Nitrogen Metabolism: From Plant Cell to Field and Vice Versa

A special issue of Nitrogen (ISSN 2504-3129).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (23 December 2022) | Viewed by 8827

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global demand for crops is increasing rapidly, propelled by an increase in the global population, as are the global environmental impacts of agricultural expansion. Agricultural systems depend crucially on the proper nitrogen (N)—the most applied mineral fertilizer to agricultural land—inputs and management. However, given the enormous energy cost of N fertilizer production, the fact that N forms some of the most mobile compounds in the soil–plant–atmosphere system, and concerns about the environmental cost of N losses in agriculture, it is essential to develop precision farming, innovate and apply slow-release fertilizers and biofertilizers, and practice legume-based rotation. Alternatively, practical strategies to improve the N responsiveness (i.e., N uptake and assimilation efficiencies) of crop plants is vital to attain high yields for global crop demand with minimal environmental impact.

This Special Issue of Nitrogen will include recent insights and research, reviews, methods, and opinion pieces addressing fundamental and applied topics relevant to the N in agricultural soil and N nutrition and metabolism from cells to field testing.

The manuscripts in this Special Issue will provide insights into the principles governing the behavior of N in the soil–plant system, complex interconnections between N and C in soil, plant–environment interactions affecting plant N status, plant N nutrition mediated by root microbiome (plant–microorganism interaction), N transport, N sensing and signaling, and molecular mechanisms of N use in the whole plant system. Additionally, newly emerged CRISPR/Cas systems, high-throughput analytical methods, crop breeding, and high-throughput phenomics and data modelling approaches to assess/monitor the plant N status/responses are welcome.

Dr. Marouane Baslam
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. Nitrogen is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly 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 1000 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
  • nutrient use efficiency
  • -omics
  • plant systems
  • biofertilizers
  • N recycling and sustainability
  • N sensing and signaling
  • plant–microorganism interactions

