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Mineral Nutrition and Plant Abiotic Stress Resistance
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Mineral Nutrition and Plant Abiotic Stress Resistance

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Response to Abiotic Stress and Climate Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 February 2022) | Viewed by 56210

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Barbara Hawrylak-Nowak

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Guest Editor
Unit of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, Faculty of Environmental Biology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 15, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Interests: plant physiology; mineral nutrition; stress response and resistance; trace elements; plant ecophysiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Renata Matraszek-Gawron

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 15 Akademicka Street, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Interests: plant physiology; mineral nutrition; abiotic stress tolerance; trace metals; biological active compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Sławomir Dresler

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Plant Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Science, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Akademicka 13 st. 20-033 Lublin, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
Interests: plant physiology; secondary metabolites; plant environmental stress physiology; metal phytotoxicity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the era of the current climate change and the rapid increase in food demand for the ever-growing human population, there is a serious problem with the provision of so-called food safety. Both insufficient crop production and the frequently poor nutritional value of food have become vital global concerns affecting billions of people worldwide. However, it seems that there is a growing belief that various agronomic treatments and new technologies can prevent the consequences of the warming climate and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. Along with global warming, many abiotic stress factors that threaten the sustainability of agriculture and ecosystems are seemingly intensifying. Therefore, over the last few decades, abiotic stresses have become an important topic of concern for plant scientists. To survive time-bound or chronic unfavourable environmental changes, plants must possess some resistance and tolerance mechanisms at the cellular, organ, and whole organism levels. Their proper functioning largely depends on adequate mineral nutrition. It is well known that essential nutrients play specific and crucial roles in normal plant growth, development, and stress resistance. Sometimes, an elevated concentration of nutrients in the substrate/plant tissues positively modifies plants’ responses to stress and simultaneously increases their nutritional value. Similarly, some beneficial elements (especially Si and Se) used at low concentrations can positively influence plant metabolism and contribute to increased resistance to detrimental environmental changes. For this reason, a large number of elements in their various chemical forms have been examined as enhancers of plant abiotic stress resistance, including essential and beneficial elements. Some of them have a very promising potential to increase the quantity and quality of yield under stress.

Since the response of plants to various abiotic factors is multifaceted at physiological, biochemical, and genetic levels, the influence of mineral elements on many aspects of plant biology can be considered. This Special Issue aims to highlight new developments in our understanding of how mineral nutrition and the mineral status of plants contribute to their resistance to different environmental stresses.

Contributions to this Special Issue are invited from all scientists dealing with plant biology, including molecular biology, plant physiology, crop breeding, and environment/ecological perspectives. We hope these articles will bring this subject to the attention of a wide range of readers, not only scientists but also experts and practitioners.

Dr. Barbara Hawrylak-Nowak
Dr. Renata Matraszek-Gawron
Dr. Sławomir Dresler
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. 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

  • Beneficial elements
  • Drought
  • Macronutrients
  • Malnutrition
  • Mechanical damage
  • Micronutrients
  • Nutrient mobility and translocation
  • Nutritional value of crops
  • Oxidative stress
  • Plant mineral status
  • Salt stress
  • Stress resistance
  • Thermal stress
  • Trace elements
  • Trace metal/metalloid stress
  • UV stress
  • Xenobiotics.

Published Papers (17 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 3051 KiB  
Article
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis Differentially Affects the Nutritional Status of Two Durum Wheat Genotypes under Drought Conditions
by Valentina Fiorilli, Moez Maghrebi, Mara Novero, Cristina Votta, Teresa Mazzarella, Beatrice Buffoni, Stefania Astolfi and Gianpiero Vigani
Plants 2022, 11(6), 804; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11060804 - 17 Mar 2022
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2799
Abstract
Durum wheat is one of the most important agricultural crops, currently providing 18% of the daily intake of calories and 20% of daily protein intake for humans. However, being wheat that is cultivated in arid and semiarid areas, its productivity is threatened by [...] Read more.
