Understanding plant development and responses to the environment is key for improving crop yields and ensuring food and fuel for the future. In the face of environmental stresses, plant development changes in order for the plant to acclimate and survive these challenges. Globally, precipitation patterns have altered drastically, and increasing numbers of crop species are being impacted by unexpected drought or flooding. For example, crop losses to drought in 2017 are estimated to cost €1 billion in Italy alone. In addition, soil salinity is on the rise, leading to root osmotic stress and plant death. All of these abiotic stresses affect root development drastically, and certain species have evolved adaptations that make them more tolerant. One of these adaptations is the exodermis, a water- and air-proofed cell layer in the root that protects it from drying and drowning.
TOMATO EXODERMIS built on recently created dataset of tomato cell type-specific gene expression and set out to address two key questions regarding the exodermis cell layer development in tomato:
1) What are the genes that are involved in exodermal development?
2) How are exodermal drought responses regulated?
By addressing these questions, it is possible to start building knowledgebase required for breeding and agricultural applications that target exodermis as a drought-protective trait. During TOMATO EXODERMIS, we were able to address the first objective (Kajala et al,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.04.024(opens in new window)) but due to Covid-19 limitations (e.g. no/restricted access to the lab space), the second objective is not fully addressed but continues as an ongoing project.
