Chapter
Chapter 1 - Molecular and genetic basis of plant macronutrient use efficiency: concepts, opportunities, and challenges
Why macronutrients are important for plants?
The role of macronutrients for a sustainable intensification of cropping systems
Availability of nutrients in the soil
Use of fertilizers and nutrient reserves
Macronutrient use efficiency; concepts and importance
Components of nutrient use efficiency
Molecular and genetic basis of use efficiency of phosphate, nitrate, and potassium
Mechanisms for nutrient uptake and transport
Regulation of phosphate uptake
A finely controlled network of nitrate transporters and sensors
A complex network of potassium transporters and channels
Modulation of the roost system architecture
Plasticity of the root system to phosphate availability
Root architecture responses to nitrate availability
Root architecture responses to potassium availability
Regulation of nutrient assimilation and remobilization
The central role of PHO1 in phosphate homeostasis
Nitrate assimilation and mobilization
Improvement of macronutrient use efficiency
Concluding remarks and future perspectives
Chapter 2 - Role of nutrient-efficient plants for improving crop yields: bridging plant ecology, physiology, and molecular biology
Physiology and genetics of nutrient use efficiency
Root development in response to nutrient availability
Root interactions with microorganisms under low nutrient availability
Metabolism and gene regulation
Remobilization of nutrients in the crop plant life cycle
Finding genes for nutrient use efficiency
Future nutrient-efficient crops
Assessment and evaluation of nutrient use efficiency
Ecological approaches of nutrient use efficiency
Crop production–related approaches of nutrient use efficiency
Nutrient balances and budgets, modeling, and life cycle assessments
Chapter 3 - Macronutrient sensing and signaling in plants
Plant macronutrient starvation responses
Sensing of macronutrient limitations
Local and systemic signaling of macronutrient limitations
Conclusion and future perspectives
Chapter 4 - The significance of nutrient interactions for crop yield and nutrient use efficiency
Nutrient interactions and crop production
Excess fertilization versus optimal fertilization
Understanding nutrient interactions in plants to improve NUE and decrease environmental footprints
Nutrient interactions in plants
Synergisms and antagonisms between nutrients caused by ionic charge
Interactive effects on root morphology
Promising crop traits to improve overall NUE
Nutrient uptake efficiency versus nutrient utilization efficiency
Increased storage capacity and remobilization efficiency
Efficient recycling and allocation to yield organ
Effective utilization of increased atmospheric CO2
Chapter 5 - The contribution of root systems to plant nutrient acquisition
Macronutrient localization and mobility
Methods to analyze the root system architecture response to soil nutrients
Root system architecture in response to soil nutrients
Root system morphology and anatomy that contribute to advantageous nutrient foraging
Genetic regulation of root system architecture changes in response to soil nutrients
Integration of nutrient signals
Chapter 6 - Molecular genetics to discover and improve nitrogen use efficiency in crop plants
Strategies to improve NUE
Increasing uptake efficiency
Increasing uptake capacity
Increasing utilization efficiency
Modifying specific leaf N
Delayed senescence (stay green)
Increasing remobilization efficiency
Genetic approaches to improve NUE
Identifying genotypic variation for NUE
Discovering genetic loci for NUE
Improving crop NUE using genetic information
Transgenic approaches to improve NUE
Targeted approach to improve NUE
Improvement of the biotech approaches
Chapter 7 - The role of root morphology and architecture in phosphorus acquisition: physiological, genetic, and molecular basis
Molecular basis of RSA as a mechanism enhancing P acquisition
The role of miRNAs in RSA and P acquisition
Does miR399 plays a role in enhancing P uptake via modulation of RSA?
Other miRNAs potentially involved in RSA changes in response to P
QTL for root traits under P deficiency consistently affecting yield performance in the field
Novel root system imaging methods and their use to investigate the role of RSA in improving P acquisition efficiency
Chapter 8 - Potassium sensing, signaling, and transport: toward improved potassium use efficiency in plants
Potassium transport mechanisms
Regulatory components of K+ transport
Regulatory components of K+ deficiency signaling
Strategies to improve K use efficiency in plants
Increasing K availability in plants
Increased plant root surface to secure greater access to K in soils
Improve the efficiency of K+ uptake and translocation in planta
Chapter 9 - Understanding calcium transport and signaling, and its use efficiency in vascular plants
Calcium deficiency in plants
Calcium uptake and distribution
Calcium uptake by roots and delivery to the xylem
Calcium transport to the shoot
Channels involved in calcium influx and signaling
Cyclic nucleotide–gated channels
Transporters involved in calcium efflux and signaling
Autoinhibited Ca2+-ATPase proteins
Calcium sensor proteins and their involvement in plant stress responses
Calmodulins and calmodulin-like proteins
Calcineurin B–like proteins
Calcium-dependent protein kinases
Calcium use efficiency in plants
Chapter 10 - The role of calcium in plant signal transduction under macronutrient deficiency stress
Membrane calcium transporters
Calcium signatures and memory
Role of calcium in macronutrient deficiency
Transcriptional regulation
Conclusions and future perspectives
Chapter 11 - Magnesium homeostasis mechanisms and magnesium use efficiency in plants
Morphogenesis remodeling by Mg imbalance and the mechanisms in plants
Mg2+ transporters and Mg homeostasis in plant cells
Imbalance of Mg homeostasis in plants
Imbalance of Mg homeostasis by some stress factors
Imbalance of Mg homeostasis by some ions
Signaling of Mg stresses in plants
Genomic perspectives of Mg stresses in plants
Strategies for Mg use efficiency in plants
Chapter 12 - Advances in understanding sulfur utilization efficiency in plants
Sulfur is an essential mineral nutrient
Why study sulfur use efficiency?
