{
  "id": 6772826,
  "title": "Emergence of tolerance and avoidance strategies from local and systemic responses to nitrogen: insights from modelling of auxin-mediated root plasticity",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/emergence-of-tolerance-and-avoidance-strategies-from-local-and",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-11T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.08.750047v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent study exploring the role of auxin in root plasticity sheds light on how plants optimize nutrient uptake and resist stress. Auxin, a plant hormone, governs various root growth processes, including responses to nitrogen (N) levels. To investigate the impact of local and systemic auxin responses on N uptake and utilization, researchers employed functional-structural-plant (FSP) modeling. By incorporating a simplified auxin module into an existing FSP model, the study aimed to simulate physiological adaptations in roots based on N availability.\n\nThe simulations demonstrated that local auxin responses improved N uptake by encouraging root development in deeper soil layers, thereby increasing the plant's N forage and avoiding nitrogen stress. Conversely, systemic auxin responses led to root growth near the soil surface, reducing plant size and N demand, which enhanced stress tolerance. However, this systemic strategy resulted in a trade-off with local auxin responses, as both mechanisms compete for biomass and N investment driven by source-sink dynamics within the plant.\n\nThe findings highlight the importance of considering both tolerance and avoidance strategies when assessing plant responses to nutrient availability. By representing hormone-mediated root plasticity within an FSP model, scientists can gain valuable insights into the complex mechanisms plants employ to capture resources efficiently. These insights are particularly relevant for developing suitable crop genotypes for medium to low-input agricultural systems, where understanding root phenotypic plasticity can lead to more sustainable farming practices.",
  "summary": "Understanding how root phenotypic plasticity enhances resource-use efficiency can help understand the outcomes of plant competition and identify suitable genotypes for medium- to low-input agricultural systems. Auxin regulates multiple root growth processes, including the root architectural responses to nitrogen (N). We explored the extent to which auxin-mediated local and systemic responses to…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}