Durum wheat is one of the most important agricultural crops, currently providing 18% of the daily intake of calories and 20% of daily protein intake for humans. However, being wheat that is cultivated in arid and semiarid areas, its productivity is threatened by drought stress, which is being exacerbated by climate change. Therefore, the identification of drought tolerant wheat genotypes is critical for increasing grain yield and also improving the capability of crops to uptake and assimilate nutrients, which are seriously affected by drought. This work aimed to determine the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on plant growth under normal and limited water availability in two durum wheat genotypes (Svevo and Etrusco). Furthermore, we investigated how the plant nutritional status responds to drought stress. We found that the response of Svevo and Etrusco to drought stress was differentially affected by AMF. Interestingly, we revealed that AMF positively affected sulfur homeostasis under drought conditions, mainly in the Svevo cultivar. The results provide a valuable indication that the identification of drought tolerant plants cannot ignore their nutrient use efficiency or the impact of other biotic soil components (i.e., AMF). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineral Nutrition and Plant Abiotic Stress Resistance)
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12 pages, 1966 KiB  
Article
Investigating Nutrient Supply Effects on Plant Growth and Seed Nutrient Content in Common Bean
by Millicent R. Smith, Barbara Elias Reis Hodecker, David Fuentes and Andrew Merchant
Plants 2022, 11(6), 737; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11060737 - 10 Mar 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3028
Abstract
Low soil fertility commonly limits growth and yield production of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in tropical regions. Impacts of nutrient limitations on production volume are well studied and are a major factor in reducing crop yields. This study characterised the impact [...] Read more.
Low soil fertility commonly limits growth and yield production of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in tropical regions. Impacts of nutrient limitations on production volume are well studied and are a major factor in reducing crop yields. This study characterised the impact of reduced nutrient supply on carbon assimilation and nutrient content of leaf, phloem sap and reproductive tissues of common bean grown in a controlled environment in order to detect chemical markers for changes in nutritional content. Leaf gas exchange measurements were undertaken over plant development to characterise changes to carbon assimilation under reduced nutrient supply. Samples of leaf, phloem sap and pod tissue of common bean were analysed for carbon isotope discrimination, mineral nutrient content, and amino acid concentration. Despite declines in nutrient availability leading to decreased carbon assimilation and reductions in yield, amino acid concentration was maintained in the pod tissue. Common bean can maintain the nutritional content of individual pods under varying nutrient availabilities demonstrating the resilience of processes determining the viability of reproductive tissues. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineral Nutrition and Plant Abiotic Stress Resistance)
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14 pages, 1257 KiB  
Article
Effects of Low-Temperature Stress during the Anther Differentiation Period on Winter Wheat Photosynthetic Performance and Spike-Setting Characteristics
by Yan Zhang, Lvzhou Liu, Xiang Chen and Jincai Li
Plants 2022, 11(3), 389; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11030389 - 30 Jan 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2564
Abstract
Climate change has caused frequent extreme low-temperature events to threaten global food security. Spring low-temperature stress is one of the major limiting factors for high and stable yields of wheat. We used two wheat varieties differing in spring cold-sensitivity (cold-tolerant variety Yannong 19 [...] Read more.
Climate change has caused frequent extreme low-temperature events to threaten global food security. Spring low-temperature stress is one of the major limiting factors for high and stable yields of wheat. We used two wheat varieties differing in spring cold-sensitivity (cold-tolerant variety Yannong 19 and cold-sensitive variety Xinmai 26) to examine the effects of low-temperature stress during the anther differentiation period on wheat photosynthetic performance and spike-setting characteristics. Low-temperature stress was simulated in a climate box at −2 °C, 0 °C or 2 °C (night) and 15 °C (day) for 24 h, 48 h or 72 h. With the extension of the treatment time and the decrease of temperature, the photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate of wheat leaves gradually decreased. All treatments except −2 °C for 72 h recovered slowly within 7–15 days after treatment. Low-temperature stress greatly reduced grains per spikelet, 1000-grain weight and yield per plant. By analyzing the spikelets in different stalk locations (upper, middle and lower), we found that the number of upper spikelets was significantly less than lower and middle spikelets after low-temperature stress. The sterile grain of upper spikelets (Xinmai 26, for example) can reach 100% at −2 °C for 48 h and 72 h, and the yield loss rate was 90.52% at 2 °C for 24 h, which was much higher than for the lower spikelets (60.73%) and middle spikelets (50.94%). Overall, these findings suggest that low-temperature stress during the anther differentiation period alters the photosynthetic activity involved in the accumulation of dry matter in wheat, which leads to delaying young spike growth, especially for upper spikelets, and ultimately in a decrease in yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineral Nutrition and Plant Abiotic Stress Resistance)
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14 pages, 32890 KiB  
Article
Effects of Irrigation and Fertilization on the Morphophysiological Traits of Populus sibirica Hort. Ex Tausch and Ulmus pumila L. in the Semiarid Steppe Region of Mongolia
by Ser-Oddamba Byambadorj, Byung Bae Park, Jonathan O. Hernandez, Enkhchimeg Tsedensodnom, Otgonsaikhan Byambasuren, Antonio Montagnoli, Donato Chiatante and Batkhuu Nyam-Osor
Plants 2021, 10(11), 2407; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10112407 - 8 Nov 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2183
Abstract
Desertification is impeding the implementation of reforestation efforts in Mongolia. Many of these efforts have been unsuccessful due to a lack of technical knowledge on water and nutrient management strategies, limited financial support, and short-lived rainfall events. We investigated the effects of irrigation [...] Read more.
