Unraveling the Mechanisms of Zn Efficiency in Crop Plants: From Lab to Field Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 October 2021) | Viewed by 34455

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Special Issue Editor

Biological Sciences Department, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL 32307, USA
Interests: zinc; seed phenotyping traits; plant growth nutrition for food production; STEM bio education; predictive phenomics; protein, oil

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Agricultural sustainability in the time of growing world population will be one of the major challenges in the next 30 years. Zinc is one of the most important essential mineral nutrients required for metabolic processes, so a shortage of zinc constrains crop yield and quality. Zinc efficiency and higher growth and yield under low zinc supply make it a promising sustainable solution for developing crop genotypes that are zinc-efficient. Crop plants can adopt various zinc efficiency strategies and mechanisms, including but not limited to zinc availability in soils, root uptake transport, translocation, utilization, and gene expression. Many researchers have put efforts into elucidating zinc efficiency mechanisms and discovering genes that confer tolerance to low-zinc stress. However, despite the significant progresses achieved, there are still challenges and open questions in this field.

The aim of this Special Issue is to bring together recent advancements and research contributions on crop plants in understanding current and future mechanisms of zinc efficiency in order to open up a new door to further research from lab to field in this important area.

The recommended scope of this Special Issue encompasses but is not limited to the following areas:

  • Phenotyping/phenomics of zinc efficiency;
  • Zinc use efficiency (rice, wheat, chickpea, beans, soybean, maize, or other crops);
  • Mycorrhizae, root growth/architecture, ligands, transport/uptake and zinc efficiency;
  • Protemomics/protein profile changes of zinc efficiency;
  • Genotype x environment of zinc efficiency;
  • Transcriptome and molecular mechanisms of zinc efficiency;
  • Zinc efficiency genes and QTL studies in crop plants (rice, wheat, beans, chickpea, soybean, maize, mustard, or other crops);
  • Zinc efficiency effect on phloem loading and seed zinc content;
  • Genetic variation and sustainable agriculture of zinc efficiency;
  • Cellular mechanisms and homeostasis of zinc efficiency;
  • Other strategies for enhancing zinc efficiency (e.g., biosensors).

Prof. Dr. Gokhan Hacisalihoglu
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Zinc efficiency
  • Zinc efficiency phenotyping
  • Zinc transporters in zinc efficiency
  • Root architecture in zinc efficiency
  • Cellular zinc efficiency mechanisms
  • Sustainability in zinc efficiency
  • Genetic variation in zinc efficiency
  • Zinc efficiency gene(s)
  • Protein profile changes in zinc efficiency

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 167 KiB  
Editorial
Unraveling the Mechanisms of Zinc Efficiency in Crop Plants: From Lab to Field Applications
by Gokhan Hacisalihoglu
Plants 2022, 11(2), 177; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11020177 - 11 Jan 2022
Viewed by 1020
Abstract
Global food security and sustainability in the time of pandemics (COVID-19) and a growing world population are important challenges that will require optimized crop productivity under the anticipated effects of climate change [...] Full article

