Starch turnover: pathways, regulation and role in growth

► Starch is a key substance in plant metabolism and a vital product for our society. ► Plants remobilise leaf starch at night to support respiration and growth. ► Premature or incomplete exhaustion of starch lowers plant growth rates. ► Diurnal starch turnover is tightly regulated, in part by the circadian clock. ► We provide an update on starch metabolism, its control, and carbon use for growth.