John Angus graduated B. Agr. Sc. and PhD from the University of Melbourne. He worked as a Research Scientist at CSIRO Canberra from 1973 until 2010, with visiting scientist positions at the International Rice Research Institute and the Swedish University of Agricultural Science along the way. After retirement he remains an honorary fellow at CSIRO and is also an adjunct professor at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga. He is a fellow of the Australian and American Societies of Agronomy and has served as President of the Agronomy Australia. He was the 2006 recipient of the Australian Medal of Agricultural Science and the 2019 recipient of the Colin Donald medal of Agronomy Australia. Dr N. Raghuram is a Professor and Founder-Head of the Centre for Sustainable Nitrogen and Nutrient management, School of Biotechnology, Guru Gobind Singh University, New Delhi. He was formerly the Dean of Biotechnology and Chair of the International Nitrogen Initiative (INI). He edited several special issues of international journals on NUE and sustainable N management, and currently is the Editor in Chief of Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants. He is a steering committee member of the UNEP Global partnership on Nutrient Management (GPNM). Professor Malcolm Hawkesford is head of the Plant Sciences Department at Rothamsted Research and leads the Institutes contribution to the UK Designing Future Wheat strategic research programme. He is a Honorary Professor in Plant Sciences in the School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham. He is an investigator on multiple international programmes with Brazil and India, is a lead investigator in the Defra-funded Wheat Genetic Improvement Network, participates in multiple BBSRC-funded projects aimed at optimizing resource use in wheat and is the lead scientist for major wheat GMO field experiments at Rothamsted. He is chair of the Nutrient Use Efficiency Expert Working Group of the International Wheat Initiative.

• Chapter 1 - Advances in optimising nitrogen-use efficiency in crop production: J. F. Angus, CSIRO Agriculture and Food and Graham Centre – Charles Sturt University, Australia; 1 Introduction2 Some definitions of nitrogen-use efficiency3 Nitrogen demand and supply4 Practices to increase nitrogen-use efficiency5 Nitrogen overuse6 Conclusion7 Acknowledgement8 Where to look for further information9 References Chapter taken from: Rengel, Z. (ed.), Achieving sustainable crop nutrition, Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge, UK, 2020, (ISBN: 978 1 78676 312 9)Chapter 2 - Advances in understanding nitrogen cycling in soil: Samantha Earl-Goulet, Claudia Wagner-Riddle and Laura Van Eerd, University of Guelph, Canada; and Kate Congreves, University of Saskatchewan, Canada; 1 Introduction2 Case studies3 Conclusion and future research trends4 Where to look for further information5 References Chapter taken from: Ladha, J. K. (ed.), Improving nitrogen use efficiency in crop production, Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge, UK, 2024, (ISBN: 978 1 80146 470 3)Chapter 3 - Molecular interventions for improving crop nitrogen use efficiency: trends, opportunities and challenges in rice: Dinesh Kumar Jaiswal and Nandula Raghuram, Centre for Sustainable Nitrogen and Nutrient Management, University School of Biotechnology, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, India; 1 Introduction2 Definition and selection of nitrogen use efficiency indices3 Nitrogen management practices for improved nitrogen use efficiency4 Biological intervention for nitrogen use efficiency improvement5 Conclusion and future prospects6 Where to look for further information7 Acknowledgements8 References Chapter taken from: Ladha, J. K. (ed.), Improving nitrogen use efficiency in crop production, Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge, UK, 2024, (ISBN: 978 1 80146 470 3)Chapter 4 - Advances in the understanding of nitrogen (N) uptake by plant roots: Malcolm J. Hawkesford and William R. Whalley, Rothamsted Research, UK; 1 Introduction2 Nitrogen in the soil3 Nitrogen uptake and NUE in agriculture4 Genetic variation in NUE and roots5 Transporters involved in nitrogen uptake6 Root responses to nitrogen availability7 Effects of soil conditions and structure on root N-uptake and proliferation8 Future trends for crop improvement9 Acknowledgements10 Where to look for further information11 References Chapter taken from: Gregory, P. J. (ed.), Understanding and improving crop root function, Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge, UK, 2019, (ISBN: 978 1 78676 360 0)Chapter 5 - Improving the uptake and assimilation of nitrogen in wheat plants: Jacques Le Gouis, INRA, France and Malcolm Hawkesford, Rothamsted Research, UK; 1 Introduction2 Nitrogen uptake3 Nitrogen assimilation4 Nitrogen remobilization5 Future trends in research6 Where to look for further information7 Acknowledgements8 References Chapter taken from: Langridge, P. (ed.), Achieving sustainable cultivation of wheat Volume 1: Breeding, quality traits, pests and diseases, Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing , Cambridge, UK, 2017, ISBN: 978 1 78676 016 6)