Open research questions in Plant Micronutrient Interactions and Effects

What the literature leaves open

• One of the challenges is the additional cost of using micronutrient fertilizers, which can be a barrier for smallholder farmers. The stability of biofortified micronutrients during processing, storage, and cooking is also a challenge. The paper also mentions the need for strong regulatory frameworks and market demand for nutrient-enriched crops to promote biofortification.

  Agronomic Biofortification of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) with Zinc, Iron and Iodine: Uptake Pathways, Fertilization Strategies and Nutritional Appraisal · 2026 · DOI

• The adverse effects of chromium stress on Pisum sativum L. are not well understood. The effective concentration of GA3 in alleviating the adverse effects of Cr stress is not known. There is a need to find a solution to mitigate the adverse effects of chromium stress on plant growth and development.

  Foliar Applications of Gibberellic Acid Alleviates Chromium Toxicity in Pisum sativum L · 2026 · DOI

• The need for strategies to enhance forage productivity and quality. The lack of understanding on the synergistic effects of micronutrients and plant growth regulators on forage sorghum.

  Enhancing Forage Harvest, Digestibility and Nutrient Profiles in Forage Sorghum via Synergistic Application of Micronutrients and Plant Growth Regulators · 2026 · DOI

• Limited understanding of iron deficiency responses in wheat cultivars. Need for identification of cultivars with improved iron-use efficiency. Gap in knowledge on the molecular mechanisms underlying iron deficiency tolerance in wheat.

  Comparative Analysis of Two Wheat Cultivars under Iron Deficiency: Integrating Morphological, Physiological, Anatomical, Molecular, and Yield Responses to Reveal Destan’s Resilience · 2026 · DOI

• Limited understanding of salinity tolerance in rice landraces. Need for identification of genotypes with relatively stable growth under saline conditions. Gap in knowledge on the effects of salinity on grain iron and zinc concentrations.

  Deciphering Salt Tolerance and Grain Fe/Zn Retention in Indica Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Landraces through Morpho-physiological and Molecular Profiling Identifies Key Descriptors and Novel Sources of Tolerance · 2026 · DOI

• Limited availability of zinc in the soil. Phytotoxicity associated with high zinc concentrations. Difficulty in identifying promising indigenous rice genotypes for zinc biofortification. Challenge of maintaining optimal zinc levels for crop growth and nutritional quality.

  Foliar Zinc Fortification Enhances Morphological, Physiological and Biochemical Properties in Traditional Rice Cultivars Indigenous to the Northeastern Hill Region of India · 2026 · DOI

• There is a need to improve Zn biofortification in rice. The study identifies a gap in understanding the effects of seed priming and foliar spray on Zn biofortification in rice.

  Seed Priming and Foliar Spray Synergistically Improve Zinc Biofortification, Yield, and Transporter Gene Expression in Rice Under Zinc Deficiency · 2026 · DOI

• Iron toxicity disrupts cellular homeostasis and limits crop productivity. Excessive accumulation of ferrous iron in the rhizosphere promotes the generation of reactive oxygen species. Limited information is available on the physiological, biochemical, and molecular traits associated with tolerance in indigenous rice genotypes.

  Root iron sequestration and antioxidant regulation govern iron-toxicity tolerance in indigenous rice genotypes from Northeast India · 2026 · DOI

• The role of the Dirigent family in Fe-deficiency stress tolerance is unknown in apple. The effect of MdDIR7 overexpression on plant performance under Fe-deficient conditions is unknown.

  Identification of Dirigent (DIR) genes in apple (Malus domestica) displays the role of MdDIR7 in iron (Fe)-deficiency stress tolerance · 2026 · DOI

• Limited bioavailability of iron and zinc to plants in these conditions. Need for development of nutrient-efficient rice varieties adapted to direct-seeded cultivation systems.

  Natural genetic variations underlying iron and zinc uptake efficiency in rice under direct-seeded cultivation conditions · 2026 · DOI

• One challenge is the need to balance high yield with high iron, zinc, and protein content in pearl millet. Another challenge is the potential for genotype × environment interaction, which can affect the stability of biofortified hybrids. The study also faces the challenge of identifying superior parents for hybridisation that can combine high yield with high nutritional traits.