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

12 pages, 2742 KiB  
Article
Flax and Sorghum: Multi-Element Contents and Nutritional Values within 210 Varieties and Potential Selection for Future Climates to Sustain Food Security
by Gokhan Hacisalihoglu and Paul R. Armstrong
Plants 2022, 11(3), 451; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11030451 - 06 Feb 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2588
Abstract
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends giving priority to nutrient-dense foods while decreasing energy-dense foods. Although both flax (Linum usitatissimum) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) are rich in various essential minerals, their ionomes have yet to be investigated. Furthermore, previous [...] Read more.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends giving priority to nutrient-dense foods while decreasing energy-dense foods. Although both flax (Linum usitatissimum) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) are rich in various essential minerals, their ionomes have yet to be investigated. Furthermore, previous studies have shown that elevated CO2 levels could reduce key nutrients in crops. In this study, we analyzed 102 flax and 108 sorghum varieties to investigate their ionomic variations (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Zn, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Mo), elemental level interactions, and nutritional value. The results showed substantial genetic variations and elemental correlations in flax and sorghum. While a serving size of 28 g of flax delivers 37% daily value (DV) of Cu, 31% of Mn, 28% of Mg, and 19% of Zn, sorghum delivers 24% of Mn, 16% of Cu, 11% of Mg, and 10% of Zn of the recommended daily value (DV). We identified a set of promising flax and sorghum varieties with superior seed mineral composition that could complement breeding programs for improving the nutritional quality of flax and sorghum. Overall, we demonstrate additional minerals data and their corresponding health and food security benefits within flax and sorghum that could be considered by consumers and breeding programs to facilitate improving seed nutritional content and to help mitigate human malnutrition as well as the effects of rising CO2 stress. Full article
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19 pages, 950 KiB  
Article
Beneficial Effect of Root or Foliar Silicon Applied to Cucumber Plants under Different Zinc Nutritional Statuses
by José María Lozano-González, Clara Valverde, Carlos David Hernández, Alexandra Martin-Esquinas and Lourdes Hernández-Apaolaza
Plants 2021, 10(12), 2602; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10122602 - 27 Nov 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1796
Abstract
Zinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient involved in a large variety of physiological processes, and its deficiency causes mainly growth and development disturbances, as well as oxidative stress, which results in the overproduction and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). A possible environmentally [...] Read more.
Zinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient involved in a large variety of physiological processes, and its deficiency causes mainly growth and development disturbances, as well as oxidative stress, which results in the overproduction and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). A possible environmentally friendly solution is the application of silicon (Si), an element that has shown beneficial effects under abiotic and biotic stresses on many crops. Si could be applied through the roots or leaves. The aim of this work is to study the effect of Si applied to the root or shoot in cucumber plants under different Zn statuses (sufficiency, deficiency, and re-fertilization). Cucumber plants were grown in hydroponics, with 1.5 mM Si applied at the nutrient solution or sprayed on the leaves. During the different Zn statuses, SPAD index, fresh weight, ROS, and Si, Zn, P, Cu and B mineral concentration were determined. The results suggested that Si application had no effect during sufficiency and deficiency periods, however, during re-fertilization foliar application of Si, it showed faster improvement in SPAD index, better increment of fresh weight, and a decrease in ROS quantity, probably due to a memory effect promoted by Si previous application during the growing period. In summary, Si application to cucumber plants could be used to prepare plants to cope with a future stress situation, such as Zn deficiency, due to its prompt recovery after overcoming the stress period. Full article
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25 pages, 4608 KiB  
Article
Zinc Plant Uptake as Result of Edaphic Factors Acting
by Vyacheslav Sergeevich Anisimov, Lydia Nikolaevna Anisimova and Andrey Ivanovich Sanzharov
Plants 2021, 10(11), 2496; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10112496 - 18 Nov 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1451
Abstract
The influence of soil characteristics on the lability and bioavailability of zinc at both background and phytotoxic concentrations in Albic Retisol soil (Loamic, Ochric) was studied using various methods. Ranges of insufficient, non-phytotoxic, and phytotoxic zinc concentrations in soil solutions were established in [...] Read more.
The influence of soil characteristics on the lability and bioavailability of zinc at both background and phytotoxic concentrations in Albic Retisol soil (Loamic, Ochric) was studied using various methods. Ranges of insufficient, non-phytotoxic, and phytotoxic zinc concentrations in soil solutions were established in an experiment with an aqueous barley culture. It was experimentally revealed that for a wide range of non-toxic concentrations of Zn in the soil corresponding to the indicative type of plant response, there was constancy of the concentration ratio (CR) and concentration factor (CF) migration parameters. As a result, a new method for assessing the buffer capacity of soils with respect to Zn (PBCZn) is proposed. The transformation processes of the chemical forms and root uptake of native (natural) zinc contained in the Albic Retisol (Loamic, Ochric) through the aqueous culture of barley were studied using a cyclic lysimetric installation and radioactive 65Zn tracer. The distribution patterns of Zn(65Zn) between different forms (chemical fractions) in the soil were established using the sequential fractionation scheme of BCR. The coefficients of distribution and concentration factors of natural Zn and 65Zn, as well as accumulation and removal of the metal by plants were estimated. The values of the enrichment factor of natural (stable) Zn contained in sequentially extracted chemical fractions with the 65Zn radioisotope were determined and the amount of the pool of labile zinc compounds in the studied soil was calculated. Full article
