The Uptake and Transport of Nutrients in Plants

Dear Colleagues,

The study of the uptake and transport of nutrients in plants has a rich history dating back to the 19th century. Gregor Mendel, hailed as the father of genetics, performed revolutionary experiments on pea plants, exploring the inheritance of traits, including nutrient uptake and transport. Stephen Hales, an 18th-century British physiologist and botanist, conducted pioneering studies on plant physiology, investigating water and nutrient transport, notably through sap flow. Justus von Liebig, a German chemist, made substantial contributions to plant nutrition by introducing the Law of the Minimum, which asserts that plant growth is restricted by the availability of the scarcest nutrient. Early experiments using hydroponics revealed the importance of nutrient availability for plant health. Advancements in technology, such as radiotracer techniques and molecular biology tools, deepened our understanding of nutrient absorption and transport mechanisms. The exploration of plant–microbe interactions further expanded our knowledge. Today, interdisciplinary approaches and systems biology techniques continue to contribute to our comprehensive understanding of how plants acquire and distribute nutrients for their growth and development.

The uptake and transport of nutrients in plants are crucial for their survival and development. Plants have a complex regulatory system that allows them to acquire essential nutrients while avoiding toxicity. They have evolved root structures and other adaptations to thrive in nutrient-deficient environments. This Special Issue invites research papers exploring various aspects of nutrient uptake and transport in plants, encompassing both normal and stressful conditions. The studies may also investigate the interactions between plants and microorganisms, assessing their positive or negative effects on nutrient acquisition and utilization. The goal is to deepen our understanding of plant nutrition and its implications for plant health and productivity.

Cutting-edge research in the uptake and transport of nutrients in plants encompasses several areas. Advances in single-cell and spatial omics techniques reveal spatial heterogeneity and regulatory networks in nutrient transport. Molecular investigations of nutrient sensing and signaling pathways provide insights into plant responses to nutrient availability. Understanding plant–microbe interactions, such as mycorrhizal associations, enhances nutrient acquisition. Research on nutrient transporters and channels at the molecular level elucidates their mechanisms and regulation. Systems biology and modeling integrate datasets to simulate nutrient flow. Nanotechnology enables targeted nutrient delivery. Exploring nutrient transport under stress conditions identifies genes and regulatory networks. High-throughput phenotyping assesses nutrient status and acquisition traits. Genetic engineering enhances nutrient uptake. Remote sensing techniques monitor nutrient patterns and deficiencies at a large scale.

The Special Issue invites papers on various themes:

1. Exploring the mechanisms involved in nutrient uptake and distribution within plants;
2. Utilizing genomics, transcriptomics, and/or metabolomics approaches to unravel the regulatory networks associated with nutrient acquisition, assimilation, and distribution in plants;
3. Investigating the evolution of strategies for nutrient uptake and distribution in nutrient-deficient conditions, as well as under biotic and abiotic stress;
4. Examining the symbiotic or antagonistic relationships between plants and microorganisms and their impact on nutrient uptake and transportation processes.

Dr. Debatosh Das
Dr. Soumyadev Sarkar
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• plant nutrition
• nitrogen
• phosphate
• potassium
• iron
• sugars
• lipids
• transporters