Dear Colleagues,

More than 80 Mt fertilizers (N-P-K) are used annually on wheat. For example, nitrogen (N) is a macro-nutrient that plays a key role in the formation of grain yield and end-use quality. N-fertilizer has contributed directly to the total increase in the supply of food production for human and animal consumption globally. The doubling of cereal production worldwide over the past four decades has been associated with a 4-fold increase in the use of N-fertilizers. Nevertheless, this situation conceals very significant disparities where some areas use not enough N-fertilizer, while others far too much. As a consequence, both the recent and future intensification of fertilizer use in agriculture has already, and will continue to have major economic and environmental impacts.

In recent years, much work has been devoted to better understand nutrient use by small grain cereals. Advances have been made in understanding the mechanisms of nutrient absorption and utilization in a number of crops including wheat, barley and rice. However, global use efficiency is as low as 15-30% depending upon nutrient, varieties and management, so there is considerable room for improvement. Along with agronomic approaches, genetic solutions through breeding for more efficient varieties have been proposed. Indeed, plant breeding has resulted in gains in both use efficiency and tolerance to deficiencies for grain yield and nutrient concentration. However, new phenotyping techniques and breeding methodologies open the way for further improvement.

This Special Issue will focus on “Genetics of Nutrient Use Efficiency and Management in Cereal Agroecosystems”. We welcome novel research, reviews and opinion pieces covering genotype and genotype x management interaction for nutrient use efficiency in small grain cereals. Topics include beneficial micro-organisms interactions, crop genetics and improvement for yield, quality and human nutrition, novel crops, phenotyping, physiological responses to nutrient deficiency, interactions to management solutions, modelling, case-studies from the field, and policy positions.

Dr. Jacques Le Gouis
Dr. Malcolm Hawkesford
Dr. Ivan Ortiz-Monasterio
Guest Editors

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• cereal genetics 
• food security 
• genotype x management interaction 
• nutrient deficiency tolerance 
• phenotyping