20 Nutrient and Fertilizer PLANT NUTRIENTS

FUNDAMENTALS OF
SOIL SCIENCE
SST 3005
Plant nutrition
History of
Plant Nutrition
 A Greek, Aristotle (384–
(
322 BC) Greece scientist
 Plato’s Academy in Athens
 Teacher to Alexander the
Great
 Study earth, air, water &
fire
2
Definition:
Plant nutrition is the study of the chemical nutrients and
compounds necessary for plant growth, plant metabolism
and their external supply.
Two criteria for an element to be essential for plant

growth:
 in its absence the plant is unable to complete a

normal life cycle
 or that the element is part of some essential plant
constituent or metabolite.
(1972, E. Epstein) 3
In accordance with Liebig’s Law of the Minimum
There are 14 essential plant nutrients. Carbon and

oxygen are absorbed from the air, while other
nutrients including water are typically obtained
from the soil
Liebig's law of the minimum, often simply called Liebig's law or the law of the
minimum, is a principle developed in agricultural science by Carl Sprengel
(1828) and later popularized by Justus von Liebig .
` That growth is controlled not by the total amount of resources

available, but by the scarcest resource (limiting factor) ‘
4
Mineral Requirements of plants
Macro nutrients Micro Nutrients
 H - from water  Fe - intermediate

 C - from CO2  Cu, Zn, Mo, Mn, B,
 O - from water, CO2 and air Cl, Ni
 N - mineral or biological  In some plants Na, Co
 P, K, Mg, Ca, S may be essential
5
Non-Mineral
Non-Mineral Nutrients
Nutrients
Carbon
(C)
Hydrogen
( H Used
)
Used in
in photosynthesis
photosynthesis
Oxygen
(O)
Mineral
Mineral Nutrients
Nutrients
Macronutrients Micronutrients
Major Nutrients
Boron (B)
Nitrogen (N) Chloride (Cl)
Phosphorus (P) Copper (Cu)
Potassium (K) Iron (Fe)
Manganese (Mn)
Molybdenum (Mo)
Secondary Nutrients Zinc (Zn)
Nickel (Ni)
Calcium (Ca)
Magnesium (Mg)
Sulfur (S)
C H O
N 17
P Essential
Ca
K Elements
Mg
B
S Cl Cu
Mn FeMo Zn Ni
Criteria of Essentiality
 Deficiency renders plant incapable of
completing life cycle
 The symptoms of the deficiency can only be

prevented or offset by that element alone
 The element is directly involved in the

nutrition of the plant and not through
correction of unfavorable growing conditions
9
Nitrogen Requirements
 Most important nutrient in plant
 Nitrogen (1- 4% of dry weight of plant)
 one of the common nutrient deficiencies in plant
 Nitrogen is a Mobile element

 Major forms of N Uptake by plants:
 NO32- and NH4+
NO3 = Nitrate
 Major nitrogen Functions in Plants NO2 = Nitrite
 Production of Protein, DNA, Chlorophyll
Nitrogen Deficiency Symptom
 Green young
Nitrogen is a Mobile element leaves
 Main symptom is yellowing of older
leaves
 New leaves remain green
 Delayed maturity
 Reduced seed yield
 Excess nitrogen
 increased vegetative growth
 increased susceptibility to disease & insects
Yellow
old leaves
Phosphorous
 In plants, P is for growth and seed maturation
 P taken by plant as H2PO4- and HPO4=
 Phosphorus ~0.5% of dry weight of plant
 Large accumulation of P in seeds
 P is mobile in plant
 Major functions in plants, for production of:

 Transfer of Energy
 DNA, phospholipids
 cell regulation
12
Phosphorous deficiency
 Deficiencies first appear in older leaves
 Dark green / purple coloration of leaves,
lower leaves first because P is mobile
 due Anthocyanin pigments accumulation
 Stunting & delayed maturity
 Poor seedling vigor in seeds from
P deficient plants
Anthocyanin pigments are responsible

for the red, purple, and blue colors of many
fruits, vegetables, cereal grains, and
flowers. 13
Potassium
 Most abundant element in plants
 K+ (1- 6% dry weight)
 Not a structural component in plants
 Forms taken up by plants = K+
 K is Mobile in plant
 Activate Enzyme catalyst for :
 starch synthesis, protein metabolism, Photosynthesis
 regulates Non-Protein N accumulation
 Stomata opening and closing
 Water Relations
14
Potassium deficiency
 K is Mobile element, symptoms start on old leaves
 Tips and margins of leaves turn brown. K is mobile so this
occurs first on lower leaves.
 Increased lodging (spread out of browning leaves)
 Na+ can substitute in some plants for K in water relations
Sulfur (up to 1%)
 In plant (up to 1%)
 Intermediate mobility in plant
 Main form of S Uptake by plant
 SO = (SO atmospheric)
4 2
 Major Functions, for production of :

 Protein
 SAM metabolism
 secondary metabolism
 electron transport
16
Sulfur Deficiency
 Uniformly chlorotic plants which are stunted and spindly.
Similar to N deficiency symptoms. It is less mobile than N so
deficiency may be more apparent on younger leaves.
 Chlorosis and stunted plant growth
 Similar to N deficiency however more apparent on younger
leaves. Almost the whole plant turns yellow
17
Calcium
 Ca++ is main uptake form (0.2 - 3%)
 Less available in acid soils
 Ca is immobile in plant
 Main roles
 cell wall structure & cell regulation
 Calcium gives strength to cell walls
 plant root and tip elongation
 Deficiency symptoms in new leaves

 terminal buds fail to develop
 blossom end rot
 decreased cell division
18
Magnesium
 Uptake as Mg++ (~0.5%)
 Main functions include:
In chlorophyll synthesis, phosphorous metabolism, enzyme cofactor
Magnesium deficiencies
 Mg is mobile so symptoms occur first in old leaves.
 Interveinal chlorosis. A whitish or yellowish
striping effect on grasses.

