Tease out the future: How tea research might enable crop breeding for acid soil tolerance
Zhong Jie Ding, Yuanzhi Shi, Guixin Li, Nicholas P. Harberd, Shao Jian Zheng
Abstract
) actually prefers acid soils (pH 4.0-5.5). Specifically, tea is very tolerant of acidity-promoted aluminum (Al) toxicity, a major factor that limits the yield of most other crops, and it even requires Al for optimum growth. Understanding tea Al tolerance and Al-stimulatory mechanisms could therefore be fundamental for the future development of crops adapted to acid soils. Here, we summarize the Al-tolerance mechanisms of tea plants, propose possible mechanistic explanations for the stimulation of tea growth by Al based on recent research, and put forward ideas for future crop breeding for acid soils.
Topics & Concepts
Camellia sinensisTea gardenSoil waterCropCrop productivityYield (engineering)AgronomyBiotechnologySoil pHAgroforestryBiologyHorticultureEcologyMetallurgyMaterials scienceAluminum toxicity and tolerance in plants and animalsSilicon Effects in AgriculturePlant Stress Responses and Tolerance