This proceedings volume contains the invited and a selection of the contributed papers of the 8th International Workshop on Sulfur Metabolism in Higher Plants, which was held at Department of Forest and Ecosystem Science, University of Melbourne, Water Street, Creswick, Victoria 3363, Australia from November 22-27, 2010. Content of the volume shows that the understanding of sulfur metabolism in plants and the interaction of the environment are rapidly progressing. This volume covers various aspects of the regulation of sulfate uptake and assimilation in plants, from a cellular to a whole plant level, and additionally emphasizes interactions with other minerals. Moreover the significance of sulfur metabolism in biotic and abiotic stress responses, in food security and quality, and in relation to interactions with global change factors is discussed in detail.

Sulphur (S) plays a pivotal role in various plant growth and development processes being a constituent of sulphur-containing amino acids, cysteine and methionine, and other metabolites viz., glutathione and phytochelatins, co-factor of enzymes which contribute to stress repair and amelioration of heavy metal toxicity. Besides, a number of S-containing components are biologically active and, thus, a source for use as medicinal value. The basic global issue before the agricultural scientist and world community is to evolve cultivars and develop methodologies for efficient use of inputs to enhance agricultural productivity. This is particularly true of the developing countries which are going to see maximum rise in population with changing food demands and declining availability of land. Amongst the inputs, nutrients play a crucial role. The major requirement is for N, P and K followed by several micro-nutrients. In this context reports of world-wide S deficiency in the agricultural systems are relevant. The reasons are many. Broadly speaking reduction inS emission, use of S-free N, P and K fertilizers and higher biomass production contributed the maximum. Despite the need for sulphur as an essential plant nutrient and the substantial returns expected from its use, very little attention has been given to fill the gap between supply and demand of S.

This book presents the latest findings on how plants respond physiologically to sulfur in their environment. It combines an ecosystems approach with new insights at the molecular and biochemical level. Key areas are explored to assess the functions and implications of this essential plant nutrient in a range of natural, semi-natural and anthropogenic environments. The result is an important new reference on the relationships between plants and sulfur.

As an essential nutrient for plant growth and development, sulfur (S) deficiency in productive systems limits yield and quality. This Special Issue hosts a collection of original research articles, focusing on the following topics: (1) The germinative and post-germinative behavior of Brassica napus seeds when severe S limitation is applied to the parent plants; (2) the independence of S-deficiency from the mRNA degradation initiation enzyme PARN in Arabidopsis; (3) the glucosinolate distribution in the aerial parts of sel1-10, a disruption mutant of the sulfate transporter SULTR1;2, in mature Arabidopsis thaliana plants; (4) the accumulation of S-methylcysteine as its γ-glutamyl dipeptide in Phaseolus vulgaris; and (5) the role of ferric iron chelation-strategy components in the leaves and roots of maize, have provided new insights into the effect of S availability on plant functionality. Moreover, the role of S deficiency in root system functionality has been highlighted, focusing on (6) the contribution of root hair development to sulfate uptake in Arabidopsis, and (7) the modulation of lateral root development by the CLE-CLAVATA1 signaling pathway under S deficiency. The role of S in plants grown under drought conditions has been investigated in more detail focusing (8) on the relationship between S-induced stomata closure and the canonical ABA signal transduction machinery. Furthermore, (9) the assessment of S deficiency under field conditions by single measurements of sulfur, chloride, and phosphorus in mature leaves, (10) the effect of fertilizers enriched with elemental S on durum wheat yield, and (11, 12) the impact of elemental S on the rhizospheric bacteria of durum wheat contributed to enhancing the scientific knowledge of S nutrition under field conditions.

Sulfur is one of the most versatile elements in life. This book provides, for the first time, in-depth and integrated coverage of the functions of sulfur in phototrophic organisms including bacteria, plants and algae. It bridges gaps between biochemistry and cellular biology of sulfur in these organisms, and of biology and environments dominated by them. The book therefore provides a comprehensive overview of plant sulfur relations from genome to environment.

This book contains the invited and contributed papers of the 5th Workshop on Sulfur Transport and Assimilation in Plants, a joined European Commission (COST Action 829) and OECD meeting hosted at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique in Montpellier (France) from April 11 to 14, 2002. The meeting was co-organized by the ENSA-Montpellier (France), the University of Graz (Austria), the University of Groningen (The Netherlands), Rothamsted Research, (United Kingdom), Institute of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, Braunschweig (Germany), the Agricultural Biotechnical Center of Gödöllö (Hungary), Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg (Germany) and the University of Chiba (Japan).