  Combining ability and gene action for grain yield and biofortification traits in pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.]: implications for breeding high-yielding biofortified hybrids in arid regions · 2026 · DOI

• The study faced challenges in terms of soil zinc deficiency, which limits zinc accumulation in biofortified beans. The genotype × soil interaction poses a challenge for achieving nutritional targets in legumes and other smallholder crops. The lack of integrated interventions to address soil zinc deficiency and promote zinc accumulation in biofortified crops is a significant challenge.

  Genotype × soil zinc interaction constrains grain zinc loading in a biofortified common bean under farmer management · 2025 · DOI

• The concentration thresholds that trigger chlorosis in citrus plants are not well understood. The physiological mechanism behind boron-induced chlorosis is not well understood. The metabolites or hormones involved in boron toxicity in citrus plants are not well understood.

  Metabolic and Hormonal Alterations in Citrus Leaves of ‘Fino 49’ Lemon Grafted onto Citrus macrophylla under Boron Phytotoxicity Conditions · 2026 · DOI

• However, its functional conservation remains unexplored, and some contradictory results have been reported regarding the effects of bHLH121 overexpression.

  The conserved function of bHLH121 and overexpression of N-terminal bHLH121 fragment suppresses iron deficiency response in Arabidopsis · 2026 · DOI

• Further breeding processes can be employed using the identified tolerant genotypes. The study of salinity tolerance in rice landraces can be extended to other environmental stresses. Investigation of the molecular mechanisms underlying salinity tolerance in rice landraces can be conducted.

  Deciphering Salt Tolerance and Grain Fe/Zn Retention in Indica Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Landraces through Morpho-physiological and Molecular Profiling Identifies Key Descriptors and Novel Sources of Tolerance · 2026 · DOI

• Smallholder farmers resist adding enhanced zinc, iron and iodine fertilizers due to higher cost - Establishment of uniform nutrient distribution in agricultural fields is a challenge - Foliar sprays may be impractical or cost-prohibitive for resource-limited smallholder farmers - Stability of biofortified micronutrients during processing, storage and cooking…

  Agronomic Biofortification of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) with Zinc, Iron and Iodine: Uptake Pathways, Fertilization Strategies and Nutritional Appraisal · 2026 · DOI

• Limited to two Turkish bread wheat cultivars, - Controlled growth room conditions, - 21-day treatment…

  Comparative Analysis of Two Wheat Cultivars under Iron Deficiency: Integrating Morphological, Physiological, Anatomical, Molecular, and Yield Responses to Reveal Destan’s Resilience · 2026 · DOI

• The ambiguity of the molecular processes controlling Zn homeostasis in wheat limits the development of high-Zn varieties, - Genetic biofortification is a time-consuming and expensive approach, - Agronomic biofortification needs annual reapplication, and its efficiency can be influenced by Zn application timing…

  Molecular Insights into Zinc Uptake and Accumulation in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.): From Deficiency Responses to Biofortification Strategies · 2026 · DOI

• Investigating the molecular mechanisms behind different metabolic pathways using RNA-seq, - Identifying the genetic marker associated with high Zn content using omics technology, - Exploring the existing variations in the wheat germplasm to improve the bioavailability of Zn, - Developing genotypes with lower phytic content and higher Zn through breeding…

  Molecular Insights into Zinc Uptake and Accumulation in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.): From Deficiency Responses to Biofortification Strategies · 2026 · DOI

• Investigating the effects of different Zn levels on rice genotypes, - Studying the impact of Zn fertilization on other crops, - Examining the interaction between Zn and other nutrients on plant growth…

  Foliar Zinc Fortification Enhances Morphological, Physiological and Biochemical Properties in Traditional Rice Cultivars Indigenous to the Northeastern Hill Region of India · 2026 · DOI

• Further studies can investigate the effects of SP and FS on other crop species, - Research can focus on optimizing the application of SP and FS for improved Zn biofortification, - Studies can explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the induction of ZIP and HMA…

  Seed Priming and Foliar Spray Synergistically Improve Zinc Biofortification, Yield, and Transporter Gene Expression in Rice Under Zinc Deficiency · 2026 · DOI

