Mineral Nutrition of Plants Principles and Perspectives

by Epstein, Emanuel; Bloom, Arnold J.

• ISBN13: 9780878931729
• ISBN10: 0878931724
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-08-01
• Publisher: Sinauer Associates is an imprint of Oxford University Press

Summary

Nearly all the chemical elements that make up living things are mineral elements, the ultimate source of which is rock weathered into soil. In the thoroughly revised second edition of Mineral Nutrition of Plants: Principles and Perspectives, Epstein and Bloom explain that plant roots "mine" these nutrient elements from their inorganic substrate and introduce them into the realm of living things. The authors trace the subsequent movement of these nutrients into other plant organs, tissues, cells, and organelles, their biochemical assimilation, and their functions in plant physiology and metabolism. Treatment of these processes extends from molecular biology through global biogeochemistry. The text, illustrated in full color, is accessible both to undergraduate students in plant physiology, agronomy, horticulture, and environmental studies and to researchers in these and other plant biological fields.

Author Biography

Emanuel Epstein is Research Professor in the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources-Soils and Biogeochemistry at the University of California at Davis. He received his Ph.D. in Plant Physiology from the University of California at Berkeley. Among the awards and honors Dr. Epstein has received are a Guggenheim Fellowship and two Senior Fulbright Research Scholarships. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences and has served as President of the Pacific Division of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His research interests include: mineral nutrition of plants; ion transport; salt relations of plants; silicon in plant biology; and genetic and ecological aspects of all these topics.

Arnold J. Bloom is Professor in the Department of Vegetable Crops at the University of California at Davis. He received his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Stanford University. Widely published in scientific journals, Dr. Bloom has been a principal contributor (on mineral nutrition) to two editions of Plant Physiology (Lincoln Taiz and Eduardo Zeiger). His research focus is environmental stress physiology, with an emphasis on the interactions among nutrient acquisition and photosynthesis, temperature stress in crops, and root perception of the rhizosphere.

