Plant nitrogen assimilation and use efficiency.
Crop productivity relies heavily on nitrogen (N) fertilization. Production and application of N fertilizers consume huge amounts of energy, and excess is detrimental to the environment; therefore, increasing plant N use efficiency (NUE) is essential for the development of sustainable agriculture. Plant NUE is inherently complex, as each step-including N uptake, translocation, assimilation, and remobilization-is governed by multiple interacting genetic and environmental factors. The limiting factors in plant metabolism for maximizing NUE are different at high and low N supplies, indicating great potential for improving the NUE of current cultivars, which were bred in well-fertilized soil. Decreasing environmental losses and increasing the productivity of crop-acquired N requires the coordination of carbohydrate and N metabolism to give high yields. Increasing both the grain and N harvest index to drive N acquisition and utilization are important approaches for breeding future high-NUE cultivars.
State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China. ghxu@njau.edu.cn
Guohua
G
Xu
Xiaorong
X
Fan
Anthony J
AJ
Miller
D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods; D027321:Anion Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D001947:Breeding; D002523:Edible Grain / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004777:Environment; D005308:Fertilizers; D005838:Genotype; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000091285:Nitrate Transporters; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D058441:Rhizosphere; D012639:Seeds / Q000378:metabolism; D012987:Soil; D013045:Species Specificity; D000096982:Urea Transporters
D027321:Anion Transport Proteins; D005308:Fertilizers; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D000091285:Nitrate Transporters; D009584:Nitrogen; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D012987:Soil; D000096982:Urea Transporters