Plant Nutrition — from Genetic Engineering to Field Practice

Book excerpt: Plant Nutrition - From Genetic Engineering to Field Practice, the 12th International Colloquium on Plant Nutrition, is the latest in a series which began in 1954. Early meetings were mainly concerned with the practical problems of soil fertility, with soil assessment, fertilizer requirements and methods of analysis. As the colloquia have progressed, the emphasis has slowly changed. The practical problems are still important, but there is increasing emphasis on plant physiology, plant biochemistry, membrane biochemistry, and even on the chemistry of genes which control the proteins which transfer nutrient ions to the inside of cells. The meetings therefore provide a valuable opportunity for each half of the science of plant nutrition to interact with, and learn from the other half. This volume begins with five papers which review current knowledge in important fields: the rhizosphere, molecular biology, electron microscopy, location and function of elements in vivo, and modelling nutrient responses in the field. These themes are continued in groups of shorter papers which follow. In addition, there are sections on nutrient dynamics and partitioning, diagnostic techniques, plant survival strategies, mycorrhizas, and on nutrients such as P, N, S, K, Ca, Mg, and micronutrients. A large section is devoted specifically to boron - reflecting the considerable current interest in this element. In total there are 177 refereed papers providing both a broad overview and a detailed picture of the latest developments in pure and applied plant nutrition.