Foliar nutrient uptake from dust sustains plant nutrition
<p>Mineral nutrient uptake from soil through the roots is considered the main nutrition pathway for vascular terrestrial plants. Recently, desert dust was discovered as an alternative nutrient source to plants through direct uptake from dust deposited on their foliage. Here we study the uptake...
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| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Biogeosciences |
| Online Access: | https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/22/2653/2025/bg-22-2653-2025.pdf |
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| author | A. Lokshin A. Lokshin D. Palchan E. Golan R. Erel D. Andronico A. Gross |
| author_facet | A. Lokshin A. Lokshin D. Palchan E. Golan R. Erel D. Andronico A. Gross |
| author_sort | A. Lokshin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Mineral nutrient uptake from soil through the roots is considered the main nutrition pathway for vascular terrestrial plants. Recently, desert dust was discovered as an alternative nutrient source to plants through direct uptake from dust deposited on their foliage. Here we study the uptake of nutrients from freshly deposited desert and volcanic dusts by chickpea plants under ambient and future elevated levels of atmospheric CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> through the roots and directly through the foliage. We find that within weeks, chickpea plants acquire phosphorus (P) from dust only through foliar uptake under ambient conditions and P, iron (Fe), and nickel (Ni) under elevated CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> conditions, significantly increasing their growth. Using an additional chickpea variety with contrasting leaf properties, we show that the foliar nutrient uptake pathway from dust is facilitated by leaf surface chemical and physiological traits, such as low pH and trichome densities. We analyzed Nd radiogenic isotopes extracted from plant tissues after dust application to assess the contribution of mineral nutrients that were acquired through the foliage. Our results suggest that foliar mineral nutrient uptake from dust is an important pathway that may play an even bigger role in an elevated-CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> world.</p> |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e6ea8459c0424eaa9c3117543738d696 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1726-4170 1726-4189 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biogeosciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-e6ea8459c0424eaa9c3117543738d6962025-08-20T02:33:15ZengCopernicus PublicationsBiogeosciences1726-41701726-41892025-06-01222653266610.5194/bg-22-2653-2025Foliar nutrient uptake from dust sustains plant nutritionA. Lokshin0A. Lokshin1D. Palchan2E. Golan3R. Erel4D. Andronico5A. Gross6The Department of Environment, Geoinformatics and Urban planning Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, IsraelThe Department of Civil Engineering, Ariel University, Ariel, IsraelThe Department of Civil Engineering, Ariel University, Ariel, IsraelInstitute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Gilat Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Gilat, IsraelInstitute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, Gilat Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Gilat, IsraelIstituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di Catania – Osservatorio Etneo, Rome, ItalyThe Department of Environment, Geoinformatics and Urban planning Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel<p>Mineral nutrient uptake from soil through the roots is considered the main nutrition pathway for vascular terrestrial plants. Recently, desert dust was discovered as an alternative nutrient source to plants through direct uptake from dust deposited on their foliage. Here we study the uptake of nutrients from freshly deposited desert and volcanic dusts by chickpea plants under ambient and future elevated levels of atmospheric CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> through the roots and directly through the foliage. We find that within weeks, chickpea plants acquire phosphorus (P) from dust only through foliar uptake under ambient conditions and P, iron (Fe), and nickel (Ni) under elevated CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> conditions, significantly increasing their growth. Using an additional chickpea variety with contrasting leaf properties, we show that the foliar nutrient uptake pathway from dust is facilitated by leaf surface chemical and physiological traits, such as low pH and trichome densities. We analyzed Nd radiogenic isotopes extracted from plant tissues after dust application to assess the contribution of mineral nutrients that were acquired through the foliage. Our results suggest that foliar mineral nutrient uptake from dust is an important pathway that may play an even bigger role in an elevated-CO<span class="inline-formula"><sub>2</sub></span> world.</p>https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/22/2653/2025/bg-22-2653-2025.pdf |
| spellingShingle | A. Lokshin A. Lokshin D. Palchan E. Golan R. Erel D. Andronico A. Gross Foliar nutrient uptake from dust sustains plant nutrition Biogeosciences |
| title | Foliar nutrient uptake from dust sustains plant nutrition |
| title_full | Foliar nutrient uptake from dust sustains plant nutrition |
| title_fullStr | Foliar nutrient uptake from dust sustains plant nutrition |
| title_full_unstemmed | Foliar nutrient uptake from dust sustains plant nutrition |
| title_short | Foliar nutrient uptake from dust sustains plant nutrition |
| title_sort | foliar nutrient uptake from dust sustains plant nutrition |
| url | https://bg.copernicus.org/articles/22/2653/2025/bg-22-2653-2025.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alokshin foliarnutrientuptakefromdustsustainsplantnutrition AT alokshin foliarnutrientuptakefromdustsustainsplantnutrition AT dpalchan foliarnutrientuptakefromdustsustainsplantnutrition AT egolan foliarnutrientuptakefromdustsustainsplantnutrition AT rerel foliarnutrientuptakefromdustsustainsplantnutrition AT dandronico foliarnutrientuptakefromdustsustainsplantnutrition AT agross foliarnutrientuptakefromdustsustainsplantnutrition |