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Advances in Nitrogen Nutrition in Plants
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Advances in Nitrogen Nutrition in Plants

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2025 | Viewed by 1883

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Takuji Ohyama

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Biochemistry in Plant Productivity, Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo 156-8502, Japan
Interests: nitrogen fixation; nitrogen metabolism; nitrogen transport; soybean; fertilizer application technology; 15N isotope; roots; seed production; sustainable agriculture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nitrogen is an essential major element for all living things because N is a constituent element in amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids, and other important biomolecules. Animals, including humans, cannot assimilate the inorganic N compounds, so they depend on the organic nitrogen compounds originally assimilated by plants.

Most terrestrial plants absorb nitrate or ammonium in soils, but the availability of N often restricts plant growth and crop yield. Plants cannot fix atmospheric N2 by themselves, but some plants can use N2 fixed by nitrogen-fixing symbiotic bacteria. An understanding of the processes of N absorption, transport, and assimilation in plants is fundamental to improving plant characteristics and agricultural practices to increase crop yield and quality. Much remains to be discovered in the field of N nutrition in plants, such as the sensing of N, regulation of N uptake, transport, and assimilation, etc. This Special Issue of Plants will highlight the recent advances in N nutrition in plants, including N absorption, assimilation, transport, and protein synthesis in sink organs. We welcome original and review articles from the basic to applied sciences on N nutrition in plants.

Prof. Dr. Takuji Ohyama
Guest Editor

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. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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.

Keywords

  • nitrogen nutrition
  • plants
  • N absorption
  • N assimilation
  • N transport
  • N utilization
  • physiology
  • metabolism
  • genetics
  • N fertilizer

