Comment by cseq
4 hours ago
The whole idea behind that was that (within reason) the more N you can pump into the crop, the more it will yield, but also the taller it will grow. Wheat is essentially an inverted pendulum when ripe, with about 60% of the above-ground biomass perched at the top.
The main thrust of modern crop breeding has been to create crops that you can successfully get to harvest under high-nutrition environments, without it literally falling over or succumbing to disease due to the turgid, fleshy growth. Even then, if you're applying more than maybe 150kgN/ha, you will be relying on plant growth regulators that inhibit auxin/gibberellin response to keep the plant under control.
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At micromolar concentrations this may be true. There is plenty of Pb to go around in the soil and in the air from private aviation for such a minor micronutrient. I also doubt elevating Pb levels in crops is at the top of many public health agendas.
It should be. It has the same effect on people - they grow too much too fast, but remain immature and fragile both mentally and physically. They do hit puberty very early though.
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Calmodulin needs calcium, not lead.