 Symptoms include inter-veinal chlorosis
and striping on grasses
19
Iron
o Forms taken up by plants:
Fe++ (ferrous form) Fe+++ (ferric form)
o Plant can also take Fe up by the leaves
oFunctions in plants
- a catalyst in the production of chlorophyll
- enzyme systems
o Fe Immobile in plant
20
Iron Function and Deficiency
 Fe abundant in acid soils like Malaysia
 Required for chlorophyll synthesis,
electron transport, enzyme catalyst (100 - 500 ppm)
 Non mobile element

 Interveinal chlorosis on leaves & ultimately leaves turn white
 Deficiencies common in alkaline soils
21
Manganese
 Taken up as Mn++, Mn+++(25 -100 ppm).
 Can be absorbed through the leaves.
required in small quantities - large
amounts are toxic (acid soils)
 Important in photosynthesis
 Role in chloroplast membrane structure
 Enzyme cofactor
 Deficiency of Mn
 Mn is immobile - The upper leaves develop yellow streaks.
 Thylakoid is a membrane-bound
- interveinal chlorosis of leaves compartment inside chloroplasts and
 Disintegration of thylakoid membranes cyanobacteria. They are the site of the
light-dependent reactions of
photosynthesis.
Copper
 Taken up in form Cu2+ in aerated soils or as Cu+ in wet
anaerobic soils. Cu+2 can be absorbed through leaves
 Toxic in high concentrations
 Component of cytochrome oxidase & plastocyanin (1 - 10 ppm)
 Deficiency symptoms in young leaves

 Immobile so upper leaves affected - corn youngest leaves are yellow
and stunted
 Or turn dark green and become twisted
 Or dieback disease in citrus orchards
23
Zinc
 Forms taken up by plants : Zn+++ can be taken up
through leaves. Toxic except in small quantities.
 Cell amounts 15 - 100 ppm

 Toxic in larger amounts
 Function : Enzyme catalyst
 Immobile element
 Deficiency of Zn :
- occurs on younger leaves (immobile)
- interveinal chlorosis followed by reduction in rate of
shoot growth and shortening of internodes
(rosetting)
- reduced internode growth, chlorosis
24
Molybdenum
 Mo Required in smallest amounts of any mineral nutrient.
Excess may be toxic to grazing animals
 Smallest amount needed (0.1 - 5 ppm)
 Taken up by plant as MoO4=
 Function in plant:
- Nitrogen fixation and reduction
(conversion of NO3- to NH4+ in the plant)
 Symptoms the same as nitrogen deficiency

- interveinal chlorosis
- with legumes it appears as N deficiency
25
Boron
 Available as boric acid (H2BO3, 20-50ppm)
 Can be very toxic to some plants
 Functions are speculative
 cell wall synthesis, sugar transport, cell division, pollen tube growth
 Deficiencies in young tissue

- vegetable diseases - heart rot (beets), stem crack (celery), water core
(turnip), drought spot (orchard fruits), no ears in corn
- Immobile upper leaves affected. Growth of terminal bud stops. Alfalfa
- rosetting or bushy appearance in top of plant.
26
Chloride
 Taken up as Cl- (100 - 1000 ppm)
 Required for photosynthesis
 Deficiency symptoms
 reduced leaf growth
 wilting
 bronze leaves
 club root
27
Cobalt, Vanadium & Sodium
 Not essential in all plants
 Co - nitrogen fixation in legumes

 V - essential in green algae
 improves growth in rice, barley and corn
 Na - can substitute for K in ion balance
 improved growth in many green leafy vegetables
28
Fundamentals of Soil Science (SST3005) 29

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FUNDAMENTALS OF

Two criteria for an element to be essential for plant

 in its absence the plant is unable to complete a

There are 14 essential plant nutrients. Carbon and

` That growth is controlled not by the total amount of resources

Macro nutrients Micro Nutrients

 H - from water  Fe - intermediate

 The symptoms of the deficiency can only be

 The element is directly involved in the

 Nitrogen is a Mobile element

 Major functions in plants, for production of:

Anthocyanin pigments are responsible

 Major Functions, for production of :

 Deficiency symptoms in new leaves

striping effect on grasses.

and striping on grasses

o Plant can also take Fe up by the leaves

 Non mobile element

 Deficiency symptoms in young leaves

 Cell amounts 15 - 100 ppm

 Symptoms the same as nitrogen deficiency

 Deficiencies in young tissue

 Required for photosynthesis

 Co - nitrogen fixation in legumes

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