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 2807 KiB  
Article
Nitrogen Metabolism in Non-Nodulated and Nodulated Soybean Plants Related to Ureide Synthesis
by Takuji Ohyama, Kahori Matsumoto, Haruka Goto, Akihiro Saito and Kyoko Higuchi
Nitrogen 2023, 4(2), 209-222; https://doi.org/10.3390/nitrogen4020014 - 07 May 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1793
Abstract
Soybean plants can fix atmospheric N2 in the root nodule, a symbiotic organ with rhizobia. The primary forms of N transported from N2 fixation are ureides, allantoate, and allantoin, supplemented with asparagine. The nitrate absorbed in the roots is transported to [...] Read more.
Soybean plants can fix atmospheric N2 in the root nodule, a symbiotic organ with rhizobia. The primary forms of N transported from N2 fixation are ureides, allantoate, and allantoin, supplemented with asparagine. The nitrate absorbed in the roots is transported to the shoots in the forms of NO3 and asparagine with a little portion of ureides. The concentrations of N-metabolites were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis after supplying various concentrations of urea, precursors of ureides, and allopurinol, an inhibitor of xanthine dehydrogenase, to investigate the ureide synthesis pathway in the roots. When the non-nodulated soybean plants were treated with 0–5 mM of urea, the concentrations of asparagine and glutamine in the xylem sap and the roots increased remarkably. In addition, allantoate concentration increased with the urea concentrations becoming higher. Allopurinol inhibited the accumulation of allantoate but did not affect the asparagine and glutamine accumulation in roots, stems, leaves, and xylem sap, supporting that allantoate is synthesized by purine degradation in roots the same as in the nodules. When ureide precursors were supplied to the nodulated soybean plants, the concentrations of asparagine and glutamine in the xylem sap and roots increased, suggesting that the ureide precursors were absorbed and assimilated to amides in the roots. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nitrogen Metabolism: From Plant Cell to Field and Vice Versa)
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16 pages, 3787 KiB  
Article
N Absorption, Transport, and Recycling in Nodulated Soybean Plants by Split-Root Experiment Using 15N-Labeled Nitrate
by Maria Doi, Kyoko Higuchi, Akihiro Saito, Takashi Sato and Takuji Ohyama
Nitrogen 2022, 3(4), 636-651; https://doi.org/10.3390/nitrogen3040042 - 05 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2035
Abstract
Nitrate concentration is variable in soils, so the absorbed N from roots in a high-nitrate site is recycled from shoots to the root parts in N-poor niche. In this report, the absorption, transport, and recycling of N derived from 15N-labeled nitrate were [...] Read more.
Nitrate concentration is variable in soils, so the absorbed N from roots in a high-nitrate site is recycled from shoots to the root parts in N-poor niche. In this report, the absorption, transport, and recycling of N derived from 15N-labeled nitrate were investigated with split-root systems of nodulated soybean. The NO3 accumulated in the root in 5 mM NO3 solution; however, it was not detected in the roots and nodules in an N-free pot, indicating that NO3 itself is not recycled from leaves to underground parts. The total amount of 15NO3 absorption from 2 to 4 days of the plant with the N-free opposite half-root accelerated by 40% compared with both half-roots that received NO3. This result might be due to the compensation for the N demand under one half-root could absorb NO3. About 2–3% of the absorbed 15N was recycled to the opposite half-root, irrespective of N-free or NO3 solution, suggesting that N recycling from leaves to the roots was not affected by the presence or absence of NO3. Concentrations of asparagine increased in the half-roots supplied with NO3 but not in N-free half-roots, suggesting that asparagine may not be a systemic signal for N status. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nitrogen Metabolism: From Plant Cell to Field and Vice Versa)
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11 pages, 8696 KiB  
Article
The Pyla-1 Natural Accession of Arabidopsis thaliana Shows Little Nitrate-Induced Plasticity of Root Development
by Silvana Porco, Loïc Haelterman, Jérôme De Pessemier, Hugues De Gernier, Florence Reyé and Christian Hermans
Nitrogen 2022, 3(3), 444-454; https://doi.org/10.3390/nitrogen3030029 - 08 Aug 2022
Viewed by 1618
Abstract
Optimizing root system architecture is a strategy for coping with soil fertility, such as low nitrogen input. An ample number of Arabidopsis thaliana natural accessions have set the foundation for studies on mechanisms that regulate root morphology. This report compares the Columbia-0 (Col-0) [...] Read more.
Optimizing root system architecture is a strategy for coping with soil fertility, such as low nitrogen input. An ample number of Arabidopsis thaliana natural accessions have set the foundation for studies on mechanisms that regulate root morphology. This report compares the Columbia-0 (Col-0) reference and Pyla-1 (Pyl-1) from a coastal zone in France, known for having the tallest sand dune in Europe. Seedlings were grown on vertical agar plates with different nitrate concentrations. The lateral root outgrowth of Col-0 was stimulated under mild depletion and repressed under nitrate enrichment. The Pyl-1 produced a long primary root and any or very few visible lateral roots across the nitrate supplies. This could reflect an adaptation to sandy soil conditions, where the primary root grows downwards to the lower strata to take up water and mobile soil resources without elongating the lateral roots. Microscopic observations revealed similar densities of lateral root primordia in both accessions. The Pyl-1 maintained the ability to initiate lateral root primordia. However, the post-initiation events seemed to be critical in modulating the lateral-root-less phenotype. In Pyl-1, the emergence of primordia through the primary root tissues was slowed, and newly formed lateral roots stayed stunted. In brief, Pyl-1 is a fascinating genotype for studying the nutritional influences on lateral root development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nitrogen Metabolism: From Plant Cell to Field and Vice Versa)
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14 pages, 617 KiB  
Article
Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization on Weed Flora and Productivity of Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] Crop
by Ioanna Kakabouki, Antonios Mavroeidis, Varvara Kouneli, Stella Karydogianni, Antigolena Folina, Vassilios Triantafyllidis, Aspasia Efthimiadou, Ioannis Roussis, Anastasios Zotos, Chariklia Kosma and Nikolaos Katsenios
Nitrogen 2022, 3(2), 284-297; https://doi.org/10.3390/nitrogen3020019 - 10 May 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2345
Abstract
The literature suggests that nitrogen (N) fertilization increases yield in soybean. This study aimed to investigate the effects of N fertilization on: (i) The performance of soybean, and (ii) the weed flora. A two-year field experiment was carried out in Agrinio, Western Greece. [...] Read more.
The literature suggests that nitrogen (N) fertilization increases yield in soybean. This study aimed to investigate the effects of N fertilization on: (i) The performance of soybean, and (ii) the weed flora. A two-year field experiment was carried out in Agrinio, Western Greece. The experiment was set up in a randomized complete block design, with four organic fertilizer treatments and six replications. The four treatments included 0 kg N ha−1 (N0/unfertilized control) and the application of 80 kg N ha−1, 100 kg N ha−1, and 120 kg N ha−1. The application of 120 N kg ha−1 resulted in the most notable increment of plant height (22.6–24%), biomass (10–13%), LAI values (14–17%), and yield (10–12%) compared to the N0. Compared to the N0, total weed biomass was increased by 26–32%, 34–49%, and 55–57% in N80, N100, and N120, respectively. The values of the H (Shannon), Dmg (Margalef), and J (Pielou) indices were unaffected by the fertilization, hence they did not affect weed biodiversity. CRI (crop resistance index), on the contrary, was negatively affected by N fertilization and was significantly reduced. Overall, our results indicate that the application of 80 kg N ha−1 is more efficient, can effectively improve the soybean performance, and enhance its yield. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nitrogen Metabolism: From Plant Cell to Field and Vice Versa)
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