Sulfate transport and mobilization
High-affinity sulfate transporters responsible for uptake efficiency
Sulfate transporters mediate efficient sulfate translocation
Regulation of the sulfur starvation response
Sulfate transporter may be a sulfur sensor
Sulfur mobilization from stored reserves
Glucosinolate homeostasis: management of the plant sulfur budget
Glutathione homeostasis: management of the plant sulfur budget
The prospects of using genetic manipulation to increase S use efficiency
Chapter 13 - Water availability and nitrogen use in plants: effects, interaction, and underlying molecular mechanisms
Impact of water and N interaction on crop physiology
Effects of water availability on biological N fixation in plants
The interplay between soil water availability and N supply
Mechanism of water and N uptake in plants
Molecular mechanism of the interaction between water and N uptake
Approaches to improve NUE in water constrained environments
Genetic improvement of water and N-related traits
Conclusions and future research
Chapter 14 - NPK deficiency modulates oxidative stress in plants
Reactive oxygen species and their origins
Singlet oxygen and its origins
Superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide and their origins
Hydroxyl radical and its origin
Balance of ROS and antioxidants
Ubiquitous nonenzymatic antioxidants: AsA, GSH, and tocopherol
Enzymatic detoxification of 
Enzymatic decomposition of H2O2
Evaluation of oxidative stress
Possible causes of oxidative stress under NPK deficiency
Causes of oxidative stress in plant leaves under N, P, and K deficiency
Causes of oxidative stress in plant root under N, P, and K deficiency
Variation in oxidative stress under N, P, and K deficiency in plants
N deficiency and oxidative stress
P deficiency and oxidative stress
K deficiency and oxidative stress
Comparison of oxidative stress resulting from N, P, and K deficiency
Ways to improve NUE by decreasing oxidative stress
Chapter 15 - Genetic improvements of traits for enhancing NPK acquisition and utilization efficiency in plants
The concept of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium use efficiency
Genetic and molecular mechanisms involved in NPK acquisition and utilization
Molecular marker–assisted strategies to develop NPK-efficient crop plants
Molecular-assisted breeding
Marker-assisted evaluation of breeding materials
Quantitative traits loci mapping and validation
Molecular breeding methods based on marker-assisted selection
Marker-assisted backcrossing
Marker-assisted recurrent selection
Marker-assisted gene pyramiding
Developments in the production of NPK-efficient plants using molecular-assisted breeding
Chapter 16 - Endophytic bacteria and rare earth elements; promising candidates for nutrient use efficiency in plants
The nitrogen use efficiency in plants; the problem and proposal’s for solution
Proposed solutions; genetic manipulation and roots as targets for nutrient use efficiency
Are endophytic microbes candidates to increase nitrogen use efficiency in plants?
How do endophytic bacteria contribute to nutrient acquisition?
Methods for nitrogen transfer evaluation
Quantitative real-time PCR
Rare earths as fertilizers for improving nutrient use efficiency
Chapter 17 - Introduction to GWAS and MutMap for identification of genes/QTL using next-generation sequencing
GWAS experiments in plants
GWAS for macronutrient use efficiency
GWAS of nitrogen use efficiency
GWAS of phosphorus-deficiency-tolerance traits
Identification of gene variants using association test for improving macronutrient use efficiency
A suitable population for QTL mapping and GWAS
A strategy for identification of causal genes/variants
Integration of GWAS and gene expression data for rapid identification of causal gene
NGS-based mapping-by-sequence approach for gene identification of mutants in rice
Suitable mutant resources for MutMap analysis in rice
Conclusions and future prospects
Chapter 18 - Transgenic approaches for improving phosphorus use efficiency in plants
Improvement of P uptake efficiency by root functions
Plant strategies to mobilize available P in soils
Trials to use nonspecific acid phosphatases secreted from roots
Trials using root-secreted phytase
Solubilization of sparingly soluble inorganic phosphate by organic acid exudation
Increase of Pi uptake rate by expression of high-affinity Pi transporters
Increase of Pi uptake rate by root architecture modification
Improvement of internal P use efficiency
Modification of carbon metabolisms
Optimization of signaling networks involved in P stress responses
Conclusions and future perspectives
Chapter 19 - Transgenic approaches for improving nitrogen and potassium use efficiency in plants
Improving NUE by engineering root growth
Improving NUE by manipulation of N transporters
Improving NUE by manipulation of transcription factors
Improving NUE by increasing postanthesis N uptake and delaying senescence
Modification of K channels for higher K uptake and use
Genetic manipulation of K transporters for improvement of KUE
Conclusions and future perspectives
Chapter 20 - Future climate change and plant macronutrient use efficiency
Brief summary of NUE-relevant IPCC climate change assessments to date and projections
Influence of climate change on availability of nutrients in soil
Potential for reduced NUE from increased edge-of-field losses
Climate change impacts on soil organic matter and biogeochemistry
Climate change impacts on availability of macronutrients of mineral origin
Impact of climate change on shoot and root growth, nutrient uptake, and physiological NUE
Research priorities and climate smart agriculture
Plant Macronutrient Use Efficiency
：Molecular and Genomic Perspectives in Crop Plants
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