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Article
Plant olfaction: using analytical chemistry to elucidate mechanisms of plant growth and interaction
Plant & Soil (2016)
  • Jeffrey D Weidenhamer
Abstract
Growing evidence suggests that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play important roles in plant-plant, plant-microbe and plant-environment interactions. Demonstrating such mechanisms requires the use of innovative analytical techniques to monitor VOCs in and above soils. In this issue, Waters et al. provide experimental evidence that stolons of the woodland strawberry, Fragaria vesca, forage for nutrient-rich soil patches by a chemotropic mechanism. Conclusions: These experimental results not only help clarify the means by which this clonal plant locates nutrients in a heterogeneous environment, but also demonstrate the power of using the tools of modern analytical chemistry to elucidate plant-plant and plant-environment interactions. 
Keywords
  • Nutrient foraging,
  • Plant-plant interactions,
  • Passive sampling,
  • Clonal plants
Disciplines
Publication Date
October, 2016
DOI
10.1007/s11104-016-2998-7
Citation Information
Jeffrey D Weidenhamer. "Plant olfaction: using analytical chemistry to elucidate mechanisms of plant growth and interaction" Plant & Soil Vol. 407 Iss. 1/2 (2016) p. 275 - 278
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/jeffrey_weidenhamer/26/