• Investigate the effects of boron toxicity on other citrus varieties, - Examine the long-term consequences of boron toxicity on citrus crops, - Develop strategies to mitigate boron toxicity in citrus…

  Metabolic and Hormonal Alterations in Citrus Leaves of ‘Fino 49’ Lemon Grafted onto Citrus macrophylla under Boron Phytotoxicity Conditions · 2026 · DOI

• Investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying Fe toxicity tolerance in traditional rice cultivars, - Evaluating the effectiveness of iron plaque formation and antioxidant defense in improving stress…

  Root iron sequestration and antioxidant regulation govern iron-toxicity tolerance in indigenous rice genotypes from Northeast India · 2026 · DOI

• Further studies can investigate the functional validation of candidate genes, - Genomics-assisted selection can be used to improve Fe and Zn uptake…

  Natural genetic variations underlying iron and zinc uptake efficiency in rice under direct-seeded cultivation conditions · 2026 · DOI

• Investigation of the effects of other micronutrients on Zn loading in biofortified beans. Development of integrated interventions combining soil management, Zn fertilization, and breeding for enhanced translocation efficiency. Evaluation of the economic feasibility of integrated interventions.

  Genotype × soil zinc interaction constrains grain zinc loading in a biofortified common bean under farmer management · 2025 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Plant Micronutrient Interactions and Effects

• Zinc toxicity in plants: a review · Planta · 2021 · 404 citations
• Iron homeostasis in plants and its crosstalk with copper, zinc, and manganese · Plant Stress · 2021 · 339 citations
• Zinc in plants: Integrating homeostasis and biofortification · Molecular Plant · 2021 · 336 citations
• Priming with zinc oxide nanoparticles improve germination and photosynthetic performance in wheat · Plant Physiology and Biochemistry · 2021 · 331 citations
• Food system strategies for preventing micronutrient malnutrition · Food Policy · 2013 · 269 citations
• Micronutrients and their diverse role in agricultural crops: advances and future prospective · Acta Physiologiae Plantarum · 2015 · 251 citations
• Zinc in soil-plant-human system: A data-analysis review · The Science of The Total Environment · 2021 · 215 citations
• Calcite in combination with olive pulp biochar reduces Ni mobility in soil and its distribution in chili plant · International Journal of Phytoremediation · 2021 · 192 citations
• Phytate content of foods: Effect on dietary zinc bioavailability · Journal of the American Dietetic Association · 1981 · 181 citations
• Cross-Talks Between Macro- and Micronutrient Uptake and Signaling in Plants · Frontiers in Plant Science · 2021 · 181 citations

Most recent work

• Interface-Engineered Nanohybrid Membranes for Selective Boron Removal from Brackish Water and Seawater Reverse Osmosis Permeate · Environmental Science & Technology · 2026
• Brick-and-cement structured polyamide membranes enabling to selectively separate boron from brackish water and real seawater permeate · Journal of Membrane Science · 2026
• Systematic analysis of the F3H family in maize reveals a role for ZmF3H6 in salt stress tolerance · New Crops · 2026
• Arabidopsis BRUTUS, BRUTUS-LIKE, and bHLH IVc subgroup proteins coordinate iron homeostasis in the root and shoot · The Plant Cell · 2026
• Deciphering underexplored rhizosphere processes: root acquisition of citric acid and its metabolic journey in tomato · Journal of Experimental Botany · 2026
• Grain zinc, iron and protein concentrations of contemporary wheat cultivars fall short of targets for human health · Nature Food · 2026
• Scaling biofortified wheat production for agrifood and nutritional security in eastern India: Evidence from five years of multi-location field evaluations in Bihar · Field Crops Research · 2026
• Versatile roles of CrRLK1L proteins in crop adaptation to biotic and abiotic stresses · New Crops · 2026
• Bee on Boron—Sufficient Boron Supply of Brassica napus Is Crucial for Attracting Pollinating Insects to Ensure Seed Yield · Ecology and Evolution · 2026
• CITF1 interacts with FIT and regulates copper–iron crosstalk in Arabidopsis · The Plant Cell · 2026

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