Andrew Merchant

TL;DR: This review synthetize recent advances in ecology and plant biology to explain and propose mechanisms by which root exudation of primary metabolites is controlled, and what role theirExudation plays in plant nutrient acquisition strategies, and proposes a novel conceptual framework forRoot exudates.

TL;DR: It is demonstrated that osmotic adjustment is a common response to water deficit in six eucalypt species, providing a physiological explanation for aridity tolerance and emphasizing the need to identify osmolytes that accumulate under stress in the genus Eucaalyptus.

TL;DR: The potential to exploit source-sink dynamics, in order to improve yields and emphasize the importance of resilience in yield and nutritional quality with implications for plant breeding strategies is highlighted.

TL;DR: Investigation of the interplay among environmental parameters, leaf physiological properties and leaf water relations as drivers of the isotopic enrichment of leaf water across 17 Eucalyptus species growing in a common garden determined that differences in leaf water delta18O across species are largely explained by variation in the Péclet effect.

TL;DR: It is proposed that these phenotyping techniques, combined with mechanistic knowledge on plant structure-function relationships, will open new research directions in whole-plant ecophysiology and may assist breeding for varieties with enhanced resource use efficiency varieties.