Perspectives on the Micronutrient Nutrition of Crops

This book presents some current perspectives on the micronutrient nutrition of plants. Several introductory chapters give general reviews of important micronutrient concepts including soil reaction mechanisms, micronutrient-macronutrient interactions in plants, micronutrient roles in disease resistance and their roles in regulating certain stress responses in plants. These chapters are followed by more focused chapters that present in-depth reviews of various aspects of specific micronutrient including boron, iron and zinc. Although silicon is not currently known to be an essential micronutrient for higher plants, one chapter reviews the beneficial roles that silicon performs in plants. The subject of breeding for micronutrient for higher plants, one chapter reviews the beneficial roles that silicon in edible products is reviewed in a further chapter. The final chapter links agriculture, nutrition and human health through a food system perspective concluding that these linkages must be achieved if we are to find sustainable solutions to micronutrient malnutrition in the developing world.