Founded in 2019, and led by Fabrice Roux until 2024, the PLANTCOM network is the first international network dedicated to the genetics of plant–plant interactions.
More specifically, PLANTCOM focuses on studying the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying plant–plant interactions and their effects on plant health and the provision of ecosystem services.
PLANTCOM is an interdisciplinary community bringing together (i) geneticists specializing in QTL identification, (ii) molecular and cell biologists focusing on the functional study of candidate genes associated with biotic interactions, (iii) ecophysiologists and agronomists studying plant physiological responses to biotic and abiotic environments, and (iv) modelers working on multispecies plant communities or varietal mixtures.
CONTEXT
Whether in cultivated fields or more natural environments, a plant can interact throughout its life cycle—simultaneously or sequentially, directly or indirectly—with many neighboring plants. Within such plant networks, a great diversity of interactions can be observed at both the intraspecific and interspecific levels. Intraspecific relationships range from competition between conspecifics to cooperation and even altruism. Interspecific relationships, on the other hand, include interspecific competition, mutualism, facilitation, and asymmetric interactions such as parasitism and allelopathy.
Despite the crucial role of plant–plant interactions in the functioning of natural ecosystems and agroecosystems, our understanding of the genetic and molecular bases underlying the natural variation of plant–plant interactions remains largely limited compared to what is known for other types of biotic interactions (with viruses, bacteria, fungi, oomycetes, nematodes, insects, etc.).
MAIN OBJECTIVE
Dissecting the genetic and molecular bases of plant–plant interactions will make it possible to develop new strategies for managing genetic resources in cultivated fields, with the goal of increasing (i) crop yield (or at least maintaining it, particularly in the face of climate change) and (ii) ecosystem services within an agroecological framework.
OTHER OBJECTIVES
• Bring together and connect members of the international scientific community working on the genetic and molecular mechanisms of plant–plant interactions.
• Promote the development of tools, approaches, and models, particularly to design strategies for optimizing crop mixtures at both the intraspecific and interspecific levels.
• Act as a driving force upstream of project calls and foster the development of joint projects at the European and global scales.
• Enhance the visibility and momentum of research on the genetic diversity of plant–plant interactions and their underlying genetic and molecular mechanisms.
The coordination of the PLANTCOM network
Léa Frachon
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Mathieu Hanemian
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Germain Montazeaud
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