In this Perspective, Mascher et al. look back on 30 years of genetic and genomic research in cereal crops. Genome sequences have revealed common evolutionary patterns as well as differences between species and will support applications in breeding.

BZR/BES transcription factors are widely recognized as mediators of brassinosteroid (BR)-responsive gene expression in seed plants, but details of how they act in species that lack BR perception are unclear. A study now uncovers an ancient mission of a BZR/BES transcription factor in sexual organ development in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha.

Compartmentalization of specialized compounds in glandular trichomes is essential for plant protection against stresses and attraction of pollinators. This compartmentalization is achieved by the establishment of a lignin-based apoplastic barrier named ‘neck strip’, which is present in trichomes of diverse plant species.

Quan et al. show that warming-induced changes in plant community height in a cold, high-elevation region enhance ecosystem carbon sequestration, emphasizing the importance of plant traits in shaping the carbon cycle under climate change.

The authors integrate spatial (Stereo-seq) and single-cell transcriptomes of the developing maize ear to produce an atlas of maize ear cells and their developmental trajectories. They also identify a pair of transcription factors involved in inflorescence development.

Wang and colleagues report a two-dimensional root carbon trait space coupled with the root economics space, offering molecular insights into the great diversity of root form and function.

Abiotic stresses challenge plant growth. In response, plants often rapidly accumulate proline. This study reveals the filament structures of plant P5CS, the key enzyme in proline synthesis, elucidating a unique mechanism for its efficient catalysis.

This study shows that optimizing soybean nodulation, rather than supernodulation, through editing improves N and C assimilation by balancing source–sink relationships. As a result, soybean yield and protein content are simultaneously increased in field conditions.

This study identifies PPKs as authentic protein kinases phosphorylating the far-red light photoreceptor phytochrome A and demonstrates that liquid–liquid phase separation of TZP promotes PPK-mediated phosphorylation of phytochrome A in far-red light.

In this study, Mo et al. describe a novel biotechnological strategy to produce crop plants resistant to lepidopteran pests.