Hungry Plants—A Short Treatise on How to Feed Crops under Stress

Silvia H. Haneklaus, Elke Bloem and Ewald Schnug
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Silvia H. Haneklaus: Institute for Crop and Soil Science, Julius Kühn-Institut, Bundesallee 69, D-38116 Braunschweig, Germany
Elke Bloem: Institute for Crop and Soil Science, Julius Kühn-Institut, Bundesallee 69, D-38116 Braunschweig, Germany
Ewald Schnug: Institute for Crop and Soil Science, Julius Kühn-Institut, Bundesallee 69, D-38116 Braunschweig, Germany

Agriculture, 2018, vol. 8, issue 3, 1-13

Abstract: Fertilisation is as old as is the cultivation of crops. In the 19th century, plant nutrition became an area of research in the field of agricultural chemistry. Liebig ’s “Law of the Minimum” (1855) is still the basis for plant nutrition. It states that the exploitation of the genetically fixed yield potential of crops is limited by that variable, which is insufficiently supplied to the greatest extent. With a view to abiotic and biotic stress factors, this postulation should be extended by the phrase “and/or impaired by the strongest stress factor”. Interactions between mineral elements and plant diseases are well known for essential macro- and micronutrients, and silicon. In comparison, the potential of fertilisation to alleviate abiotic stress has not been compiled in a user-orientated manner. It is the aim of this chapter to summarise the influence of nutrient deficiency in general, and the significance of sodium, potassium, and silicon, in particular, on resistance of crop plants to abiotic stress factors such as drought, salinity, and heavy metal stress. In addition, the significance of seed priming with various nutrients and water to provide tolerance against abiotic stress is discussed. Underlying physiological mechanisms will be elaborated, and information on fertiliser application rates from practical experiences provided.

Keywords: drought; heavy metal pollution; no-effect value; potassium; salinity; seed priming; silicon; sodium (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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