Nitrogen Research in Sugarcane: Proteomic Avenues

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is one of the world’s most important crops for sugar production and bioenergy, with major contributions to the agro-industrial sector, yet the processes underlying nitrogen (N) acquisition, metabolism, regulation, N use efficiency (NUE), as well as the biochemical basis and molecular responses to N-related stimuli remain incompletely understood and warrant further investigation. Proteomics has emerged as a powerful approach contributing to the understanding of how plants and their associated microbiome sense, regulate, assimilate, and redistribute N across diverse biological and environmental contexts. This article provides a perspective on findings from studies relevant to sugarcane research and the plant proteome landscape, encompassing environmental stresses, plant–microbe interactions, and complementary approaches. It also highlights relevant advances, including emerging research themes, knowledge gaps and aspects for future N-related research. Here, N research encompasses both metabolic processes and their broader agronomic and applied implications. A bibliometric analysis was also conducted to characterize research trends in this field using an international bibliographic database, followed by the systematic curation of relevant research articles. Relevant aspects include the regulation of N-assimilation enzymes, information on biological nitrogen fixation-related interactions, metabolic crosstalk, and the potential of complementary experimental systems to study aspects related to this research topic. From a N-related perspective, integrating relevant molecular, metabolic, and biochemical insights with plant N status, stress mitigation, and agronomic performance, supported by integrative multi-omics strategies and improved functional annotation of the complex polyploid sugarcane genome, may help bridge mechanistic understanding with the development of more efficient and sustainable N management strategies, improved NUE, and more effective strategies for sugarcane research and crop improvement.