Seed shattering (or pod dehiscence, or fruit shedding) is essential for the propagation of
their offspring in wild plants but is a major cause of yield loss in crops. In the dicot model …

Plant evolution is largely driven by adaptations in seed protection and dispersal strategies
that allow diversification into new niches. This is evident by the tremendous variation in …

Highlights•Pod dehiscence is the seed dispersal mechanism for many species, including
crops.•Plant hormones play key roles, both as morphogenetic instructors and as …

Pod shattering resistance is an essential component to achieving a high yield, which is a
substantial objective in polyploid rapeseed cultivation. Previous studies have suggested that …

Abscission is a process in which plants shed their parts, and is mediated by a particular set
of cells, the abscission zone (AZ). In grasses (Poaceae), the position of the AZ differs among …

Life has always found a way to preserve itself. One strategy that has been developed for this
purpose is sexual reproduction. In land plants, the gynoecium is considered to be at the top …

Understanding how plants cope with changing habitats is a timely and important topic in
plant research. Phenotypic plasticity describes the capability of a genotype to produce …

Heteromorphic diaspores (fruits and seeds) are an adaptive bet‐hedging strategy to cope
with spatiotemporally variable environments, particularly fluctuations in favourable …

The genetic mechanisms regulating dry fruit development and opercular dehiscence have
been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana. In the bicarpellate silique, valve elongation and …

Arabidopsis research in the last decade has started to unravel the genetic networks directing
gynoecium and fruit patterning in this model species. Only recently, the work from several …