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16 pages, 2014 KiB  
Article
Combined Selenium and Zinc Biofortification of Bread-Making Wheat under Mediterranean Conditions
by Dolores Reynolds-Marzal, Angelica Rivera-Martin, Oscar Santamaria and Maria J. Poblaciones
Plants 2021, 10(6), 1209; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10061209 - 14 Jun 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1868
Abstract
Millions of people worldwide have an inadequate intake of selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn), and agronomic biofortification may minimise these problems. To evaluate the efficacy of combined foliar Se and Zn fertilisation in bread making wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), a two-year field [...] Read more.
Millions of people worldwide have an inadequate intake of selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn), and agronomic biofortification may minimise these problems. To evaluate the efficacy of combined foliar Se and Zn fertilisation in bread making wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), a two-year field experiment was established in southern Spain under semi-arid Mediterranean conditions, by following a split-split-plot design. The study year (2017/2018, 2018/2019) was considered as the main-plot factor, soil Zn application (50 kg Zn ha−1, nor Zn) as a subplot factor and foliar application (nor Se, 10 g Se ha−1, 8 kg Zn ha−1, 10 g Se ha−1 + 8 kg Zn ha−1) as a sub-subplot factor. The best treatment to increase both Zn and Se concentration in both straw, 12.3- and 2.7-fold respectively, and grain, 1.3- and 4.3-fold respectively, was the combined foliar application of Zn and Se. This combined Zn and Se application also increased on average the yield of grain, main product of this crop, by almost 7%. Therefore, bread-making wheat seems to be a very suitable crop to be used in biofortification programs with Zn and Se to alleviate their deficiency in both, people when using its grain and livestock when using its straw. Full article
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19 pages, 2033 KiB  
Article
Transcriptional Regulation of Genes Involved in Zinc Uptake, Sequestration and Redistribution Following Foliar Zinc Application to Medicago sativa
by Alessio Cardini, Elisa Pellegrino, Philip J. White, Barbara Mazzolai, Marco C. Mascherpa and Laura Ercoli
Plants 2021, 10(3), 476; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10030476 - 03 Mar 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2433
Abstract
Zinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient for plants and animals, and Zn deficiency is a widespread problem for agricultural production. Although many studies have been performed on biofortification of staple crops with Zn, few studies have focused on forages. Here, the molecular mechanisms [...] Read more.
Zinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient for plants and animals, and Zn deficiency is a widespread problem for agricultural production. Although many studies have been performed on biofortification of staple crops with Zn, few studies have focused on forages. Here, the molecular mechanisms of Zn transport in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) were investigated following foliar Zn applications. Zinc uptake and redistribution between shoot and root were determined following application of six Zn doses to leaves. Twelve putative genes encoding proteins involved in Zn transport (MsZIP1-7, MsZIF1, MsMTP1, MsYSL1, MsHMA4, and MsNAS1) were identified and changes in their expression following Zn application were quantified using newly designed RT-qPCR assays. These assays are the first designed specifically for alfalfa and resulted in being more efficient than the ones already available for Medicago truncatula (i.e., MtZIP1-7 and MtMTP1). Shoot and root Zn concentration was increased following foliar Zn applications ≥ 0.1 mg plant−1. Increased expression of MsZIP2, MsHMA4, and MsNAS1 in shoots, and of MsZIP2 and MsHMA4 in roots was observed with the largest Zn dose (10 mg Zn plant−1). By contrast, MsZIP3 was downregulated in shoots at Zn doses ≥ 0.1 mg plant−1. Three functional gene modules, involved in Zn uptake by cells, vacuolar Zn sequestration, and Zn redistribution within the plant, were identified. These results will inform genetic engineering strategies aimed at increasing the efficiency of crop Zn biofortification. Full article
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13 pages, 4084 KiB  
Article
Biofortification of Silage Maize with Zinc, Iron and Selenium as Affected by Nitrogen Fertilization
by Djordje Grujcic, Atilla Mustafa Yazici, Yusuf Tutus, Ismail Cakmak and Bal Ram Singh
Plants 2021, 10(2), 391; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020391 - 18 Feb 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3491
Abstract
Agronomic biofortification is one of the main strategies for alleviation of micronutrient deficiencies in human populations and promoting sustainable production of food and feed. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of nitrogen (N)fertilization on biofortification of maize crop ( [...] Read more.
Agronomic biofortification is one of the main strategies for alleviation of micronutrient deficiencies in human populations and promoting sustainable production of food and feed. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of nitrogen (N)fertilization on biofortification of maize crop (Zea mays L.) with zinc (Zn), iron (Fe) and selenium (Se) grown on a micronutrient deficient soil under greenhouse conditions. Factorial design experiment was set under greenhouse conditions. The experiment consisted of two levels of each N, Zn, Fe and Se. The levels for N were 125 and 250 mg N kg−1 soil; Zn were 1 and 5 mg Zn kg−1 soil; levels of Fe were 0 and 10 mg Fe kg−1 soil; levels of Se were 0 and 0.02 mg Se kg−1 soil. An additional experiment was also conducted to study the effect of the Zn form applied as a ZnO or ZnSO4 on shoot growth, shoot Zn concentration and total shoot Zn uptake per plant. Shoot Zn concentrations increased by increasing soil Zn application both with ZnSO4 and ZnO treatments, but the shoot Zn concentration and total Zn uptake were much greater with ZnSO4 than the ZnO application. Under given experimental conditions, increasing soil N supply improved shoot N concentration; but had little effect on shoot dry matter production. The concentrations of Zn and Fe in shoots were significantly increased by increasing N application. In case of total uptake of Zn and Fe, the positive effect of N nutrition was more pronounced. Although Se soil treatment had significant effect, N application showed no effect on Se concentration and accumulation in maize shoots. The obtained results show that N fertilization is an effective tool in improving the Zn and Fe status of silage maize and contribute to the better-quality feed. Full article
