Benefits and limits of biological nitrification inhibitors for plant nitrogen uptake and the environment.

Plant growth and high yields are secured by intensive use of nitrogen (N) fertilizer, which, however, pollutes the environment, especially when N is in the form of nitrate. Ammonium is oxidized to nitrate by nitrifiers, but roots can release biological nitrification inhibitors (BNIs). Under what conditions does root-exudation of BNIs facilitate nitrogen N uptake and reduce pollution by N loss to the environment? We modeled the spatial-temporal dynamics of nitrifiers, ammonium, nitrate, and BNIs around a root and simulated root N uptake and net rhizosphere N loss over the plant's life cycle.

Rice increases phosphorus uptake in strongly sorbing soils by intra-root facilitation.

Upland rice (Oryza sativa) is adapted to strongly phosphorus (P) sorbing soils. The mechanisms underlying P acquisition, however, are not well understood, and models typically underestimate uptake. This complicates root ideotype development and trait-based selection for further improvement.

Spatially Resolved Root Water Uptake Determination Using a Precise Soil Water Sensor.

To answer long-standing questions about how plants use and regulate water, an affordable, noninvasive way to determine local root water uptake (RWU) is required. Here, we present a sensor, the soil water profiler (SWaP), which can determine local soil water content (θ) with a precision of 6.10 cm ⋅ cm, an accuracy of 0.