Coordinating shoot and root growth with rhizosphere information

Because shoot systems are entirely dependent on root systems for their supply or water and mineral nutrients, shoot and root growth are highly coordinated by root-to-shoot and shoot-to-root signalling. We are interested in understanding how plants use information in their root environment to determine both their shoot and root growth. There is a very strong influence of nutrient availability on shoot growth, but we are particularly interested in understanding how physical and biological cues in the rhizosphere alter the way plants grow even when nutrients are abundant.