This book uses an interdisciplinary approach to provide a comprehensive review on the status of iron nutrition in plants. International scientists discuss research on acquisition of iron by strategy I and strategy II plants. These reviews summarize a variety of plant species and include both laboratory and field observations.Topics covered in this book include: plants as a source of iron for animals and humans, iron translocation in the plants, iron-stimulated activities that influence crop yield and fruit tree productivity, iron uptake by plants as influenced by microorganisms (i.e. free living soil microorganisms, symbiotic nitrogen-fixing and pathogenic bacteria), the role of plant hormones in iron transport, iron-metal competition in phytoremediation, root zone activities involving interactions between minerals and organic matter.

Iron is a major constituent of the earth crust. However, under alkaline conditions commonly found in arid and semi-arid environments iron becomes unavailable to plants. When plants are affected by a shortage of iron their leaves become yellow (chlorotic), and both plant growth and crop yield are reduced. The roots of plants affected by iron deficiency may develop a series of responses directed to improve iron uptake, such as increased proton excretion and iron reduction capabilities or excretion of iron chela tors called siderophores. Iron deficiency affects major crops worldwide, including some of major economic importance such as fruit trees and others. Correction of iron deficiency is usually implemented through costly application of synthetic chelates. Since these correction methods are very expensive, the competitivity of farmers is often reduced and iron deficiency may become a limiting factor for the maintenance, introduction or expansion of some crops. In spite of the many years devoted to the study of iron deficiency, the knowledge of iron deficiency in soils and plants is still fragmentary in many aspects. We have only incomplete information on the processes at the molecular level that make some plant species and cultivars unable to take and utilize iron from the soil, whereas other plants grow satisfactorily under the same conditions.

This book provides a comprehensive review on the status of iron nutrition in plants. It contains updated reviews of most relevant issues involving Fe in plants and combines research on molecular biology with physiological studies of plant-iron nutrition. It also covers molecular aspects of iron uptake and storage in Arabidopsis and transmembrane movement and translocation of iron in plants. This book should serve to stimulate continued exploration in the field.