Growth processes are coordinated across plant development, but our research also revealed another temporal dimension, namely the duration at which cell division activity is maintained, as a major factor impacting the plant’s ability to cope with changes in the environment. 

Maize plants with improved growth characteristics in the greenhouse are tested in field trials. Unfortunately, the knowledge gained in the laboratory cannot easily be transferred to the field. One of the reasons for the low success rate in translating laboratory findings into field applications is the observation that laboratory-bred plants have very pronounced phenotypic and molecular differences compared to the same genotypes grown in the field.

To facilitate the different irrigation regimes required for drought studies and to increase the resolution and sensitivity of phenotyping, we use the automated irrigation and imaging platforms for plant phenotyping, called Phenovision. The Phenovision platform is equipped with three camera systems that enable the three-dimensional reconstruction of plants, the measurement of growth-related phenotypic characteristics, water consumption and plant physiology.

The size control of multicellular organisms is an old biological question that has always fascinated scientists. Growth, per definition is a dynamic process and it becomes more and more evident that its regulation is highly coordinated in time and space. Our long-term goal is therefore to decipher the dynamics of the molecular pathways and networks that determine plant organ size, using maize as a model system.