Inside the plant
Insight
Understanding the chemistry behind a technology is only the first step. The next question is whether applying a formulation based on that technology produces a measurable response inside the plant. This is where molecular biology provides another layer of evidence.
Visible improvements such as stronger roots, greener leaves or better establishment are important, but they do not explain what is happening inside the plant.
Measuring plant responses
As the next stage of the research underpinning Amphenox®, Maxstim used RNA sequencing to measure changes in gene expression following application of an Amphenox® based formulation.
Gene expression is the process by which plants switch genes on and off in response to growth, nutrition and environmental conditions. Measuring these changes provides evidence of how the plant responds following application.
The biological response
RNA sequencing identified measurable changes in 121 genes following application of the Amphenox® based formulation. Of these, 84 genes were upregulated and 37 were downregulated.
The affected genes were associated with:
- Photosynthesis
- Chlorophyll production
- Nitrogen and protein metabolism
- Flavonoid biosynthesis
- Auxin regulation
- Plant signalling
- Growth
- Defence
- Responses to environmental stress
These findings show that the response was measurable and extended across multiple biological processes. Origin 5 articles
Looking beyond a single pathway
Plants do not regulate growth through one biological process. Growth, metabolism, defence and responses to environmental stress are connected through networks of interacting pathways.
Further analysis showed that the changes observed following application were associated with pathways linked to flavonoid production, photosynthesis, chlorophyll production, auxin regulation, defence mechanisms and stress management. The response involved a network of connected biological processes rather than one isolated function.
From response to performance
Gene expression helps explain how a plant responds following application. It provides evidence of potential mechanisms within the plant, rather than directly measuring crop performance. Understanding these responses provides an important layer of evidence, helping researchers investigate the biological processes that may contribute to crop performance under commercial growing conditions.
The next stage is to investigate whether biological activity can also be measured under controlled conditions, before moving into commercial field evaluation.
Tony Kelly
Email: tony.kelly@maxstim.com
Mobile: 07974 435417
Tim Cannon
Email: tim.cannon@maxstim.com
Mobile: 07884 586191
