Caroline Gutjahr, of Plant Genetics at the TUM School of Life Sciences, looks at the seedlings of the plant Lotus japonicus in a walk-in climate chamber for controlled plant propagation. Image: Uli Benz / TUM
Caroline Gutjahr, of Plant Genetics at the TUM School of Life Sciences, looks at the seedlings of the plant Lotus japonicus in a walk-in climate chamber for controlled plant propagation. Image: Uli Benz / TUM Length of plant roots is controlled by hormones - The dynamic change in root growth of plants plays an important role in their adjustment to soil conditions. Depending on the location, nutrients or moisture can be found in higher or lower soil layers. This is why, depending on the situation, a short or a long root is advantageous. Caroline Gutjahr, Professor of Plant Genetics at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), and her team investigate how plant hormones influence the growth of roots. Roots are essential for reaching water and nutrients, for anchorage to the ground, but also for interacting and communicating with microorganisms in the soil. A long root enables the plant to reach deeper, more humid layers of soil, for example during drought.
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