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

28 pages, 3031 KiB  
Article
Multivariate Analysis of Root Architecture, Morpho-Physiological, and Biochemical Traits Reveals Higher Nitrogen Use Efficiency Heterosis in Maize Hybrids During Early Vegetative Growth
by Muhammad Faheem Jan, Ming Li, Changzhuang Liu, Waqas Liaqat, Muhammad Tanveer Altaf, Celaleddin Barutçular and Faheem Shehzad Baloch
Plants 2025, 14(3), 399; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14030399 - 29 Jan 2025
Viewed by 402
Abstract
Maize (Zea mays L.) is a globally significant crop with high economic and nutritional importance. Its productivity, however, relies heavily on nitrogen (N) inputs, often resulting in low nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Enhancing NUE necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the biochemical and [...] Read more.
Maize (Zea mays L.) is a globally significant crop with high economic and nutritional importance. Its productivity, however, relies heavily on nitrogen (N) inputs, often resulting in low nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Enhancing NUE necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the biochemical and physiological mechanisms driving N uptake and utilization. The study evaluated the NUE heterosis of 7 inbred lines and their 12 hybrids under low and high N conditions during early vegetative growth. Significant genotypic variations across traits were analyzed using analysis of variance, principal component analysis, correlation, regression, and structural equation modeling. The key contributors to genetic variation included shoot dry weight, N accumulation, and NUE. Hybrids demonstrated enhanced root architecture, superior enzymatic activities of nitrate reductase (NR) and glutamine synthetase (GS), and improved morphological traits, photosynthetic efficiency, and N accumulation, resulting in greater biomass production, N accumulation, and NUE compared to inbred lines. Among hybrids, Zheng58 × PH4CV exhibited the highest NUE, driven by efficient N uptake, robust enzymatic activity, and substantial N accumulation. Nitrogen uptake efficiency (NUpE) correlated strongly with root traits such as activity (r = 0.80 ***), length (r = 0.73 ***), surface area (r = 0.67 ***), GS activity (r = 0.84 ***), and dry weight (r = 0.92). Similarly, nitrogen utilization efficiency (NutE) was positively correlated with shoot NR activity (r = 0.90 ***), shoot GS activity (r = 0.56 ***), leaf area (r = 0.73 ***), shoot dry weight (r = 0.82 ***), and shoot N accumulation (r = 0.55 ***), particularly under high N conditions. Based on key traits such as shoot dry weight, N accumulation, and NUE, hybrids Zheng58 × PH4CV, 444 × PH4CV, 444 × MO17, and B73 × MO17 emerged as N-efficient genotypes, confirmed by contrasting root systems, enhanced N metabolism, and superior NUE. These findings reveal the pivotal roles of root architecture and N metabolism in optimizing NUE, emphasizing the biochemical and physiological traits crucial for developing highly N-efficient maize hybrids. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nitrogen Nutrition in Plants)
18 pages, 964 KiB  
Article
Effects of Source on the Nitrogen Uptake, Allocation Patterns, and Performance of Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.): A 15N-Tracer Study
by Sirajo Salisu Jibia, Kanokwan Panjama, Chaiartid Inkham, Takashi Sato, Norikuni Ohtake and Soraya Ruamrungsri
Plants 2025, 14(2), 265; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14020265 - 18 Jan 2025
Viewed by 495
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) is an essential determinant of strawberry growth and productivity. However, plants exhibit varying preferences for sources of nitrogen, which ultimately affects its use efficiency. Thus, it is imperative to determine the preferred N source for the optimization of indoor strawberry production. [...] Read more.
Nitrogen (N) is an essential determinant of strawberry growth and productivity. However, plants exhibit varying preferences for sources of nitrogen, which ultimately affects its use efficiency. Thus, it is imperative to determine the preferred N source for the optimization of indoor strawberry production. This study employed the 15N-tracer technique to investigate the effects of N sources on N uptake, distribution, and use efficiency, as well as the plants’ growth, for ‘Praratchatan 80’ strawberries in a greenhouse. Five treatments were applied: T1 (5.0 mM 15NO3−), T2 (2.5 mM 15NO3− + 2.5 mM NH4+), T3 (5.0 mM 15NH4+), T4 (2.5 mM 15NH4+ + 2.5 mM NO3−), and T5 (N-free, control) in a completely randomized design. Significant (p < 0.05) differences were observed in N uptake and distribution and total N concentration among the treatments. Sole NH4+ promoted early N uptake and accelerated flowering, while NO3− enhanced vegetative growth and later-stage nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). The application of combined NO3− and NH4+ was most efficacious, balancing the benefits of both N forms. NO3− treatment enhanced 15NUE by 46% compared to NH4+, and mixed N sources demonstrated superior and consistent 15NUE over time. NH4+, alone or with NO3−, expedited flowering by 20 days compared to sole NO3− and N-free treatments. This study elucidates the importance of the sources of N in optimizing strawberry growth and flowering, providing a foundation for developing tailored N-management strategies. Future research should focus on refining mixed N application ratios and timings, exploring molecular mechanisms of N metabolism, and evaluating long-term impacts on strawberry production sustainability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nitrogen Nutrition in Plants)
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19 pages, 3084 KiB  
Article
Interactive Effects of LED Spectrum and Nitrogen Levels on Physiological Changes and Yield of Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.)
by Sirajo Salisu Jibia, Kanokwan Panjama, Chaiartid Inkham, Takashi Sato, Norikuni Ohtake and Soraya Ruamrungsri
Plants 2025, 14(1), 89; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14010089 - 31 Dec 2024
Viewed by 599
Abstract
Strawberries are valued globally for their nutritional, aesthetic, and economic benefits. Optimizing blue-to-red LED ratios and nitrogen levels is essential for sustainable indoor strawberry cultivation. This factorial study investigated the effects of blue and red LED combination ratios (L1; 1:3, L2; 1:4, and [...] Read more.
Strawberries are valued globally for their nutritional, aesthetic, and economic benefits. Optimizing blue-to-red LED ratios and nitrogen levels is essential for sustainable indoor strawberry cultivation. This factorial study investigated the effects of blue and red LED combination ratios (L1; 1:3, L2; 1:4, and L3; 1:6) and nitrogen levels (N1; 100 and N2; 200 mg/L) on the physiology and performance of strawberries in a plant factory. The results revealed that the interaction of L3 coupled with N2 maximized the vegetative growth of strawberry plants, whereas L2 and N2 produced the greatest biomass, while L2 interacted with N1 to expedite flowering. Photosynthesis and transpiration were enhanced by L3, particularly with 100 mg/L of nitrogen. The highest fruit yield and total soluble solids were obtained at the interaction of L3 and N1. Leaf nutrient analysis showed the highest nitrogen concentration at L1, while potassium increased with higher red LED ratios. The 100 mg/L nitrogen treatment resulted in higher leaf potassium concentrations than the 200 mg/L. These findings emphasize that LED spectra and nitrogen levels interact to optimize the physiology, vegetative and reproductive growth, maximizing fruit yield and quality in indoor strawberry cultivation. The study also concludes that the application of blue and red LED in the ratio of 1:6 with 100 mg/L nitrogen can improve indoor ‘Praratchatan 80’ strawberry performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nitrogen Nutrition in Plants)
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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.

Nitrogen is an essential major element for all living things because N is a constituent element in amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids, and other important biomolecules. Animals, including humans, cannot assimilate the inorganic N compounds, so they depend on the organic nitrogen compounds originally assimilated by plants.

Most terrestrial plants absorb nitrate or ammonium in soils, but the availability of N often restricts plant growth and crop yield. Plants cannot fix atmospheric N2 by themselves, but some plants can use N2 fixed by nitrogen-fixing symbiotic bacteria. An understanding of the processes of N absorption, transport, and assimilation in plants is fundamental to improving plant characteristics and agricultural practices to increase crop yield and quality. Much remains to be discovered in the field of N nutrition in plants, such as the sensing of N, regulation of N uptake, transport, and assimilation, etc. We will highlight the recent advances in N nutrition in plants, including N absorption, assimilation, transport, and protein synthesis in sink organs. We welcome original and review articles from the basic to applied sciences on N nutrition in plants.

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