At Iowa State University, Amina Moro is advancing research that could reshape how farmers balance productivity with environmental sustainability.
A doctoral student in crop production and physiology, Moro’s work focuses on how corn responds to nearby perennial groundcover, a system gaining attention for its ability to protect soil year-round. Her paper, “Spatial Proximity to Perennial Groundcover Triggers Shade Avoidance Responses in Corn,” was recently published in the Journal of Agronomy.
“Perennial groundcover systems are very promising because they keep the soil covered year-round, improving soil health, reducing erosion and enhancing sustainability,” Moro said. “But farmers are hesitant to adopt them because of concerns about competition with corn, especially early in the season.”
Her research challenges a common assumption, that competition between plants begins only when they compete for water or nutrients. Instead, she found that competition may start much earlier, through light signals that plants use to detect nearby neighbors.
At the center of Moro’s study is a concept called shade avoidance response. In simple terms, plants can “sense” when other plants are nearby even before they are physically shaded.
“When corn detects changes in light quality, it interprets it as a sign that competition is approaching,” Moro said. “It responds by growing taller and reallocating energy toward vertical growth.”
Source : iastate.edu