AtWRKY1 at the intersection of plant development and defense: The cost of coping with adversity
- Fischer, Andreas M [ Montana State University: Plant Sciences & Plant Pathology ]
The life cycle of many plants including our most important crops is short, with weeks to months between germination and death. Monocarpic plants flower only once, with seed/grain filling dependent on nutrient remobilization from senescing parental plants. A mature crop stand such as a harvest-ready wheat field is the result of mass suicide, with only the seeds/grains as living entities.