Root plasticity improves maize nitrogen use when nitrogen is limiting: an analysis using 3D plant modelling.

Plant phenotypic plasticity plays an important role in nitrogen (N) acquisition and use under nitrogen-limited conditions. However, this role has never been quantified as a function of N availability, leaving it unclear whether plastic responses should be considered as potential targets for selection. A combined modelling and experimentation approach was adopted to quantify the role of plasticity in N uptake and plant yield.

The potential of biofortification technologies for wheat and rice to fill the nutritional Zn intake gap in China.

Background: Zinc (Zn) deficiency in humans is of worldwide concern. The objective of this study was to investigate the Zn intake gap in Chinese adults and identify the potential role of biofortification technologies for wheat and rice, including crop nutrient management and breeding, in filling the gap.

Results: We use data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey in 2011 to identify food consumption patterns and dietary Zn intake of 4512 adults to define and quantify the Zn intake gap in the population.

The productive performance of intercropping.

Crop diversification has been put forward as a way to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture without penalizing its productivity. In this context, intercropping, the planned combination of two or more crop species in one field, is a promising practice. On an average, intercropping saves land compared with the component sole crops, but it remains unclear whether intercropping produces a higher yield than the most productive single crop per unit area, i.

Distinct arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities associate with different manioc landraces and Amazonian soils.

Manioc (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is an important tropical crop that depends on arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) association for its nutrition. However, little is known about the richness and species composition of AM fungal communities associating with manioc and possible differences across soils and manioc landraces. We studied the diversity and composition of AM fungal communities present in the roots of different manioc landraces and surrounding soils in indigenous shifting cultivation fields on different Amazonian soil types.

Understanding and optimizing species mixtures using functional-structural plant modelling.

Plant species mixtures improve productivity over monocultures by exploiting species complementarities for resource capture in time and space. Complementarity results in part from competition avoidance responses that maximize resource capture and growth of individual plants. Individual organs accommodate to local resource levels, e.