2021 Volume 70 Issue 1 Pages 29-39
Plants absorb nutrients from both inorganic and organic components, but the use of organic components remains largely unknown due to their complexity. However, the mechanism of action of organic components has been elucidated through the detailed experimental results using isotope-labeled organic components, such as stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen (13C and 15N) and radioisotopes of carbon (14C). In this article, we explained the properties, absorption and metabolism of organic compounds used by plants with the latest research reports, and the contribution of isotope tracer experiments to elucidate the effectiveness of organic compounds for plant growth.