Summary
This invited review by Malcolm Hawkesford, published in the Journal of Experimental Botany, examines the biological basis of nutrient use efficiency in cereal crops, covering the transport, assimilation and remobilisation of key nutrients, particularly nitrogen. It likely discusses the scope for genetic improvement and precision agronomy to reduce reliance on synthetic fertilisers without compromising yield. The paper is positioned within the context of global food security and the environmental costs of nutrient losses from agricultural systems.
UK applicability
Hawkesford was based at Rothamsted Research in the UK, and the review is directly applicable to UK cereal production systems, particularly given ongoing policy interest in reducing fertiliser inputs and improving farm-level nitrogen efficiency under post-CAP agricultural transition.
Key measures
Nutrient use efficiency (NUE); nitrogen use efficiency (NUE); uptake efficiency; utilisation efficiency; grain yield; grain protein concentration
Outcomes reported
The paper likely reviews the physiological and molecular mechanisms underpinning nutrient acquisition and utilisation efficiency in cereal crops, with particular attention to nitrogen, phosphorus and other macronutrients. It probably evaluates genetic and agronomic approaches to improving nutrient use efficiency and reducing input dependency.
Topic tags
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