Desertification is impeding the implementation of reforestation efforts in Mongolia. Many of these efforts have been unsuccessful due to a lack of technical knowledge on water and nutrient management strategies, limited financial support, and short-lived rainfall events. We investigated the effects of irrigation and fertilization on the morphophysiological traits of Populus sibirica Hort. Ex Tausch and Ulmus pumila L. and to suggest irrigation and fertilization strategies for reforestation. Different irrigation and fertilizer treatments were applied: no irrigation, 2 L h−1, 4 L h−1, and 8 L h−1 of water; no fertilizer, 2 L h−1 + NPK, 4 L h−1 + NPK, and 8 L h−1 + NPK; and no compost, 2 L h−1 + compost, 4 L h−1 + compost, and 8 L h−1 + compost. The leaf area (LA) and specific leaf area (SLA) of both species responded positively to 4 and 8 L h−1. Results also showed that the addition of either NPK or compost to 4 or 8 L h−1 irrigation resulted in a higher LA, SLA, and leaf biomass (LB). Total chlorophyll content decreased with irrigation in both species. The same pattern was detected when a higher amount of irrigation was combined with fertilizers. Lastly, we found that both diurnal and seasonal leaf water potential of plants grown in 4 or 8 L h−1 were significantly higher than those of plants grown in control plots. Therefore, 4 or 8 L h−1 with either NPK or compost has shown to be the optimal irrigation and fertilization strategy for the species in an arid and semiarid region of Mongolia. Results should provide us with a better understanding of tree responses to varying amounts of irrigation with or without fertilizer in pursuit of sustainable forest management in arid and semiarid ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineral Nutrition and Plant Abiotic Stress Resistance)
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13 pages, 564 KiB  
Article
Effects of Conventional and Bokashi Hydroponics on Vegetative Growth, Yield and Quality Attributes of Bell Peppers
by René Clarisse Tong, Charles Stephen Whitehead and Olaniyi Amos Fawole
Plants 2021, 10(7), 1281; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10071281 - 24 Jun 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3829
Abstract
Due to consumers’ awareness and concern about nutrition and health in different parts of the world, the adoption of organic hydroponics is increasing. This has led to a search for organic nutrient media. One of the viable nutrient sources for organic hydroponics is [...] Read more.
Due to consumers’ awareness and concern about nutrition and health in different parts of the world, the adoption of organic hydroponics is increasing. This has led to a search for organic nutrient media. One of the viable nutrient sources for organic hydroponics is bokashi compost. The principal objective of this study was to compare the performance of 10% bokashi hydroponics with convention hydroponics for bell pepper production. The different hydroponics influenced vegetative growth parameters largely due to considerable differences in the mineral elements in both hydroponic systems. Stems of conventionally grown plants were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) thicker (10.2 mm) compared to those of the bokashi grown plants (7.3 mm). Conventionally grown plants had significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher photosynthetic performance than bokashi grown plants; normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) (78.80 versus 67.49), soil plant analysis development (SPAD; 73.89 versus 38.43), and quantum yield (QY; 0.64 versus 0.49). Leaf superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the leaves of bokashi grown plants (0.32 units/mg protein) was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) lower than in the leaves of conventionally grown plants (0.37 units/mg protein). This also corresponded to significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher leaf sap content in the conventionally grown plant than bokashi grown plants. Furthermore, conventional hydroponics yielded three-fold greater pepper fruit per plant compared to bokashi. After 14 days of storage at 7 °C and 95% relative humidity, the firmness of both groups declined, especially for the bokashi grown fruit (27.73 shore unit), which was significantly lower compared to conventionally grown fruit (35.65 shore unit). However, there was an increase in carotenoid content in fruit grown in both hydroponic systems after storage. In conclusion, although bell pepper plant was successfully cultivated in bokashi hydroponics, the plant performance, fruit yield and postharvest quality were lower than conventional hydroponics. We believe that this study and its approach will provide future research with baseline information on optimizing media of bokashi hydroponics to produce bell pepper. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineral Nutrition and Plant Abiotic Stress Resistance)
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18 pages, 350 KiB  
Article
Impact of Ambient and Elevated [CO2] in Low Light Levels on Growth, Physiology and Nutrient Uptake of Tropical Perennial Legume Cover Crops
by Virupax C. Baligar, Marshall K. Elson, Zhenli He, Yuncong Li, Arlicelio de Q. Paiva, Alex-Alan F. Almeida and Dario Ahnert
Plants 2021, 10(2), 193; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020193 - 20 Jan 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2002
Abstract
At early stages of establishment of tropical plantation crops, inclusion of legume cover crops could reduce soil degradation due to erosion and nutrient leaching. As understory plants these cover crops receive limited irradiance and can be subjected to elevated CO2 at ground [...] Read more.
