Toward a molecular understanding of plant-plant interactions for agroecological control of fungal infections

Plants interact with neighboring plants through specialized metabolites released into the rhizosphere. These metabolites, known as allelochemicals, often trigger negative effects on surrounding plants, a phenomenon referred to as allelopathy. However, positive effects of these compounds are frequently observed but understudied. While the molecular mechanisms underlying allelopathy are well-documented, the molecular processes driving beneficial plant-plant interactions remain poorly understood. Our research presents unpublished data demonstrating how a major class of maize root-exuded allelochemicals reduces disease severity in neighboring rice plants through a chromatin-based regulatory mechanism in rice roots. This discovery sheds light on positive plant interactions at a molecular level. In addition to these findings, positive interactions in intraspecific plant mixtures, particularly in crops like hexaploid wheat, are common, yet the molecular mechanisms behind them are largely unknown. Using a multidisciplinary approach that integrates forward genetics, metabolomics, transcriptomics, and reverse genetics, we aim to identify the genes and molecular pathways that govern beneficial plant-plant interactions. Specifically, we focus on mechanisms that reduce disease severity caused by key pathogens in wheat. Our long-term goal is to understand how plants recognize and respond to their intraspecific neighbors, with the potential to develop novel biosolutions and optimize crop mixtures for agroecological farming systems.