth-promoting traits. This study thus aims to characterize bacteria isolated from the rhizosphere of diseased cotton plants. The antifungal activity of 43 isolates was assessed against Fov in vitro. Eight of these inhibited Fov growth by 68.4 to 76.9%. 16S rRNA sequencing confirmed these isolates as Bacillus species. These eight Bacillus strains were further examined for their different modes of action in vitro, and their effect on cotton plants in greenhouse experiments challenged with Fov. All eight strains produced chitinases and pectinases, seven demonstrated cellulase and three protease activity, six produced urease, and five siderophores. Only B. subtilis SC11 exhibited phosphate solubilization activity. Seed treatments revealed that B. subtilis SC10 and B. subtilis SC11 were the standout treatments reducing Fov-caused symptoms by ~83% compared to Fov-inoculated control plants and most significantly improved plant growth and antioxidant activity. In detail, B. subtilis SC11 increased shoot and root dry weight by 160 and 250%, respectively. B. subtilis SC10 increased peroxidase activity by ~143% and ascorbate peroxidase activity by ~60%, while in B. subtilis SC11 treated plants superoxide dismutase activity increased by ~100%. Bacillus treatments effectively mitigated lipid peroxidation, achieving up to 91.4% reduction (B. subtilis SC10, B. halotolerans SC15), and decreased H₂O₂ accumulation by up to 58.4% (B. halotolerans SC32) compared to the Fov control. Principle component analysis revealed that regarding plant growth parameters, the treatments, and controls were distributed differentially across PC1 and PC2, with 60.30 and 15.62% data variance, respectively, showing the effectiveness of Bacillus isolates in greenhouse experiments. The findings of this study will contribute to the development of sustainable biocontrol strategies for managing Fusarium wilt in cotton.