At early stages of establishment of tropical plantation crops, inclusion of legume cover crops could reduce soil degradation due to erosion and nutrient leaching. As understory plants these cover crops receive limited irradiance and can be subjected to elevated CO2 at ground level. A glasshouse experiment was undertaken to assess the effects of ambient (450 µmol mol−1) and elevated (700 µmol mol−1) levels of [CO2] on growth, physiological changes and nutrient uptake of six perennial legume cover crops (Perennial Peanut, Ea-Ea, Mucuna, Pigeon pea, Lab lab, Cowpea) under low levels of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD; 100, 200, and 400 µmol m−2 s−1). Overall, total and root dry biomass, total root length, specific leaf area, and relative growth rates were significantly influenced by levels of [CO2] and PPFD and cover crop species. With few exceptions, all the cover crops showed significant effects of [CO2], PPFD, and species on net photosynthesis (PN) and its components, such as stomatal conductance (gs) internal CO2 conc. (Ci), and transpiration (E). Increasing [CO2], from 450 to 700 μmol mol−1 and increasing PPFD from 100 to 400 μmol ּm−2 ּs−1 increased PN. Overall, the levels of [CO2], PPFD and species significantly affected total water use efficiency (WUETOTAL), instantaneous water use efficiency (WUEINST) and intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEINTR). With some exceptions, increasing levels of [CO2] and PPFD increased all the WUE parameters. Interspecific differences were observed with respect to macro-micro nutrient uptake and use efficiency. With a few exceptions, increasing levels of [CO2] from 450 to 700 μmol mol−1 and PPFD from 100 to 400 μmol m−2 s−1 increased nutrient use efficiency (NUE) of all nutrients by cover crop species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineral Nutrition and Plant Abiotic Stress Resistance)
11 pages, 6390 KiB  
Article
Use of Leaves as Bioindicator to Assess Air Pollution Based on Composite Proxy Measure (APTI), Dust Amount and Elemental Concentration of Metals
by Vanda Éva Molnár, Dávid Tőzsér, Szilárd Szabó, Béla Tóthmérész and Edina Simon
Plants 2020, 9(12), 1743; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9121743 - 9 Dec 2020
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 5406
Abstract
Monitoring air pollution and environmental health are crucial to ensure viable cities. We assessed the usefulness of the Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) as a composite index of environmental health. Fine and coarse dust amount and elemental concentrations of Celtis occidentalis and Tilia [...] Read more.
Monitoring air pollution and environmental health are crucial to ensure viable cities. We assessed the usefulness of the Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) as a composite index of environmental health. Fine and coarse dust amount and elemental concentrations of Celtis occidentalis and Tilia × europaea leaves were measured in June and September at three sampling sites (urban, industrial, and rural) in Debrecen city (Hungary) to assess the usefulness of APTI. The correlation between APTI values and dust amount and elemental concentrations was also studied. Fine dust, total chlorophyll, and elemental concentrations were the most sensitive indicators of pollution. Based on the high chlorophyll and low elemental concentration of tree leaves, the rural site was the least disturbed by anthropogenic activities, as expected. We demonstrated that fine and coarse dust amount and elemental concentrations of urban tree leaves are especially useful for urban air quality monitoring. Correlations between APTI and other measured parameters were also found. Both C. occidentalis and T. europaea were sensitive to air pollution based on their APTI values. Thus, the APTI of tree leaves is an especially useful proxy measure of air pollution, as well as environmental health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineral Nutrition and Plant Abiotic Stress Resistance)
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16 pages, 3217 KiB  
Article
Opportunities for Increased Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Wheat for Forage Use
by Nirmal Sharma, Raquel Schneider-Canny, Konstantin Chekhovskiy, Soonil Kwon and Malay C. Saha
Plants 2020, 9(12), 1738; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9121738 - 9 Dec 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2465
Abstract
Wheat is a major cool-season forage crop in the southern United States. The objective of this study is to understand the effect of nitrogen (N) fertilization on wheat biomass yield, quality, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), and nitrogen nutrition index (NNI). The experiments were [...] Read more.
