Unlocking a new hormone signalling system to increase plant performance

该项目寻求通过研究最近在植物中发现的影响种子萌发、幼苗生长、叶片发育和水分利用的化学信号途径来发现提高作物生产力的新方法。其目的是识别通过这一途径发挥作用的未知信号化合物，发现该途径的分子调节因子，并研究它如何在不同的植物物种中发挥作用。该项目还计划利用这一途径，寻找影响小麦和大麦等作物的种子过早萌发的抑制剂。预期的结果是更好地了解植物是如何生长的，并制定新的策略来提高植物在田间的表现。具体的潜在应用包括减少植物用水量、调节种子萌发和鼓励早期成苗。

This project seeks to discover new ways to improve crop productivity by investigating a recently identified chemical signalling pathway in plants that affects seed germination, seedling growth, leaf development and water use. The aims are to identify unknown signalling compounds that work through this pathway, to discover the molecular regulators of the pathway, and to examine how it operates in different plant species. The project also plans to exploit this pathway to find inhibitors of premature seed germination that afflict crops such as wheat and barley. The intended outcomes are a better understanding of how plants grow and new strategies for boosting plant performance in the field. Specific potential applications include reducing plant water use, regulating seed germination, and encouraging early seedling establishment.