Where is plant beneficial element research heading?

Maintaining optimal crop nutritional levels is crucial for maximizing yield and enhancing stress resistance. In addition to the 17 essential nutrients, there are many plant-beneficial elements: silicon, aluminum, selenium, titanium, iodine, vanadium, cobalt, sodium, and rare earth elements. They are not essential for all plants, but some are crucial for specific plant species. However, the mechanisms of action of many beneficial elements are still unclear, and products containing beneficial elements have not been widely accepted and used by the public. This review systematically summarizes the current knowledge of plant-beneficial elements. Most importantly, we offer suggestions for future research on beneficial elements, which include integrating cross-disciplinary and innovative technologies, expanding the scope of application and elemental spies, broadening the spatial and temporal scales of research, incorporating beneficial elements into the soil health evaluation system, and shifting from single to multi-element applications. In the future, research on beneficial elements should be closely centered around “mechanism+application” to meet the ever-increasing demands driven by population growth, improve human health, tackle environmental challenges, and promote rural economic development.