Physiological functions of mineral macronutrients

• Published in: Current opinion in plant biology Vol. 12; no. 3; pp. 250 - 258
• Main Author: Maathuis, Frans JM
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2009; [Oxford, UK]: Pergamon: Elsevier Science
• Subjects: ammonia; anions; Biological Transport; Biological Transport - physiology; calcium; Calcium - metabolism; cations; ion transport; magnesium; Magnesium - metabolism; metabolism; Minerals; Minerals - metabolism; nitrates; nitrogen; Nitrogen - metabolism; nutrient transport; phosphorus; Phosphorus - metabolism; physiological transport; physiology; plant nutrition; plant physiology; Plants; Plants - metabolism; potassium; Potassium - metabolism; roots; soil solution; sulfates; sulfur; Sulfur - metabolism; translocation (plant physiology)
• ISSN: 1369-5266; 1879-0356; 1879-0356
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2009.04.003

Plants require calcium, magnesium, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and sulfur in relatively large amounts (>0.1% of dry mass) and each of these so-called macronutrients is essential for a plant to complete its life cycle. Normally, these minerals are taken up by plant roots from the soil solution in ionic form with the metals Ca 2+, Mg 2+ and K + present as free cations, P and S as their oxyanions phosphate (PO 4 3−) and sulfate (SO 4 2−) and N as anionic nitrate (NO 3 −) or cation ammonium (NH 4 +). Recently, important progress has been made in identifying transport and regulatory mechanisms for macronutrients and the mechanisms of uptake and distribution. These and the main physiological roles of each nutrient will be discussed.