Table of Contents

PART I Elements
1 Introduction and History	3	(14)
The Scope of Mineral Plant Nutrition	3	(3)
"Mining" the Environment	3	(1)
Translocation	4	(1)
Functions of Elements	5	(1)
Heredity and Environment	5	(1)
The History of Plant Nutrition Research	6	(8)
References	14	(3)
2 The Media of Plant Nutrition	17	(24)
The Variety of Nutrient Media	17	(1)
Soil	18	(4)
Roots in Soil	22	(3)
Artificial Media	25	(5)
Nutrient Solutions	30	(4)
The pH of Nutrient Solutions	31	(2)
The Osmotic Potential of Nutrient Solutions	33	(1)
Culture Solutions Compared with Soil Solutions	34	(2)
References	36	(5)
3 Inorganic Components of Plants	41	(28)
Water	41	(2)
Dry Matter	43	(1)
Mineral Composition	44	(1)
Essential and Other Mineral Elements	44	(2)
Macronutrient Elements	46	(1)
Micronutrient Elements	46	(1)
Comparative Elemental Requirements of Higher Plants	47	(4)
Na: Sodium	47	(1)
Se: Selenium	48	(1)
Co: Cobalt	48	(1)
Si: Silicon	48	(1)
Other Elements	49	(2)
Quantitative Considerations	51	(1)
Deficiencies and Tissue Analysis	51	(4)
Deficiency Symptoms: General Discussion	55	(2)
Deficiency Symptoms: Individual Elements	57	(6)
B: Boron	57	(1)
Ca: Calcium	57	(1)
Cl: Chlorine	57	(2)
Cu: Copper	59	(1)
Fe: Iron	59	(1)
K: Potassium	59	(1)
Mg: Magnesium	59	(1)
Mn: Manganese	59	(2)
Mo: Molybdenum	61	(1)
N: Nitrogen	61	(1)
Ni: Nickel	61	(1)
P: Phosphorus	62	(1)
S: Sulfur	62	(1)
Zn: Zinc	62	(1)
References	63	(6)
PART II Transport
4 Nutrient Absorption by Plants	69	(30)
The Need for a Membrane	69	(1)
Membrane Structure	70	(3)
Apoplast and Cell Walls	73	(2)
The Structure of Plant Cells	75	(1)
Passive versus Active Transport of Solutes	75	(3)
Active Solute Transport into Cells and Tissue	78	(1)
Algae as Model Systems	79	(3)
Root Solute Transport	82	(7)
Energy Coupling	89	(3)
Solute Transpsorters	92	(3)
References	95	(4)
5 Upward Movement of Water and Nutrients	99	(42)
Cellular versus Long Distance Transport	99	(1)
Pores, Pipes, and Pathways	100	(4)
Tissues and Organs	104	(4)
Movement of Water through the Plant	108	(6)
Pathway	108	(2)
Mechanisms	110	(4)
Upward Movement of Ions	114	(17)
Pathway	114	(4)
Mechanisms: The Crafts-Broyer Hypothesis and Beyond	118	(2)
Mechanisms: The Endodermis, Stele, Stem, and Leaf	120	(5)
Some Particular Points and Problems	125	(6)
Beyond the Leaf	131	(2)
Leaching	131	(1)
Guttation	132	(1)
Excretion of Salt	132	(1)
Leaf Fall	132	(1)
References	133	(8)
6 Downward Movement of Food and Nutrients	141	(22)
Basic Dilemma	141	(2)
Again: Pores, Pipes, and Pathways	143	(1)
Speed of Phloem Transport	144	(3)
Direction of Phloem Transport	147	(1)
Pressure Flow Hypothesis	148	(3)
Phloem Transport of Inorganic Solutes	151	(5)
The Nature of Controversy	156	(1)
References	157	(6)
PART III Metabolism & Growth
7 Nitrogen and Sulfur: A Tale of Two Nutrients	163	(38)
Nitrogen in the Environment	164	(2)
Little Shop of Horrors	166	(1)
Biological Nitrogen Fixation	167	(4)
Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation	171	(2)
Courtship between Legumes and Rhizobia	173	(4)
Mycorrhizal Associations	177	(1)
Ammonium and Nitrate	178	(2)
Nitrogen Assimilation	180	(1)
Nitrate Assimilation	181	(5)
Ammonium Assimilation	186	(3)
Sulfur in the Environment	189	(1)
Sulfate Assimilation	190	(2)
Nitrogen and Sulfur Regulation	192	(1)
References	193	(8)
8 Mineral Metabolism	201	(42)
Cell Components	201	(2)
Cell wall	201	(1)
Vacuole	202	(1)
Cytoplasm	202	(1)
Elements	203	(32)
Boron	205	(2)
Calcium	207	(3)
Chlorine	210	(2)
Copper	212	(1)
Iron	213	(4)
Magnesium	217	(2)
Manganese	219	(1)
Molybdenum	220	(1)
Nickel	220	(1)
Nitrogen	221	(1)
Phosphorus	221	(4)
Potassium	225	(2)
Silicon	227	(4)
Sodium	231	(2)
Sulfur	233	(1)
Zinc	233	(2)
References	235	(8)
9 Nutrition and Growth	243
Nutrition of Seeds	243	(3)
Developmental Stages and Root Growth	246	(7)
Root Hairs and Lateral Roots	253	(2)
Regulation of Nutrients by Plants	255	(2)
Seasonal Dynamics	257	(1)
Photosynthesis, Primary Productivity, and Nutrients	258	(2)
Crop Yields and Nutrient Efficiency	260	(5)
Testing for Nutrients	265	(1)
References	266	(11)
PART IV Heredity & Environment
10 Physiological Genetics and Molecular Biology	277	(24)
Background	277	(1)
For the Common Good	278	(1)
Wild versus Domesticated Species	278	(3)
Molecular Biology of Plant-Nutrient Relations	281	(14)
Proton Pumps	281	(3)
Potassium Transporters	284	(2)
Calcium Channels and Pumps	286	(1)
Sodium Transporters	287	(1)
Ammonium Transporters	288	(1)
Heavy Metal Transporters	289	(2)
Nitrate Transporters	291	(1)
Phosphate Transporters	292	(1)
Sulfate Transporters	293	(1)
Water Transporters	293	(1)
Other Transporters	294	(1)
References	295	(6)
11 Ecology and Environmental Stress	301	(54)
Concepts	301	(2)
Ecology and Evolution	301	(2)
Plant Physiological Ecology	303	(6)
Phenotypic Plasticity	305	(3)
The Concept of Ecotype	308	(1)
Population Biology	309	(10)
Communities	311	(1)
Mycorrhizal Associations	312	(4)
Parasitic Plants	316	(3)
Stress	319	(1)
Temperature Stress	320	(5)
Chilling	320	(3)
Freezing	323	(1)
Heat	324	(1)
Water Stress	325	(5)
Drought	325	(2)
Flooding	327	(3)
Mineral Stresses	330	(12)
Salinity	332	(2)
Physiology of Salt Stress	334	(5)
Aluminum	339	(1)
Heavy Metals	340	(2)
References	342	(13)
12 Big Picture: Past, Present, Future	355	(20)
A Brief History of the World	355	(3)
The Atmosphere	358	(2)
Global Climate Change	360	(2)
Nutrient Cycling	362	(4)
Phosphorus	362	(2)
Potassium	364	(1)
Salt	365	(1)
Predictions	366	(4)
Transporters	366	(1)
Nutrient chemotropism	367	(1)
Nutrient assimilation and sequestration	368	(1)
Horticultural and agronomic practices	368	(2)
Finale	370	(1)
References	370	(5)
Author Index	375	(15)
Subject Index	390