Adaptive Responses of Crop Species Against Phosphorus Deficiency

Phosphorus (P) is necessary for plant growth and productivity. P deficiency leads to huge yield losses, and continuous depletion of P in industrial agriculture is becoming a major issue of food security. Moreover, most P is not readily available for plants, thus restricting plant growth. Therefore, P uptake efficiency should be enhanced by identifying key root traits, genes or beneficial microbial associations involved in P uptake. In this chapter we review crops responses to P deficiency, the mechanisms of P acquisition and P homeostasis, response of root exudation to P deficiency, and microbial communities that favor P acquisition. More than 80% of plants establish a symbiotic associations to improve nutrient acquisition ability, ultimately improving plant growth and yield. Plants have evolved an array of strategies to overcome P scarcity-related problems.