Calleva Seminar: “Growing more with less: harnessing a plant hormone for sustainable agriculture” with Dr Zhe Luke Ji

Sustainable crop production is essential if we are to meet the intertwined challenges of food security and climate change, both of which carry profound social and economic consequences. In the Calleva Seminar for Trinity term 2026, Dr Zhe Luke Ji (Department of Biology and Magdalen College, University of Oxford) will show how the first ever discovered plant hormone, auxin, provides a unifying framework for understanding and improving crop performance. By uncovering how auxin regulates both nutrient use and reproductive development, his work highlights how fundamental plant biology can be translated into more sustainable agricultural strategies.

Nitrogen is a fundamental nutrient for plant growth and is often the primary factor limiting crop productivity. Modern agriculture has addressed this constraint through intensive use of nitrogen fertilisers, but this approach is increasingly unsustainable due to their economic cost and significant environmental impact, including greenhouse gas emission and water pollution.

The first part of the talk focuses on cereals, where improving nitrogen-use efficiency is a key goal. By comparing two major cultivars of Asian rice that differ in their ability to use nitrogen efficiently, Dr Ji and colleagues have identified a novel regulatory module controlling auxin accumulation1. Introducing naturally-occurring superior variants of this module improves nitrogen metabolism and enhances grain yield, highlighting a promising route towards more sustainable cereal production.

The second part turns to legumes, the growth of which reduces environmental impact due to their ability to fix their own nitrogen. Intriguingly, several legume species produce a unique chlorinated form of auxin that promotes pod development. Using pea as a model, Dr. Ji is investigating how this specialised auxin differs from the conventional form in its mode of action, which might provide insights on how to improve seed quality and yield.

Together, these two lines of research illustrate how auxin acts as a central integrator of plant growth, linking nutrient utilisation with reproductive success. Understanding and harnessing this hormone’s diverse roles offers a powerful route towards developing crops that are both high-yielding and environmentally sustainable.

The lecture includes a Q&A and is due to finish at 6.30pm, followed by a drinks reception in the Auditorium foyer.

Registration for in-person or online attendance is welcome via Eventbrite.

For questions, please contact the Calleva Centre for Evolution and Human Science at calleva.centre@magd.ox.ac.uk. To be informed about future Calleva events, those interested can sign up to the Centre’s mailing list here.