Factors affecting the efficacy of foliar fertilizers and the uptake of atmospheric aerosols, Volume II

  • 6,571

    Total Downloads

  • 29k

    Total Views and Downloads

Submit your idea

You will be redirected to our submission process.

Submit your manuscript summarySubmit your manuscript

About this Research Topic

Submission closed

Background

This Research Topic is part of the Factors affecting the efficacy of foliar fertilizers and the uptake of atmospheric aerosols series.

Plants take up and use mineral nutrients mainly by roots, but abundant evidence has shown that nutrients can also be taken up by aerial plant parts (leaves, fruits and stems). Restricted root uptake may commonly occur because of transient decline or permanent limitation on soil nutrient availability due to multiple environmental or rhizosphere-related factors. Under such conditions, plants cannot meet their nutrient requirements, and foliar application may be an efficient tool to maintain an adequate crop nutrient status. In spite of the widespread use of foliar fertilizers in agriculture, variable crop responses to foliar applications of macro and micro nutrients have been reported. For instance, wide variations exist in nutrient delivery efficiency, translocation and distribution of nutrients in plant tissues, growth performance, and impacts on root nutrient uptake. The processes by which a nutrient solution applied to the foliage is ultimately utilized by the plant include foliar adsorption, cuticular penetration, uptake and absorption into the metabolically active cellular compartments in the leaf, then translocation and utilization of the absorbed nutrient by the plant(1). A foliar applied chemical may cross the plant leaf surface via the cuticle per se, along cuticular cracks or imperfections, or through modified epidermal structures such as stomata, trichomes or lenticels. The structure and chemistry of the plant surface will affect the bi-directional diffusion of substances between the plant, the leaf surface and the surrounding environment and hence the rate of uptake of foliar fertilizers(1). The fate of the nutrient once it has been absorbed through the leaf surface has received only scant attention and little is known about the relative efficacy and metabolic impact of foliar applied nutrients. Understanding the factors influencing the efficacy of foliar fertilizers is crucial if this technology is to be used to effectively satisfy plant nutrient demand when soil supply is inadequate, especially under biotic (pests and diseases) or abiotic (water stress, temperature, nutrient-deficiency soils) stresses.

Deposition of atmospheric aerosols is another phenomenon that occurs at the vegetative canopy where leaves of green plants are exposed to hydrated gas molecules and particles. For example, plants can absorb nutrients from atmospheric aerosols (such as gaseous/particulate compounds of reactive nitrogen and sulfur species) deposited onto leaves and other aerial plant parts. At the individual plant level, deposition of these compounds commonly has a very limited contribution to the total nutrient requirement. For the most plants investigated, the contribution of aerosol NO2-N to total plant nitrogen (N) was less than 5%, while for less than 30% of plants the contribution ranged from 5% to 10%. Plant species have differential responses to aerosol input and wide variations in resistance and absorption capacity and critical response thresholds exist between species. Uptake of atmospheric aerosols involves complex but poorly understood metabolic networks and regulatory processes.

This research topic focuses on the factors affecting the absorption and the physiological impacts of foliar fertilization or atmospheric deposition on plant productivity. We aim to highlight the mechanisms of foliar macro- and micro-nutrient delivery, their movement in leaves, formation and transport of nutrient complexes, metabolic pathways, physiological relationship between foliar nutrient application and plant stress resistance, and related processes. We welcome the following article types: Original Research, Review Article, General Commentary, Hypothesis & Theory, Methods, Opinion.



Footnote: (1) Foliar Fertilization, Scientific Principles and Field Practices by Victoria Fernandez, Thomas Sotiropoulos, and Patrick Brown

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Topic editors

Frequently asked questions

  • Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.

    Unlike section journals, which serve established specialty communities, Research Topics are pioneer hubs, responding to the evolving scientific landscape and catering to new communities.

  • The goal of Frontiers' publishing program is to empower research communities to actively steer the course of scientific publishing. Our program was implemented as a three-part unit with fixed field journals, flexible specialty sections, and dynamically emerging Research Topics, connecting communities of different sizes and maturity.

    Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.

  • As an editor, Research Topics will help you build your journal, as well as your community, around emerging, cutting-edge research. As research trailblazers, Research Topics attract high-quality submissions from leading experts all over the world.

    A thriving Research Topic can potentially evolve into a new specialty section if there is sustained interest and a growing community around it.

  • Each Research Topic must be approved by the specialty chief editor, and they fall under the editorial oversight of our editorial boards, supported by our in-house research integrity team. The same standards and rigorous peer review processes apply to articles published as part of a Research Topic as for any other article we publish.

      In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.

  • Publishing your article within a Research Topic with other related articles increases its discoverability and visibility, which can lead to more views, downloads, and citations. Research Topics grow dynamically as more published articles are added, causing frequent revisiting, and further visibility.

    As Research Topics are multidisciplinary, they are cross-listed in several fields and section journals – increasing your reach even more and giving you the chance to expand your network and collaborate with researchers in different fields, all focusing on expanding knowledge around the same important topic.

    Our larger Research Topics are also converted into ebooks and receive social media promotion from our digital marketing team.

     

  • Frontiers offers multiple article types, but it will depend on the field and section journals in which the Research Topic will be featured. The available article types for a Research Topic will appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process.

    Check available article types here 

  • Yes, we would love to hear your ideas for a topic. Most of our Research Topics are community-led and suggested by researchers in the field. Our in-house editorial team will contact you to talk about your idea and whether you’d like to edit the topic. If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. 

    Suggest your topic here 

  • A team of guest editors (called topic editors) lead their Research Topic. This editorial team oversees the entire process, from the initial topic proposal to calls for participation, the peer review, and final publications.

    The team may also include topic coordinators, who help the topic editors send calls for participation, liaise with topic editors on abstracts, and support contributing authors. In some cases, they can also be assigned as reviewers.

  • As a topic editor (TE), you will take the lead on all editorial decisions for the Research Topic, starting with defining its scope. This allows you to curate research around a topic that interests you, bring together different perspectives from leading researchers across different fields and shape the future of your field. 

     

    You will choose your team of co-editors, curate a list of potential authors, send calls for participation and oversee the peer review process, accepting or recommending rejection for each manuscript submitted.

  • As a topic editor, you're supported at every stage by our in-house team. You will be assigned a single point of contact to help you on both editorial and technical matters. Your topic is managed through our user-friendly online platform, and the peer review process is supported by our industry-first AI review assistant (AIRA).

  • If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.

  • Yes, certificates can be issued on request. We are happy to provide a certificate for your contribution to editing a successful Research Topic.

  • Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.

  • As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.

    Find out more about our Research Topics

  • Our fee support program ensures that all articles that pass peer review, including those published in Research Topics, can benefit from open access – regardless of the author's field or funding situation.

    Authors and institutions with insufficient funding can apply for a discount on their publishing fees. A fee support application form is available on our website.

  • In line with our mission to promote healthy lives on a healthy planet, we do not provide printed materials. All our articles and ebooks are available under a CC-BY license, so you can share and print copies.

     

Participating Journals

Impact

  • 29kTopic views
  • 21kArticle views
  • 6,571Article downloads
View impact