Aluminum toxicity and fruit nutrition

Abstract Many important fruit trees are commercially planted on acidic soils and are prone to Al toxicity. Significant progress has been made in our understanding of the physiological and molecular responses of fruit trees to Al toxicity during the past decade. In the chapter, Al toxic effects on growth and structure, physiological and biochemical responses of fruit trees to Al toxicity (uptake of mineral nutrients and water, leaf gas exchange and chlorophyll a fluorescence, reactive oxygen species and methylglyoxal detoxification systems, nonstructural carbohydrates, and organic acids), factors affecting Al tolerance of fruit trees (species and cultivars, Al uptake and distribution, secretion of organic acid anions, nitric oxide, methyl jasmonate, and efficient maintenance of redox homeostasis via reactive oxygen species and methylglyoxal detoxification systems), and molecular aspects of Al tolerance in fruit trees are summarized. Also, several aspects needed to be further studied are discussed.