Targeting Root Ion Uptake Kinetics to Increase Plant Productivity and Nutrient Use Efficiency

Abstract

Root system architecture has received increased attention in recent years; however, significant knowledge gaps remain for physiological phenes, or units of phenotype, that have been relatively less studied. Ion uptake kinetics studies have been invaluable in uncovering distinct nutrient uptake systems in plants with the use of Michaelis-Menten kinetic modeling. This review outlines the theoretical framework behind ion uptake kinetics, provides a meta-analysis for macronutrient uptake parameters, and proposes new strategies for using uptake kinetics parameters as selection criteria for breeding crops with improved resource acquisition capability. Presumably, variation in uptake kinetics is caused by variation in type and number of transporters, assimilation machinery, and anatomical features that can vary greatly within and among species. Critically, little is known about what determines transporter properties at the molecular level or how transporter properties scale to the entire root system. A meta-analysis of literature containing measures of crop nutrient uptake kinetics provides insights about the need for standardization of reporting, the differences among crop species, and the relationships among various uptake parameters and experimental conditions. Therefore, uptake kinetics parameters are proposed as promising target phenes that integrate several processes for functional phenomics and genetic analysis, which will lead to a greater understanding of this fundamental plant process. Exploiting this genetic and phenotypic variation has the potential to greatly advance breeding efforts for improved nutrient use efficiency in crops.