Wheat is a major cool-season forage crop in the southern United States. The objective of this study is to understand the effect of nitrogen (N) fertilization on wheat biomass yield, quality, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), and nitrogen nutrition index (NNI). The experiments were conducted in a greenhouse and a hoop house in a split-plot design, with three replications. Twenty wheat cultivars/lines were evaluated at four N rates (0, 75, 150, and 300 mg N.kg−1 soil) in the greenhouse and (0, 50, 100, and 200 mg N.kg−1 soil) in the hoop house. In general, high-NUE lines had lower crude protein content than the low-NUE lines. None of the cultivars/lines reached a plateau for biomass production or crude protein at the highest N rate. The line × N rate interaction for NUE was not significant in the greenhouse (p = 0.854) but was highly significant in the hoop house (p < 0.001). NNI had a negative correlation with NUE and biomass. NUE had strong positive correlations with shoot biomass and total biomass but low to moderate correlations with root biomass. NUE also had a strong positive correlation with N uptake efficiency. Lines with high NUE can be used in breeding programs to enhance NUE in wheat for forage use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineral Nutrition and Plant Abiotic Stress Resistance)
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21 pages, 3960 KiB  
Article
Desert Soil Microbes as a Mineral Nutrient Acquisition Tool for Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Productivity at Different Moisture Regimes
by Azhar Mahmood Aulakh, Ghulam Qadir, Fayyaz Ul Hassan, Rifat Hayat, Tariq Sultan, Motsim Billah, Manzoor Hussain and Naeem Khan
Plants 2020, 9(12), 1629; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9121629 - 24 Nov 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2447
Abstract
Drought is a major constraint in drylands for crop production. Plant associated microbes can help plants in acquisition of soil nutrients to enhance productivity in stressful conditions. The current study was designed to illuminate the effectiveness of desert rhizobacterial strains on growth and [...] Read more.
Drought is a major constraint in drylands for crop production. Plant associated microbes can help plants in acquisition of soil nutrients to enhance productivity in stressful conditions. The current study was designed to illuminate the effectiveness of desert rhizobacterial strains on growth and net-return of chickpeas grown in pots by using sandy loam soil of Thal Pakistan desert. A total of 125 rhizobacterial strains were isolated, out of which 72 strains were inoculated with chickpeas in the growth chamber for 75 days to screen most efficient isolates. Amongst all, six bacterial strains (two rhizobia and four plant growth promoting rhizobacterial strains) significantly enhanced nodulation and shoot-root length as compared to other treatments. These promising strains were morphologically and biochemically characterized and identified through 16sRNA sequencing. Then, eight consortia of the identified isolates were formulated to evaluate the growth and development of chickpea at three moisture levels (55%, 75% and 95% of field capacity) in a glass house experiment. The trend for best performing consortia in terms of growth and development of chickpea remained T2 at moisture level 1 > T7 at moisture level 2 > T4 at moisture level 3. The present study indicates the vital role of co-inoculated bacterial strains in growth enhancement of chickpea under low moisture availability. It is concluded from the results that the consortium T2 (Mesorhizobium ciceri RZ-11 + Bacillus subtilis RP-01 + Bacillus mojavensis RS-14) can perform best in drought conditions (55% field capacity) and T4 (Mesorhizobium ciceri RZ-11 + Enterobacter Cloacae RP-08 + Providencia vermicola RS-15) can be adopted in irrigated areas (95% field capacity) for maximum productivity of chickpea. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineral Nutrition and Plant Abiotic Stress Resistance)
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13 pages, 2554 KiB  
Article
134Cs Uptake and Growth at Various Cs+ and K+ Levels in Arabidopsis AtKUP7 Mutants
by Marek Šustr, Tereza Doksanská, Barbora Doležalová, Aleš Soukup and Edita Tylová
Plants 2020, 9(11), 1525; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9111525 - 9 Nov 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1682
Abstract
Radiocaesium is a pollutant with a high risk for the environment, agricultural production, and human health. It is mobile in ecosystems and can be taken up by plants via potassium transporters. In this study, we focused on the role of potassium transporter AtKUP7 [...] Read more.
Radiocaesium is a pollutant with a high risk for the environment, agricultural production, and human health. It is mobile in ecosystems and can be taken up by plants via potassium transporters. In this study, we focused on the role of potassium transporter AtKUP7 of the KT/HAK/KUP family in Cs+ and K+ uptake by plants and in plant tolerance to caesium toxicity. We detected that Arabidopsiskup7 mutant accumulates significantly lower amounts of 134Cs in the root (86%) and in the shoot (69%) compared to the wild-type. On the other hand ability of the mutant to grow on media with toxic (100 and 200 µM) concentrations of Cs+ was not changed; moreover its growth was not impaired on low K+. We further investigated another mutant line in AtKUP7 and found that the growth phenotype of the kup7 mutants in K+ deficient conditions is much milder than previously published. Also, their accumulation of K+ in shoots is hindered only by severe potassium shortage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineral Nutrition and Plant Abiotic Stress Resistance)
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17 pages, 2769 KiB  
Article
Integrative Transcriptome and Proteome Analysis Identifies Major Molecular Regulation Pathways Involved in Ramie (Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich) under Nitrogen and Water Co-Limitation
by Jikang Chen, Gang Gao, Ping Chen, Kunmei Chen, Xiaofei Wang, Lianyang Bai, Chunming Yu and Aiguo Zhu
Plants 2020, 9(10), 1267; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9101267 - 25 Sep 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2209
Abstract
Water and N are the most important factors affecting ramie (Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich) growth. In this study, de novo transcriptome assembly and Tandem Mass Tags (TMT) based quantitative proteome analysis of ramie under nitrogen and water co-limitation conditions were performed, and [...] Read more.
