Macronutrients and Micronutrients in Plant Growth and Development

Dear Colleagues,

Macronutrients and micronutrients have very important roles in plant growth and development; for example, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are significance for supporting crop production and maintaining food security at the regional and global scale. However, the imbalance and overuse of N and P in agricultural ecosystems have already resulted in soil acidification, greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, eutrophication, no-point source pollution, etc. At present, the substitution of organic fertilizer for chemical fertilizer is regarded as an effective measure to reduce chemical fertilizer application, and organic farms have started springing up in recently years. To the best of my knowledge, there is a relatively high content of micronutrients in animal wastes, e.g., Cu and Zn; thus, the application of animal manure will generate potential effects on soil micronutrient contents and crop uptake. Improving macronutrient and micronutrient use efficiencies and reducing associated pollutant emissions and food security risks by optimizing their management practices are vital goals for the green and low-carbon development of agriculture. However, the impacts of different management strategies on the dynamics of soil macronutrient and micronutrient contents, crop uptake, plant growth and development, N and P, and other macronutrient and micronutrient cycles in agricultural food systems are not well understand.

Dr. Bing Gao
Dr. Chong Zhang
Guest Editors

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