Record ID No. |
869 |
Author(s) |
Morgan, J. B. & Connolly, E. L. , 2013 |
Affiliation |
Science Department, York Technical College |
Title |
Plant-Soil Interactions: Nutrient Uptake |
Source. Vol.(no):Page |
Nature Education Knowledge 4(8): 2 |
Categories |
Mycorrhiza General |
Subjects |
Soil plant relations |
Sub-subjects |
Nutrition |
Host |
Plants |
Organism |
Microbes (Mycorrhizal fungi) |
Country |
USA, N. America |
Abstracts |
Although plants are non-motile and often face nutrient shortages in their environment, they utilize a plethora of sophisticated mechanisms in an attempt to acquire sufficient amounts of the macro- and micronutrients required for proper growth, development and reproduction. These mechanisms include changes in the developmental program and root structure to better "mine" the soil for limiting nutrients, induction of high affinity transport systems and the establishment of symbioses and associations that facilitate nutrient uptake. Together, these mechanisms allow plants to maximize their nutrient acquisition abilities while protecting against the accumulation of excess nutrients, which can be toxic to the plant. It is clear that the ability of plants to utilize such mechanisms exerts significant influence over crop yields as well as plant community structure, soil ecology, ecosystem health, and biodiversity. |