5.

2: Source of Nutrient Elements in Soil

and Their Role in Plant Growth Including
their Deficiency and Toxicity

By: Dr. Jyoty Angotra(Lecturer)

Govt. Degree College, Poonch.
Minerals: Minerals are chemical
elements required as a essential
nutrient by organisms to perform
functions necessary for life. Plants gets
minerals from the soil; they absorb
dissolve elements from soil which are
helpful for their growth and
development.
Classification: Approximately 16 element
are stated to be essential to the growth of
most plants, depending upon the quantity
of requirement, essential elements are sub
divided into two groups:
MACROELEMENTS
MICROELEMENTS
Macro elements: Those elements which
are needed in large quantities. It includes
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen,
potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulphur,
magnesium etc., total 9 elements.
Micro elements: Those elements which
are needed in small quantities. It includes
chlorine, iron, manganese, boron, zinc,
copper, molybdenum.
Minerals Deficiency Symptoms and
Reclamations
Deficiency "lack or storage": It may be defined as
something that is lacking or something that is not
sufficient is known as deficiency.
Symptoms: a physical features which is regarded as
indicating a condition of disease particularly such a
feature i,e apparent to the patient.
Reclamation: the act or the process of recovery the
reclamations start from soil up-to the mulberry.
Nitrogen:
Macro-Nutrients
Nitrogen constitutes an important element in the
composition of the plants and it is an essential constituent
of proteins, nucleic acid, vitamins, and many other
organic molecules such as chlorophyll.
 Role: It play a important role for cell division, it also
involve in photosynthesis, It is a building block of protein.
Nitrogen Deficiency Symptoms: Stunted growth,
Retarded growth of roots, Reduction in the size of
branches and stunted appearance of the plant indicate
deficiency of soil nitrogen, Premature leaf fall and
yellowing of leaf. Reclamation: Application of
nitrogenous fertilizers likes urea, ammonium nitrate,
potassium nitrate or calcium nitrates correct the
deficiency symptoms.
 Macro-Nutrients
Phosphorus: Phosphorus is present plasma
membrane and it is a component of nucleic acid,
nucleotide, many co enzyme and organic molecules.
Role: It play a important role in energy metabolism, it
promote healthy root growth and fruit ripening.
Phosphorus Deficiency Symptoms: The earliest
sign noticeable was interveinal chlorosis of older
leaves which spread rapidly to the whole leaf, stunted
and slender stem, discoloration of stem and leaves to
reddish or purplish color, poor growth.
Reclamation: Application of phosphate fertilizers
like triple phosphate or super phosphate.
 Macro-Nutrients
Potassium: It is a third important element, next to
importance in nitrogen and phosphorus, potassium is
required in the meristimatic region and region of cell
differentiation.
Role: It plays an important role in the activation of many
enzyme and has a role in protein and carbohydrate
metabolism.
Potassium Deficiency Symptoms: Weaker stem and
root system, small leaves, young leaves with scorched
margins and coarse, non juicy and necrotic leaves indicate
potassium deficiency.
Reclamation: Application of potash fertilizer to correct
the deficiency.
 Macro-Nutrients
Calcium: It forms an important constituent of the cell wall
occurring in the middle lamella as calcium pectate.
Role: It has an important role in mitotic division and is a
constituent of enzyme like phospholipase and adenly kinase
where it acts as an activator. It reduces the harm full action of
iron and manganese to plants.
Calcium Deficiency Symptoms: The first sign of this deficiency
is necrosis along the veins and this in the later stage leads to the
abscission of the leaves, the plants show stunted growth with
woody stem and yellowish of tips, leaf shape disordered.
Reclamation: Application of lime in the recommended dose
after soil testing i.e., 1 MT/ha/year at the interval of every 4-5
years. Spray 0.5-1.0% calcium nitrate or calcium chloride over the
leaves of deficient plants.
 Macro-Nutrients
Sulphur: It involve in the formation of chlorophyll and
glycosides and in the activation of enzyme. It is the
constituent of certain vitamins such as thiamine and
biotin.
Role: It plays an important role in respiration.
Sulphur Deficiency Symptoms: Younger leaves show
chlorosis first, overall growth of plant is stunted with
general lack of new growth, Necrosis starts from the
margin in younger leaves.
Reclamation:0.1-0.2% aqueous solution of potassium
sulphate should be sprayed on deficient
plants,ammonium sulphate or gypsum has to be applied
in the recommended doses.
 Macro-Nutrients
Mangnesium: Magnesium is a constituent of chlorophyll
molecule which can't be formed without magnesium.
Role: It is a vital role in carbohydrate metabolisms and
the binding of ribosomal subunit. Magnesium is the
activator of many enzyme involved in DNA and RNA
synthesis.
Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms: Interveinal
chlorosis takes place, Spots of the dead tissues scattered
over the young leaf.
Reclamation: Application of magnesium sulphate or
magnesium oxide to the soil, Use of a folair sprays 2%
solution of magnesium sulphate, Spray magnesium
sulphate of 0.2- 0.5% on deficient plants.
 Micro-nutrient
Copper: Copper is necessary for chlorophyll
formation in plants and catalyses several other plant
reactions although it is not usually a part of the
product formed by that reaction.
Copper Deficiency Symptoms: It includes wilting of
tender leaves and drying of leaf tips without any
change in color of the leaves and Excess of copper
leads to death of bark.
Reclamation: Aqueous solution of 1kg copper
sulphate/ha/crop should be spray over plants.
 Micro-nutrient
Iron: This is an important constituent of many enzymes,
particularly the respiration enzyme. It is also essential for
chlorophyll.
Role: It plays an important role in the electron transport
system of photosynthesis.
Iron Deficiency Symptoms: Iron deficiency shows up as a
pale green leaf color with sharp distinction between green
veins and yellow interveinal tissues, fruits trees particularly
show sensitivity to iron deficiency.
Reclamation: To recover this deficiency appropriate dose of
iron sulphate or use of iron- chelating compound as foliar
recommended.
 Micro-nutrient
Zinc: It is necessary for the formation of
carbohydrates and starch.
Zinc Deficiency Symptoms: Overall plant growth is
arrested, Lower leaves become yellowish green, Severe
reduction in leaf size, Whitish spot appears on the
older leaves, decrease in auxin content.
Reclamation: Aqueous solution of 2kg zinc
sulphate/ha/crop should be sprayed over the leaves of
deficient mulberry plants and excess of zinc salts
injuries the root and dwarf the plants.
 Micro-nutrient

Boron: The role of boron in mulberry is unknown but

it appears to be in the translocation of sugar and
utilization of calcium in cell wall formation.
Boron Deficiency Symptoms: Yellowing and death
of the terminal buds and blackening of the plants,
include stunted growth, abnormal shape and
disintegration of young tissue which leads to cracks in
the plants.
Reclamation: Application of borax in appropriate
doses corrects the deficiency.
 Micro-nutrient
Chloride: Not much information about its function,
it enhance maturity of small grains on some soil.

Chloride Deficiency Symptoms: Leave wilt,

Chlorosis and necrosis. Yellowing of leaves and slow
death of the tips.

Reclamation: Application of fertilizers for recovery.

Thank You