Leveraging flavonols to improve the reproductive thermotolerance of Solanum lycopersicum (tomato) KU Leuven
Production of seed and fruit crops depends on successful sexual reproduction. Plant sexual reproduction involves development of pollen grains and delivery of sperm cells within the pollen grains to the female gametophyte through the growth of a pollen tube. Pollen development and tube growth are highly sensitive to heat stress. Increases in temperatures linked to climate change will thus undermine crop yields. A hallmark of heat stress is ...