A shade-hyposensitive tomato line shows altered auxin homeostasis and higher fruit yield under high-density field conditions.

Plants detect the presence of nearby vegetation as a reduced ratio of red to far-red light (low R : FR). This proximity shade signal can be simulated in the lab by supplementing white light (W) with FR (W + FR). While shade avoidance strategies are considered undesirable in agricultural crops, FR supplementation enhances plant growth and fruit quality in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum).

Temporal and spatial frameworks supporting plant responses to vegetation proximity.

After the perception of vegetation proximity by phytochrome photoreceptors, shade-avoider plants initiate a set of responses known as the shade avoidance syndrome (SAS). Shade perception by the phytochrome B (phyB) photoreceptor unleashes the PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTORs and initiates SAS responses. In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seedlings, shade perception involves rapid and massive changes in gene expression, increases auxin production, and promotes hypocotyl elongation.

Regulation of ovule initiation by gibberellins and brassinosteroids in tomato and Arabidopsis: two plant species, two molecular mechanisms.

Ovule primordia formation is a complex developmental process with a strong impact on the production of seeds. In Arabidopsis this process is controlled by a gene network, including components of the signalling pathways of auxin, brassinosteroids (BRs) and cytokinins. Recently, we have shown that gibberellins (GAs) also play an important role in ovule primordia initiation, inhibiting ovule formation in both Arabidopsis and tomato.