Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: July 31, 2002
Publication Date: N/A
Technical Abstract: Phosphorus has and will continue to play a major role in crop productivity because of its role in all phases of plant growth. However, the adverse impact that excess P has on water quality, coupled to depletion of cheap sources and lack of availability in the developing world, necessitate that plant scientists unravel the mechanisms leading to improved P acquisition. Proteoid roots of white lupin offer an excellent model system for understanding P acquisition strategies that both improve acquisition and conserve use of the critical nutrient. By discovering how plants control adaptation to low P environments through changes in metabolism, development, and gene expression, we can begin to identify targets to improve P acquisition through conventional and biotechnological methods.