Li Guo and Alina Klaus joined over 170 barley researchers and plant breeders in a five days symposium with scientific talks, workshops, entertainment and Latvian hospitality.

On June 22nd we made our lab trip to the Drachenfels.

Lucie Averkorn received the award for young scientists for her bachelor thesis by the Deutsche Maiskomitee eV (DMK).

Plant science colloquium with Dr. Caroline Marcon on "BonnMu – a resource of transposon-induced maize mutations for functional genetics studies" via Zoom on Friday, April 1 at 12 c.t.

Dr. Peng Yu will give a talk within the PhenoRob Seminar Series next Friday at 10 AM on "Genetic basis of root-microbiome association in maize".

The importance of the root system for agricultural yields is often underestimated. Whether roots can access water and nutrients effectively also determines the resilience of important crops to drought and climate change. Researchers from the Universities of Bonn and Bologna (Italy) have discovered and described a mutant in barley: Its roots grow downwards much more sharply than usual. This discovery potentially provides a starting point for breeding more drought-resistant varieties. The study has now been published in PNAS.

Caroline Marcon will give a talk about her BonnMu project as part of the CiBreed Seminar Series on Friday, June 18 at 10:15 am.

A current study by scientists of the University of Bonn and Southwest University in China sheds light on an unusual interdependence: Maize can attract special soil bacteria that, in turn, help the plants to grow better. In the long term, the results could be used to breed new varieties that use less fertilizer and therefore have less impact on the environment. The study is published in the prestigious journal Nature Plants.