Plant Nutrition
A section of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524).
Section Information
The Plant Nutrition Section publishes original manuscripts of diverse types related to the plant nutrition of horticultural crops including vegetables, fruit trees, spices and aromatic plants, medicinal plants, and ornamental plants in open field and protected cultivation as well as in soilless culture.
Mineral nutrients are essential for plants as building blocks, co-factors of enzymes, and for maintaining ion homeostasis. The availability of several minerals, particularly nitrogen and phosphorous, is frequently a factor limiting plant growth. High productivity of horticultural crops cannot be achieved without a sufficient nutrient supply. However, overfertilization might reduce plant growth, cause accumulation of critical compounds in vegetables and fruits, and have adverse effects on the environment. In addition, some mineral resources are experiencing shortages, particularly phosphorous, highlighting the importance of measures for need-based and resource-efficient fertilization in the future.
To tackle these issues, a detailed understanding of the responses of plants to nutrients and nutrient deficiency at the physiological, metabolic, transcriptomic, and epigenetic levels is essential. In addition, improved understanding of nutrient cycling and the role of mycorrhizal symbiosis for uptake of nutrients is required.
Thus, the Plant Nutrition Section welcomes manuscripts of basic and applied studies on topics including but not limited to:
- Impact of plant nutrition on growth performance, yield, crop quality, and resistance to pests
- Measures for need-based and resource-efficient fertilization
- Shortage of mineral resources and strategies for recovering these minerals from alternative sources
- Novel and improved methods for quantification of nutrients and their metabolites in substrates and plants
- Impact of the supply of minerals on fruit quality
- Regulation of secondary plant metabolism, for instance, biosynthesis of phenolic compounds, pigments, and alkaloids, in response to minerals
- Responses of plants to nutrients and nutrient deficiency at the physiological, metabolic, and transcriptomic levels
- Chromatin modifications in response to plant nutrition
- Uptake mechanisms of minerals
- Nutrient exchange in symbiosis
- Metabolization and metabolic fluxes of nutrients
- Re-localization of nutrients from senescent leaves to young tissues
In particular, Plant Nutrition welcomes contributions by early career researchers and propositions for research topics. In addition, we invite senior scientists to initiate and serve as Guest Editors of new Special Issues on a single and particular theme.
Keywords
- plant nutrition
- fertilization
- macronutrients
- micronutrients
- nitrogen
- phosphorous
- potassium
- sulfur
- magnesium
- calcium
- iron
- fruit and vegetable quality
- primary and secondary metabolism
- chromatin modifications
- hydroponics
- protected cultivation
- vegetables
- ornamentals
- nutrient use efficiency
- uptake of minerals
- mycorrhizal symbiosis
Editorial Board
Topical Advisory Panel
Special Issues
Following special issues within this section are currently open for submissions:
- Sustainable Horticultural Production: Applications of Organic Fertilization and Biofertilizers in Horticultural Cultivation (Deadline: 30 August 2026)
- Innovative Applications of Organic Manures, Biostimulants, and Micronutrients in Sustainable Horticultural Production (Deadline: 30 August 2026)
- Nutrient Dynamics in Horticultural Crops from Absorption to Quality (Deadline: 20 September 2026)
- Practices for Soil and Water Conservation in Horticulture (Deadline: 25 September 2026)
- Effects of Biostimulants on Horticultural Crop Production: 2nd Edition (Deadline: 25 September 2026)
- Advances in Soil and Plant Nutrient Management for Optimizing Horticultural Crop Yields and Soil Sustainability (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Water Demand Regulation Technologies in Horticultural Crop Production (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management for Sustainable and High-Quality Horticultural Production (Deadline: 5 October 2026)
- Effects of Microbial Fertilizers on Yield and Quality of Horticultural Plants (Deadline: 10 October 2026)
- Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi: From Mechanisms to Applications in Horticulture (Deadline: 20 October 2026)
- Sustainable Soil Management for Tea Plantations (Deadline: 20 October 2026)
- Harnessing Beneficial Microbes: Enhancing Nutrient Uptake and Growth in Horticultural Crops (Deadline: 30 October 2026)
- Mineral Nutrition and Nutrient Management in Horticultural Crops: Implications for Yield, Fruit Quality, and Nutrient Dynamics (Deadline: 31 October 2026)
- Advances in Sustainable Cultivation of Horticultural Crops—2nd Edition (Deadline: 31 October 2026)
- Sustainable Soil Improvers for Enhanced Soil Health and Horticultural Systems (Deadline: 25 November 2026)
- The Effect of Biostimulants on Horticultural Plants (Deadline: 4 December 2026)
- Soil Amendments and Organic Management for Horticultural Crops (Deadline: 10 December 2026)
- Nutrient Absorption and Utilization in Horticultural Crops (Deadline: 20 December 2026)
- Sustainable Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management in Horticulture (Deadline: 30 December 2026)
- Precision Nutrient Management in Controlled-Environment Horticulture (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Nutrient Uptake and Efficiency of Horticultural Crops (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Recycling Organic Resources for Sustainable Horticulture (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Integrating Fertilizers and Fungi to Enhance Horticulture Crop Resilience (Deadline: 20 February 2027)
- Sustainable Fertilization Management Consequences to Horticultural Crops: 2nd Edition (Deadline: 15 March 2027)
- Precision Diagnosis, Simulation and Integrated Regulation of Water–Fertilizer–Salt in Horticultural Crops (Deadline: 15 March 2027)
