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SUMMARY:How to get on with your weedy neighbours? A study of root to root 
 interactions between wheat and black grass - Stephanie Swarbreck\, Ion Tra
 nsport Group
DTSTART:20111202T130000Z
DTEND:20111202T133000Z
UID:TALK33420@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:24938
DESCRIPTION:In natural and managed ecosystems such as agricultural fields\
 , plants seldom grow alone\, rather\, they interact with individuals that 
 belong to the same or different plant species. The outcome of these plant-
 plant interactions can be beneficial (e.g.\, facilitation due to nutrient 
 release)\, neutral or detrimental (e.g.\, competition\, parasitism). Below
 ground plant-plant interactions are less well characterised than those occ
 urring above ground and may affect nutrients and water acquisition\, and c
 ompetition against weeds. In an agricultural field\, wheat (Triticum aesti
 vum L.) plants interact with weedy species such as Alopecurus myosuroides 
 (black grass)\, and others. It is important to understand how the presence
  of roots from neighbouring weed plants may affect root growth and ultimat
 ely crop performance. While in some studies root exudates have been implic
 ated in root detection\, the mechanism is not well understood. I will disc
 uss experiments conducted to test the hypothesis that roots from wheat can
  detect neighbouring roots\, and that investigate a possible mechanism.
LOCATION:Department of Plant Sciences\, Large Lecture Theatre
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