New Research On Why Plant Tissues Have A sense Of Direction

 

Scientists at the John Innes Centre, Norwich have published new evidence that plant tissues can have a preferred direction of growth and that this characteristic is essential for producing complex plant shapes.

 

The work, carried out by Dr Alexandra Rebocho and colleagues in Professor Enrico Coen's laboratory, contributes a new piece to the puzzle of how plant shapes are formed, and could have wide implications on our understanding of shape formation, or 'morphogenesis', in nature. Improved understanding of how genes influence plant shape formation could inform research into crop performance and lead to better-adapted, higher yield crop varieties.

 

The pioneering research, published in eLife, required an integrative approach, using diverse techniques including computer modelling, 3D-imaging, fluorescence imaging and a range of genetic techniques.

 

Plant organs, such as leaves, petals, and fruits, each start out as a tiny ball of cells that grow into a specific final shape. The precise shape of these organs has been modified over millions of years of evolution in relation to specific functions such as attracting pollinators or catching sunlight.

 

One of the prevailing theories of how complex plant shapes develop, upon which this new research builds, is the theory of 'tissue conflict resolution'. At the heart of shape development are internal differences in how tissue regions grow, and it is the resolution of these conflicts that produces shapes. These tissue conflicts are not contentious, but precisely coordinated, with their resolution leading to a particular flower or leaf shape.

 

Within the 'tissue conflict resolutions' theory, growth outcomes depend on groups of cells, called tissues. In isolation, individual regions of tissue would simply grow equally in all directions, or elongate in a preferred direction.

 

In reality, tissue regions do not occur in isolation. The adhesion and cohesion between adjoining regions, each following their own growth patterns, creates stresses, which cause the tissues to buckle, curve or bend to a compromise state.

 

These three-dimensional, out-of-plane tissue deformations are found extensively within the plant and animal kingdoms, and underlie some critical processes of animal development, including gut folding, neurulation, and development of the cerebral cortex.

 

There are three proposed types of tissue conflict resolution: areal, surface and directional. Areal conflict is between two areas of tissue within a surface, and surface conflicts occur between adjoining, but distinct, surfaces. Both areal and surface conflicts have been previously shown to be important for shape development.

Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.