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11 pages, 1988 KiB  
Article
Lamina Cell Shape and Cell Wall Thickness Are Useful Indicators for Metal Tolerance—An Example in Bryophytes
by Katharina Petschinger, Wolfram Adlassnig, Marko S. Sabovljevic and Ingeborg Lang
Plants 2021, 10(2), 274; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020274 - 31 Jan 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2598
Abstract
Bryophytes are widely used to monitor air quality. Due to the lack of a cuticle, their cells can be compared to the roots of crop plants. This study aimed to test a hypothetical relation between metal tolerance and cell shape in biomonitoring mosses [...] Read more.
Bryophytes are widely used to monitor air quality. Due to the lack of a cuticle, their cells can be compared to the roots of crop plants. This study aimed to test a hypothetical relation between metal tolerance and cell shape in biomonitoring mosses (Hypnum cupressiforme, Pleurozium schreberi, Pseudoscleropodium purum) and metal sensitive species (Physcomitrium patens, Plagiomnium affine). The tolerance experiments were conducted on leafy gametophytes exposed to solutions of ZnSO4, ZnCl2, and FeSO4 in graded concentrations of 1 M to 10−8 M. Plasmolysis in D-mannitol (0.8 M) was used as a viability measure. The selected species differed significantly in lamina cell shape, cell wall thickness, and metal tolerance. In those tested mosses, the lamina cell shape correlated significantly with the heavy metal tolerance, and we found differences for ZnSO4 and ZnCl2. Biomonitoring species with long and thin cells proved more tolerant than species with isodiametric cells. For the latter, “death zones” at intermediate metal concentrations were found upon exposure to ZnSO4. Species with a greater tolerance towards FeSO4 and ZnSO4 had thicker cell walls than less tolerant species. Hence, cell shape as a protoplast-to-wall ratio, in combination with cell wall thickness, could be a good marker for metal tolerance. Full article
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18 pages, 1439 KiB  
Article
Plant Available Zinc Is Influenced by Landscape Position in the Amhara Region, Ethiopia
by Mesfin K. Desta, Martin R. Broadley, Steve P. McGrath, Javier Hernandez-Allica, Kirsty L. Hassall, Samuel Gameda, Tilahun Amede and Stephan M. Haefele
Plants 2021, 10(2), 254; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020254 - 28 Jan 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3114
Abstract
Zinc (Zn) is an important element determining the grain quality of staple food crops and deficient in many Ethiopian soils. However, farming systems are highly variable in Ethiopia due to different soil types and landscape cropping positions. Zinc availability and uptake by plants [...] Read more.
Zinc (Zn) is an important element determining the grain quality of staple food crops and deficient in many Ethiopian soils. However, farming systems are highly variable in Ethiopia due to different soil types and landscape cropping positions. Zinc availability and uptake by plants from soil and fertilizer sources are governed by the retention and release potential of the soil, usually termed as adsorption and desorption, respectively. The aim of this study was to characterize the amount of plant available Zn at different landscape positions. During the 2018/19 cropping season, adsorption-desorption studies were carried out on soil samples collected from on-farm trials conducted at Aba Gerima, Debre Mewi and Markuma in the Amhara Region. In all locations and landscape positions, adsorption and desorption increased with increasing Zn additions. The amount of adsorption and desorption was highly associated with the soil pH, the soil organic carbon concentration and cation exchange capacity, and these factors are linked to landscape positions. The Freundlich isotherm fitted very well to Zn adsorption (r2 0.87–0.99) and desorption (r2 0.92–0.99), while the Langmuir isotherm only fitted to Zn desorption (r2 0.70–0.93). Multiple regression models developed by determining the most influential soil parameters for Zn availability could be used to inform Zn fertilizer management strategies for different locations and landscape positions in this region, and thereby improve plant Zn use efficiency. Full article
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31 pages, 6968 KiB  
Article
Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Iron and Zinc Deficiency in Maize (Zea mays L.)
by Mallana Gowdra Mallikarjuna, Nepolean Thirunavukkarasu, Rinku Sharma, Kaliyugam Shiriga, Firoz Hossain, Jayant S Bhat, Amitha CR Mithra, Soma Sunder Marla, Kanchikeri Math Manjaiah, AR Rao and Hari Shanker Gupta
Plants 2020, 9(12), 1812; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9121812 - 21 Dec 2020
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 4406
Abstract
Globally, one-third of the population is affected by iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) deficiency, which is severe in developing and underdeveloped countries where cereal-based diets predominate. The genetic biofortification approach is the most sustainable and one of the cost-effective ways to address Fe [...] Read more.
Globally, one-third of the population is affected by iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) deficiency, which is severe in developing and underdeveloped countries where cereal-based diets predominate. The genetic biofortification approach is the most sustainable and one of the cost-effective ways to address Fe and Zn malnutrition. Maize is a major source of nutrition in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Latin America. Understanding systems’ biology and the identification of genes involved in Fe and Zn homeostasis facilitate the development of Fe- and Zn-enriched maize. We conducted a genome-wide transcriptome assay in maize inbred SKV616, under –Zn, –Fe and –Fe–Zn stresses. The results revealed the differential expression of several genes related to the mugineic acid pathway, metal transporters, photosynthesis, phytohormone and carbohydrate metabolism. We report here Fe and Zn deficiency-mediated changes in the transcriptome, root length, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and reduced rate of photosynthesis. Furthermore, the presence of multiple regulatory elements and/or the co-factor nature of Fe and Zn in enzymes indicate their association with the differential expression and opposite regulation of several key gene(s). The differentially expressed candidate genes in the present investigation would help in breeding for Fe and Zn efficient and kernel Fe- and Zn-rich maize cultivars through gene editing, transgenics and molecular breeding. Full article
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Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