Water and N are the most important factors affecting ramie (Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich) growth. In this study, de novo transcriptome assembly and Tandem Mass Tags (TMT) based quantitative proteome analysis of ramie under nitrogen and water co-limitation conditions were performed, and exposed to treatments, including drought and N-deficit (WdNd), proper water but N-deficit (WNd), proper N but drought (WdN), and proper N and water (CK), respectively. A total of 64,848 unigenes (41.92% of total unigenes) were annotated in at least one database, including NCBI non-redundant protein sequences (Nr), Swiss-Prot, Protein family (Pfam), Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG Orthology (KO), and 4268 protein groups were identified. Most significant changes in transcript levels happened under water-limited conditions, but most significant changes in protein level happened under water-limited conditions only with proper N. Poor correlation between differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) was observed in ramie responding to the treatments. DEG/DEP regulation patterns related to major metabolic processes responding to water and N deficiency were analyzed, including photosynthesis, ethylene responding, glycolysis, and nitrogen metabolism. Moreover, 41 DEGs and 61 DEPs involved in regulating adaptation of ramie under water and N stresses were provided in the study, including DEGs/DEPs related to UDP—glucuronosyhransferase (UGT), ATP synthase, and carbonate dehydratase. The strong dependency of N-response of ramie on water conditions at the gene and protein levels was highlighted. Advices for simultaneously improving water and N efficiency in ramie were also provided, especially in breeding N efficient varieties with drought resistance. This study provided extensive new information on the transcriptome, proteome, their correlation, and diversification in ramie responding to water and N co-limitation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineral Nutrition and Plant Abiotic Stress Resistance)
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20 pages, 3465 KiB  
Article
Potassium Application Boosts Photosynthesis and Sorbitol Biosynthesis and Accelerates Cold Acclimation of Common Plantain (Plantago major L.)
by Li-Hsuan Ho, Regina Rode, Maike Siegel, Frank Reinhardt, H. Ekkehard Neuhaus, Jean-Claude Yvin, Sylvain Pluchon, Seyed Abdollah Hosseini and Benjamin Pommerrenig
Plants 2020, 9(10), 1259; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9101259 - 24 Sep 2020
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2872
Abstract
Potassium (K) is essential for the processes critical for plant performance, including photosynthesis, carbon assimilation, and response to stress. K also influences translocation of sugars in the phloem and regulates sucrose metabolism. Several plant species synthesize polyols and transport these sugar alcohols from [...] Read more.
Potassium (K) is essential for the processes critical for plant performance, including photosynthesis, carbon assimilation, and response to stress. K also influences translocation of sugars in the phloem and regulates sucrose metabolism. Several plant species synthesize polyols and transport these sugar alcohols from source to sink tissues. Limited knowledge exists about the involvement of K in the above processes in polyol-translocating plants. We, therefore, studied K effects in Plantago major, a species that accumulates the polyol sorbitol to high concentrations. We grew P. major plants on soil substrate adjusted to low-, medium-, or high-potassium conditions. We found that biomass, seed yield, and leaf tissue K contents increased in a soil K-dependent manner. K gradually increased the photosynthetic efficiency and decreased the non-photochemical quenching. Concomitantly, sorbitol levels and sorbitol to sucrose ratio in leaves and phloem sap increased in a K-dependent manner. K supply also fostered plant cold acclimation. High soil K levels mitigated loss of water from leaves in the cold and supported cold-dependent sugar and sorbitol accumulation. We hypothesize that with increased K nutrition, P. major preferentially channels photosynthesis-derived electrons into sorbitol biosynthesis and that this increased sorbitol is supportive for sink development and as a protective solute, during abiotic stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineral Nutrition and Plant Abiotic Stress Resistance)
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19 pages, 3922 KiB  
Article
Water Shortage Strongly Alters Formation of Calcium Oxalate Druse Crystals and Leaf Traits in Fagopyrum esculentum
by Alenka Gaberščik, Mateja Grašič, Katarina Vogel-Mikuš, Mateja Germ and Aleksandra Golob
Plants 2020, 9(7), 917; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9070917 - 20 Jul 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2877
Abstract
Common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) is a robust plant with high resistance to different environmental constraints. It contains high levels of calcium oxalate (CaOx) druse crystals, although their role remains obscure. The objective was to examine the effects of water shortage on [...] Read more.
