Role of Mineral Nitrogen Nutrition in Fungal Plant Diseases of Cereal Crops

Abstract

Conventional chemical crop protection with pesticides is increasingly seen as being critical, because of pesticide residues in food and the environment. Integrated alternative management strategies such as crop rotations and soil management might also involve the targeted use of certain mineral fertilizers with benefits for plant health. A key element required for healthy crops is nitrogen, which is applied at differing dosages in various chemical forms, all with distinct effects on crop physiology and plant growth. Here, we review classical and more recent evidence for the crop disease-protective effects of nitrogen and various chemical nitrogen forms. We conclude that simple general statements concerning disease-protective roles in agricultural environments remain elusive, although complex plant-soil microbial interaction networks are becoming increasingly understood. The health of modern varieties might be substantially improved by certain chemical nitrogen fertilizer forms, particularly when the disease-causing fungal species are known.