9 pages, 988 KiB  
Review
Zinc (Zn): The Last Nutrient in the Alphabet and Shedding Light on Zn Efficiency for the Future of Crop Production under Suboptimal Zn
by Gokhan Hacisalihoglu
Plants 2020, 9(11), 1471; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9111471 - 31 Oct 2020
Cited by 83 | Viewed by 8229
Abstract
At a global scale, about three billion people have inadequate zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) nutrition and 500,000 children lose their lives due to this. In recent years, the interest in adopting healthy diets drew increased attention to mineral nutrients, including Zn. Zn [...] Read more.
At a global scale, about three billion people have inadequate zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) nutrition and 500,000 children lose their lives due to this. In recent years, the interest in adopting healthy diets drew increased attention to mineral nutrients, including Zn. Zn is an essential micronutrient for plant growth and development that is involved in several processes, like acting as a cofactor for hundreds of enzymes, chlorophyll biosynthesis, gene expression, signal transduction, and plant defense systems. Many agricultural soils are unable to supply the Zn needs of crop plants, making Zn deficiency a widespread nutritional disorder, particularly in calcareous (pH > 7) soils worldwide. Plant Zn efficiency involves Zn uptake, transport, and utilization; plants with high Zn efficiency display high yield and significant growth under low Zn supply and offer a promising and sustainable solution for the production of many crops, such as rice, beans, wheat, soybeans, and maize. The goal of this review is to report the current knowledge on key Zn efficiency traits including root system uptake, Zn transporters, and shoot Zn utilization. These mechanisms will be valuable for increasing the Zn efficiency of crops and food Zn contents to meet global needs for food production and nutrition in the 21st century. Furthermore, future research will address the target genes underlying Zn efficiency and the optimization of Zn efficiency phenotyping for the development of Zn-efficient crop varieties for more sustainable crop production under suboptimal Zn regimes, as well food security of the future. Full article
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