Common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) is a robust plant with high resistance to different environmental constraints. It contains high levels of calcium oxalate (CaOx) druse crystals, although their role remains obscure. The objective was to examine the effects of water shortage on plant biomass partition and leaf traits and formation of CaOx druse crystals in common buckwheat. Buckwheat plants were exposed to favorable and reduced water availability for 28 days. The element composition and morphological, biochemical, physiological and optical traits of the leaves, and the plant biomass were investigated under these conditions. Measurements of photochemical efficiency of photosystem II showed undisturbed functioning for buckwheat exposed to water shortage, apparently due to partially closed stomata and more efficient water regulation. Strong relationships were seen between water-related parameters and Ca, Mn and S content, and size and density of CaOx druse crystals. Redundancy analysis revealed the importance of the size of CaOx druse crystals to explain reflection in the UV range. Water shortage resulted in shorter plants with the same leaf mass (i.e., increased mass:height ratio), which, together with denser leaf tissue and higher content of photosynthetic pigments and protective substances, provides an advantage under extreme weather conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineral Nutrition and Plant Abiotic Stress Resistance)
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18 pages, 1144 KiB  
Article
Nutritional Value of Savory Herb (Satureja hortensis L.) and Plant Response to Variable Mineral Nutrition Conditions in Various Phases of Development
by Natalia Skubij, Katarzyna Dzida, Zbigniew Jarosz, Karolina Pitura and Monika Jaroszuk-Sierocińska
Plants 2020, 9(6), 706; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9060706 - 1 Jun 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3201
Abstract
Mineral nutrition and plant ontogeny influence both the physiological balance between nutrients in a plant and determine the proper nutritional status of a plant, which is necessary to realize the yielding potential of a cultivated species. The aim of the present study was [...] Read more.
Mineral nutrition and plant ontogeny influence both the physiological balance between nutrients in a plant and determine the proper nutritional status of a plant, which is necessary to realize the yielding potential of a cultivated species. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of nitrogen doses (0, 4, 8, 12, 16 g N·m−2) and plant development phases (the beginning and full flowering) on the content of macroelements and changes in ionic ratios occurring in the herb of the summer savory cv. ‘Saturn’. The two-factor experiment was carried out in a random-block design with five replications. The mineral nitrogen nutrition applied increased the concentration of total nitrogen and its mineral forms in the plants. There was a change in ion homeostasis in the individual stages of the ontogenesis process, i.e., a higher content of P, K, Ca, and S in the initial flowering phase as well as Mg and Cl in the full flowering phase. The increase in the availability of mineral nitrogen in the soil solution caused a decrease in total sorption capacity, reducing the potential of the soil for saturation with alkaline cations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineral Nutrition and Plant Abiotic Stress Resistance)
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18 pages, 9887 KiB  
Article
NH4+ Toxicity, Which Is Mainly Determined by the High NH4+/K+ Ratio, Is Alleviated by CIPK23 in Arabidopsis
by Sujuan Shi, Fangzheng Xu, Yuqian Ge, Jingjing Mao, Lulu An, Shuaijun Deng, Zia Ullah, Xuefeng Yuan, Guanshan Liu, Haobao Liu and Qian Wang
Plants 2020, 9(4), 501; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9040501 - 14 Apr 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3568
Abstract
Ammonium (NH4+) toxicity is always accompanied by ion imbalances, and NH4+ and potassium (K+) exhibit a competitive correlation in their uptake and transport processes. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the typical leaf chlorosis phenotype in the knockout [...] Read more.
