Phytosiderophores are released by wheat plants to help them absorb important metals like iron, zinc, copper, and manganese. When these metals are lacking in the soil, wheat plants release more phytosiderophores to try and get more of them. Different wheat varieties release different amounts of phytosiderophores, with some being more efficient at it than others. The release of phytosiderophores follows a similar pattern throughout the day, regardless of which metals are lacking in the soil. This study shows that the ability to release phytosiderophores is linked to how well wheat plants can use iron, and that this ability is more important than how much phytosiderophores they can make.