Aluminum and nutrient interplay across an age-chronosequence of tea plantations within a hilly red soil farm of subtropical China

Fang, Xiang-Min; Chen, Fusheng; Hu, Xiaofei; Yuan, Ping-Cheng; Li, Jing; Chen, Xi

doi:10.1080/00380768.2014.912950

Cited by 12 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Aluminum stimulates growth in plants of economic importance such as the tea shrub and can maintain or fix floral colors, as in the case of hydrangeas; therefore its application as a biostimulant of a desirable response in these plants is feasible ( Fang et al, 2014 ). However, high concentrations of Al can pose a serious threat to agricultural production due to inhibition of root elongation and plant growth through a diversity of mechanisms with the participation of Al, including interactions in the symplast, plasma membrane and the cell wall ( Kochian et al, 2015 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aluminum, a Friend or Foe of Higher Plants in Acid Soils

et al. 2017

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Aluminum (Al) is the most abundant metal in the earth’s crust, but its availability depends on soil pH. Despite this abundance, Al is not considered an essential element and so far no experimental evidence has been put forward for a biological role. In plants and other organisms, Al can have a beneficial or toxic effect, depending on factors such as, metal concentration, the chemical form of Al, growth conditions and plant species. Here we review recent advances in the study of Al in plants at physiological, biochemical and molecular levels, focusing mainly on the beneficial effect of Al in plants (stimulation of root growth, increased nutrient uptake, the increase in enzyme activity, and others). In addition, we discuss the possible mechanisms involved in improving the growth of plants cultivated in soils with acid pH, as well as mechanisms of tolerance to the toxic effect of Al.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aluminum, a Friend or Foe of Higher Plants in Acid Soils

et al. 2017

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“…In recent decades, various anthropogenic activities have greatly accelerated soil acidification in Chinese crop fields ( Guo et al, 2010 ; Liang et al, 2013 ). Among these activities is the excess use of NH 4 + fertilizer ( Barak et al, 1997 ; Fang et al, 2014 ). Atmospheric NH 4 + deposition is also an important factor resulting in soil acidification ( van Breemen et al, 1982 ).…”

Section: Effects Of Nh 4 + No mentioning

confidence: 99%

Aluminum–Nitrogen Interactions in the Soil–Plant System

2018

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Aluminum (Al) is the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust and is not an essential element for plant growth. In contrast, nitrogen (N) is the most important mineral element for plant growth, but this non-metal is often present at low levels in soils, and plants are often N deficient. Aluminum toxicity is dominant in acid soils, and so plants growing in acid soils have to overcome both Al toxicity and N limitation. Because of low N-use efficiency, large amounts of N fertilizers are applied to crop fields to achieve high yields, leading to soil acidification and potential Al toxicity. Aluminum lowers plant N uptake and N-use efficiency because Al inhibits root growth. Although numerous studies have investigated the interactions between Al and N, a complete review of these studies was lacking. This review describes: (1) the link between plant Al tolerance and ammonium/nitrate (NH4+/NO3-) preference; (2) the effects of NH4+/NO3- and pH on Al toxicity; (3) the effects of Al on soil N transformations; and (4) the effects of Al on NH4+/NO3- uptake and assimilation by plants. Acid soils are characterized chemically by a relatively high ratio of NH4+ to NO3- and high concentrations of toxic Al. Aluminum-tolerant plants generally prefer NH4+ as an N source, while Al-sensitive plants prefer NO3-. Compared with NO3-, NH4+ increases the solubilization of toxic Al into soil solutions, but NH4+ generally alleviates Al phytotoxicity under solution culture because the protons from NH4+ compete with Al3+ for adsorption sites on the root surface. Plant NO3- uptake and nitrate reductase activity are both inhibited by Al, while plant NH4+ uptake is inhibited to a smaller degree than NO3-. Together, the results of numerous studies indicate that there is a synergistic interaction between plant Al tolerance and NH4+ nutrition. This has important implications for the adaptation of plants to acid soils that are dominated chemically by toxic Al as well as NH4+. Finally, we discuss how this knowledge can be used to increase plant Al tolerance and N-use efficiency in acid soils.

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“…The bioavailability of soil Al 3+ can affect Al concentrations in most plant organs (Fang et al 2014). Tea trees are typically aluminum-tolerant plants; they have physiological mechanisms to detoxify Al 3+ internally by secreting oxalic acid or by altering either the activity of enzymes in the leaf shoots or the accumulation of Al 3+ in the cell walls of old leaves (Carr et al 2003, Yu et al 2012.…”

Section: Soil Acidification Aluminum Toxicity and Nutrient Imbalancementioning

confidence: 99%

Synthetic nitrogen fertilizers alter the soil chemistry, production and quality of tea. A meta-analysis

Qiao

Han

et al. 2018

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

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The intensive use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers over the last century has both increased agricultural productivity and modified biogeochemical cycles in terrestrial ecosystems, causing severe negative environmental impacts. Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) plantations usually receive high levels of synthetic fertilizers, which strongly affect plant and soil properties. However, there is no quantitative study to assess how synthetic N additions affect soil chemistry and the production and quality of tea shoots. Here, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of experimental synthetic N fertilizers. Our main findings are (1) N additions in tea plantations acidify soils (− 0.41 pH unit in average) and produce soil nutrient imbalance. Soil acidification commonly exacerbates the accumulations of toxic aluminum ions. (2) Synthetic N fertilizer additions may strongly increase tea production by almost 70% but alter tea shoot quality by increasing the concentrations of free amino acids (+ 16%), caffeine (+ 14%), and water extracts (+ 5%) while decreasing those of soluble sugars (− 8%) in the tea shoots. The responses of soil chemistry, tea production, and quality to N additions can vary among experimental conditions, tea tree species, and N fertilizer forms. Because there is statistical limitation in this meta-analysis, our findings recommend performing additional field studies to explore the potential mechanisms of nutrient cycling and ecosystem functioning under synthetic N additions. The development of a sustainable N management strategy in tea plantations is also urgently needed to enhance N use efficiency and reduce environmental risks.

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Aluminum and nutrient interplay across an age-chronosequence of tea plantations within a hilly red soil farm of subtropical China

Cited by 12 publications

References 32 publications

Aluminum, a Friend or Foe of Higher Plants in Acid Soils

Aluminum, a Friend or Foe of Higher Plants in Acid Soils

Aluminum–Nitrogen Interactions in the Soil–Plant System

Synthetic nitrogen fertilizers alter the soil chemistry, production and quality of tea. A meta-analysis

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