Ammonium (NH4+) toxicity is always accompanied by ion imbalances, and NH4+ and potassium (K+) exhibit a competitive correlation in their uptake and transport processes. In Arabidopsis thaliana, the typical leaf chlorosis phenotype in the knockout mutant of calcineurin B-like interacting protein kinase 23 (CIPK23) is high-NH4+-dependent under low-K+ condition. However, the correlation of K+ and NH4+ in the occurrence of leaf chlorosis in the cipk23 mutant has not been deeply elucidated. Here, a modified hydroponic experimental system with different gradients of NH4+ and K+ was applied. Comparative treatments showed that NH4+ toxicity, which is triggered mainly by the high ratio of NH4+ to K+ (NH4+/K+ ≥ 10:1 for cipk23) but not by the absolute concentrations of the ions, results in leaf chlorosis. Under high NH4+/K+ ratios, CIPK23 is upregulated abundantly in leaves and roots, which efficiently reduces the leaf chlorosis by regulating the contents of NH4+ and K+ in plant shoots, while promoting the elongation of primary and lateral roots. Physiological data were obtained to further confirm the role CIPK23 in alleviating NH4+ toxicity. Taken all together, CIPK23 might function in different tissues to reduce stress-induced NH4+ toxicity associated with high NH4+/K+ ratios by regulating the NH4+–K+ balance in Arabidopsis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineral Nutrition and Plant Abiotic Stress Resistance)
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16 pages, 7947 KiB  
Article
Selenium and Salt Interactions in Black Gram (Vigna mungo L): Ion Uptake, Antioxidant Defense System, and Photochemistry Efficiency
by Muhammad Jawad Hassan, Muhammad Ali Raza, Imran Khan, Tehseen Ahmad Meraj, Mukhtar Ahmed, Ghulam Abbas Shah, Muhammad Ansar, Samrah Afzal Awan, Nanak Khan, Nasir Iqbal, Yan Peng and Zhou Li
Plants 2020, 9(4), 467; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9040467 - 7 Apr 2020
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 4066
Abstract
Salinity is a major abiotic stress which limits crop production, especially under rainfed conditions. Selenium (Se), as an important micronutrient, plays a vital role in mitigating detrimental effects of different abiotic stresses. The objective of this research was to examine the effect of [...] Read more.
Salinity is a major abiotic stress which limits crop production, especially under rainfed conditions. Selenium (Se), as an important micronutrient, plays a vital role in mitigating detrimental effects of different abiotic stresses. The objective of this research was to examine the effect of Se fertilization on black gram (Vigna mungo) under salt stress. Our results showed that salt stress (100 mM NaCl) in leaves significantly induced oxidative damage and caused a decline in relative water content, chlorophyll (Chl), stomatal conductance (gs), photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), sucrose, and reducing sugars. A low dose of Se (1.5 ppm) significantly reduced hydrogen peroxide content, malondialdehyde formation, cell membrane damage, and also improved antioxidative enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione peroxidase under salt stress. Se-treated plants exhibited higher Chl, gs, Fv/Fm, sucrose, and reducing sugars than untreated plants in response to salt stress. In addition, Se application enhanced Se uptake and reduced Na+ uptake, but Cl− remained unaffected. Our results indicated that a low dose of Se effectively alleviated salt damage via inhibition of Na+ uptake and enhanced antioxidant defense resulting in a significant decrease in oxidative damage, and maintained gaseous exchange and PS II function for sucrose and reducing sugars accumulation in black gram. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineral Nutrition and Plant Abiotic Stress Resistance)
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22 pages, 4753 KiB  
Article
High Nitrogen Enhance Drought Tolerance in Cotton through Antioxidant Enzymatic Activities, Nitrogen Metabolism and Osmotic Adjustment
by Asif Iqbal, Qiang Dong, Xiangru Wang, Huiping Gui, Hengheng Zhang, Xiling Zhang and Meizhen Song
Plants 2020, 9(2), 178; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9020178 - 1 Feb 2020
Cited by 59 | Viewed by 6091
Abstract
Drought is one of the most important abiotic stresses and hampers many plant physiological processes under suboptimal nitrogen (N) concentration. Seedling tolerance to drought stress is very important for optimum growth and development, however, the enhancement of plant stress tolerance through N application [...] Read more.
Drought is one of the most important abiotic stresses and hampers many plant physiological processes under suboptimal nitrogen (N) concentration. Seedling tolerance to drought stress is very important for optimum growth and development, however, the enhancement of plant stress tolerance through N application in cotton is not fully understood. Therefore, this study investigates the role of high N concentration in enhancing drought stress tolerance in cotton. A hydroponic experiment supplying low (0.25 mM) and high (5 mM) N concentrations, followed by 150 g L−1 polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced stress was conducted in a growth chamber. PEG-induced drought stress inhibited seedling growth, led to oxidative stress from excessive malondialdehyde (MDA) generation, and reduced N metabolism. High N concentrations alleviated oxidative damage and stomatal limitation by increasing antioxidant enzymatic activities, leaf relative water content, and photosynthesis in cotton seedlings under drought stress. The results revealed that the ameliorative effects of high N concentration may be ascribed to the enhancement of N metabolizing enzymes and an increase in the amounts of osmoprotectants like free amino acids and total soluble protein. The present data suggest that relatively high N concentrations may contribute to drought stress tolerance in cotton through N metabolism, antioxidant capacity, and osmotic adjustment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineral Nutrition and Plant Abiotic Stress Resistance)
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