Role of Nitrogen in Plant Growth and Development

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024 | Viewed by 5672

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan
Interests: Nitrogen; carbon; plant growth; parasitism; photosynthesis; germination; competition for resources

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nitrogen is a core component of a vast range of biological molecules and its availability is a fundamental factor in the growth and development of plants. At the individual plant level, nitrogen has a wide range of effects on plant growth and shape, while photosynthetic rates strongly correlate with tissue N concentrations, largely attributable to the need for large amounts of the CO2 fixing enzyme, Rubisco. At the ecological level, N availability limits ecosystem productivity in most natural and semi-natural ecosystems worldwide and has profound implications for ecological organisms both within and between trophic levels.  While nitrogen comprises approximately four-fifths of the planet’s atmosphere, this pool is unusable in its gaseous form for most plant species, except those with N-fixing bacterial symbionts. 

Over the last century, the commercial production of ammonia via industrial methods has facilitated a huge increase in food production, resulting in a global population explosion.  However, fertilizer leaching from agricultural soils has become a major ecological issue, causing eutrophication and a decline in environmental quality. Going forward, a massive increase in plant nutrient use efficiency will be required to support ongoing human development while minimizing damage caused to the environment.

This Special Issue welcomes contributions on a broad range of topics related to the relationship between plants and nitrogen. These may range from the molecular to the agronomic and ecological, and may cover any topic related to N capture, uptake, or its relation to plant growth and productivity.

Dr. Louis Irving
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • nitrogen
  • growth
  • photosynthesis
  • physiology
  • nitrogen uptake
  • nitrogen use efficiency
  • N remobilization

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2715 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Wheat Gluten Content and Processing Quality: An Analysis of Drip Irrigation Nitrogen Frequency
by Tianjia Hao, Rong Chen, Jing Jia, Changxing Zhao, Yihang Du, Wenlu Li, Ludi Zhao and Hongxiao Duan
Plants 2023, 12(23), 3974; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12233974 - 26 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 850
Abstract
Drip irrigation is a water-saving and fertilizer-saving application technology used in recent years, with which the frequency of drip irrigation nitrogen application has not yet been determined. In order to investigate the effects of different drip irrigation nitrogen application frequencies on the processing [...] Read more.
Drip irrigation is a water-saving and fertilizer-saving application technology used in recent years, with which the frequency of drip irrigation nitrogen application has not yet been determined. In order to investigate the effects of different drip irrigation nitrogen application frequencies on the processing quality of medium-gluten wheat (Jimai22) and strong-gluten wheat (Jimai20 and Shiluan02-1), a two-year field experiment was carried out. Two frequencies of water and N application were set under the same conditions of total N application (210 kg·ha−1) and total irrigation (120 mm): DIF4, consisting of four equal applications of water and N (each of 30 kg·ha−1 of N application and 30 mm of irrigation) and DIF2, consisting of two equal applications of water and N (each of 60 kg·ha−1 of N application and 60 mm of irrigation). The results showed that IF4 significantly increased protein content by 2–8.6%, wet gluten content by 4.5–22.1%, and hardness value (p > 0.05), and PC2 was considered as a protein factor; the sedimentation value was highly significantly correlated with most of the parameters of the flour stretch (p < 0.01). DIF4 improved the stretching quality, and the flour quality of Jima22 was decreased, the flour quality of strong-gluten wheats Jimai20 and Shiluan02-1 was improved, and PC1 was considered to be the dough factor. In conclusion, although the frequency of nitrogen application by drip irrigation increased the protein factor and improved the tensile quality, the flour quality was not necessarily enhanced. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Nitrogen in Plant Growth and Development)
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13 pages, 3243 KiB  
Article
Optimizing Nitrogen Application for Jojoba under Intensive Cultivation
by Arnon Dag, Shamir Badichi, Alon Ben-Gal, Aviad Perry, Noemi Tel-Zur, Yonatan Ron, Zipora Tietel and Uri Yermiyahu
Plants 2023, 12(17), 3132; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12173132 - 31 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 899
Abstract
Although jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) has been cultivated for years, information on its N requirements is limited. A 6-year study of mature jojoba plants grown under field conditions with an intensive management regime evaluated the effect of N application rate on plant [...] Read more.
Although jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) has been cultivated for years, information on its N requirements is limited. A 6-year study of mature jojoba plants grown under field conditions with an intensive management regime evaluated the effect of N application rate on plant nutrient status, growth, and productivity, and nitrate accumulation in the soil. Five levels of N application were tested: 50, 150, 250, 370, and 500 kg N ha−1. Fertilizers were provided throughout the growing season via a subsurface drip irrigation system. Leaf N concentration, in both spring and summer, reflected the level of N applied. A diagnostic leaf (youngest leaf that has reached full size) concentration of 1.3% N was identified as the threshold for N deficiency. Increasing rates of N application resulted in higher P levels in young leaves. Plant K status, as reflected in the leaf analysis, was not affected by N treatment but was strongly affected by fruit load. Vegetative growth was inhibited when only 50 kg N ha−1 was applied. Soil analysis at the end of the fertilization season showed substantial accumulation of nitrate for the two highest application rates. Considering productivity, N costs, and environmental risk, 150 kg N ha−1 is the recommended dosage for intensively grown jojoba. N deficiencies can be identified using leaf analysis, and excess N can be detected via soil sampling toward the end of the growing season. These results and tools will facilitate precise N fertilization in intensive jojoba plantations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Nitrogen in Plant Growth and Development)
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23 pages, 4219 KiB  
Article
Physiological and Morphological Responses of Blackberry Seedlings to Different Nitrogen Forms
by Yongkang Duan, Haiyan Yang, Hao Yang, Zhiwen Wei, Jilu Che, Wenlong Wu, Lianfei Lyu and Weilin Li
Plants 2023, 12(7), 1480; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12071480 - 28 Mar 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2547
Abstract
Blackberries are an emerging third-generation fruit that are popular in Europe, and specific nitrogen (N) supply is an important factor affecting their growth and development. To study the optimal N fertilizer for blackberry seedlings, no N (CK), nitrate (NO3)–N, ammonium [...] Read more.
Blackberries are an emerging third-generation fruit that are popular in Europe, and specific nitrogen (N) supply is an important factor affecting their growth and development. To study the optimal N fertilizer for blackberry seedlings, no N (CK), nitrate (NO3)–N, ammonium (NH4+)–N and urea were applied to one-year-old ‘Ningzhi 4’ blackberry plants at a key growth period (from May to August) to explore the effects of different N forms on the physiological characteristics. Correlation and principal component analysis were used to determine the relationships between various indexes. Ammonium (NH4+) or urea-fed plants had a better growth state, showed a greater plant height, biomass, SPAD values and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities and photosynthesis. In addition, NH4+ was beneficial to the accumulation of sugars and amino acids in leaves and roots, and promoted the transport of auxin and cytokinin to leaves. NO3 significantly inhibited root growth and increased the contents of active oxygen, malondialdehyde and antioxidants in roots. Correlation and principal component analysis showed that growth and dry matter accumulation were closely related to the antioxidant system, photosynthetic characteristics, amino acids and hormone content. Our study provides a new idea for N regulation mechanism of blackberry and proposes a scientific fertilization strategy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Nitrogen in Plant Growth and Development)
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: The N economy of strange plants
Authors: Louis Irving
Affiliation: School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8577, Japan

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