Student Florida Institute of Technology Safety Harbor, Florida
Body of Abstract: Plants have developed a variety of mechanisms to balance resource utilization, competition, and growth in ecosystems. Given the sessile nature of plants, distinct genetic populations, or accessions, evolve based on local proximity, producing a phylogeny highly defined by geography. This also suggests a need for plants to distinguish between members of the same or different accession in order to alter behaviors accordingly in pursuit of inclusive fitness or competition. Common responses include changes in shoot and/or root growth, nutrient acquisition, and exudate production, all of which can influence plant growth and success. We propose two distinct models for the emergence of ‘accession recognition’ in plants. The first model is based on the selection of adaptative traits based on geography, while the other is based largely on genetic drift. Arabidopsis thaliana is a model angiosperm for accession recognition research that grows quickly and easily, and of which a variety of accessions are readily available and genotyped, making it an ideal system to distinguish between these two models. Here we evaluate accession recognition phenotypes between several well-established accessions: Col-0, La-1, Aa-0, Xxx-0, Yo-0, Be-0, and Ws-0. Developing a deeper understanding of accession interactions between plants in terms of time and nutrient availability can facilitate the improvement of agricultural productivity by minimizing competition and maximizing cooperation between plants.