This textbook aims to describe the role of minerals in plant life cycle; how these nutrients are absorbed, distributed, stored; what functions each mineral plays and the disorders that their excess or absence may cause. From an agronomic perspective, such knowledge is key to boost crop production and improve its quality, and it also helps understand how to better manage fertilizers and prevent environmental issues. The book has focus on tropical agriculture and its specific demands, providing examples of major crops (such as sugarcane, soybeans, coffee etc), silviculture and pasture species.

Renato de Mello Prado has a PhD in Agronomy from the São Paulo State University (Unesp) and did postdocs at the University of Cordoba and the Public University of Navarra, Spain. He is a professor of Plant Nutrition at Unesp since 2003 and coordinates a research group (Genplant) focused on the nutrition of tropical plants. He has published over 400 articles in peer-review journals and 20 academic books.