Plant Nutrition

Mineral Nutrients

Introduction

Soil

Macronutrients

Micronutrients

The Elements of Complete PLant Nutrition

Nutritional Deficiencies

‧Knowledge \ Nutritional Deficiencies

Nitrogen (N)

Functions：
1.An important constituent of chlorophyll, protoplasm, protein and nucleic.
2.Increases growth and development of all living tissues.
3.Improves the quality of leafy vegetables and fodders and the protein content of food grains.

Deficiency symptoms：
1.Stunted growth.
2.Appearance of a light-green to pale-yellow color on the older leaves, starting from the tips. This is followed by death
   and/or dropping of the older leaves depending upon the degree of deficiency.
3.In acute deficiency, flowering is greatly reduced.
4.Lower protein content.

Phosphorus (P)

Functions：
1.A constituent of phosphatides, nucleic acids, proteins, phospholipids and coenzymes NAD, NADP and ATP.
2.Constituent of certain amino acids.
3.Necessary for cell division, a constituent of chromosomes; stimulates root development.
4.Necessary for meristematic growth; seed and fruit development; stimulates flowering.

Deficiency symptoms：
1.Overall stunted appearance, the mature leaves have characteristic dark to blue-green coloration, restricted root
   development.
2.In acute deficiency, occasional purpling of leaves and stems; spindly growth.
3.Delayed maturity and lack of or poor seed and fruit development.

Potassium (K)

Functions：
1.An activator of enzymes involved in photosynthesis and protein and carbohydrate metabolism.
2.Assists carbohydrate translocation; synthesis of protein and maintenance of its stability; membrane permeability
   and pH control; water utilization by stomatal regulation.
3.Improves utilization of light during cool and cloudy weather and thereby enhances plant ;ability to resist cold and
   other adverse conditions.
4.Enhances the plant's ability to resist diseases.
5.Increases size of grains or seeds and improves the quality of fruits and vegetables.

Deficiency symptoms：
1.Chlorosis along the leaf margins followed by scorching and browning of tips of older leaves; these symptoms then
   gradually progress inwards.
2.Slow and stunted growth of plants.
3.Stalks weak, and plants lodge easily.
4.Shriveled seeds or fruits.

Calcium (Ca)

Functions：
1.Constituent of cell walls in the form of calcium pectate; necessary for normal mitosis (cell division).
2.Helps in membrane stability, maintenance of chromosome structure.
3.Activator of enzymes (phospholipase, argine kinase, adenosine triphosphates).
4.Acts as a detoxifying agent by neutralizing organic acids in plants.

Deficiency symptoms：
1.Calcium deficiencies are not often seen in the field because secondary effects associated with high acidity limit
   growth.
2.The young leaves of new plants are affected first. These are often distorted, small and abnormally dark green.
3.Leaves may be cup-shaped and crinkled and the terminal buds deteriorate with some breakdown of petioles.
4.Root growth is markedly impaired; rotting of roots occurs.
5.Desiccation of growing points (terminal buds) of plants under severe deficiency.
6.Buds and blossoms shed prematurely.
7.Stem structure weakened.

Magnesium (Mg)

Functions：
1.Constituent of chlorophyll molecule and therefore essential for Photosynthesis.
2.An activator of many enzyme systems involve in carbohydrate metabolism, synthesis of nucleic acids, etc.
3.Promotes uptake and translocation of phosphorus.
4.Helps in the movements of sugar within plants.

Deficiency symptoms：
1.Interveinal chlorosis, mainly of older leaves, roducinga streaked or patchy effect; with acute deficiency the affected
   tissue may dry up and die.
2.Leaves usually small, brittle in final stages and curve upwards at margin.
3.In some vegetable plants, chlorotic spots between veins, and marbling with tints of orange, red and purple.
4.Twigs weak and prone to fungus attack, usually premature leaf drop.

Sulphur (S)

Functions：
1.Constituent of sulphur-bearing amino acids.
2.Involved in the metabolic activities of vitamins, biotin, thiamine and coenzyme A.
3.Aids stabilization of protein structure.

Deficiency symptoms：
1.Younger leaves turn uniformly yellowish green orchlorotic.
2.Shoot growth is restricted, flower production often indeterminate.
3.Stems are stiff, woody and small in diameter.

Iron (Fe)

Functions：
1.Necessary for the synthesis and maintenance of chlorophyll in plants.
2.Essential component of many enzymes.
3.Plays an essential role in nucleic acid metabolism affects RNA metabolism or chloroplasts.

Deficiency symptoms：
1.Typical interveinal chlorosis; youngest leaves first affected, points and margins of leaves keep their green color
   longest.
2.In severe cases, the entire leaf, veins and interveinal areas turn yellow and may eventually become bleached.

Manganese (Mn)

Functions：
1.A catalyst in several enzymatic and physiological reactions in plants; a constituent of pyruvate carboxylase.
2.Involved in the plant's respiratory process.
3.Activates enzymes concerned with the metabolism of nitrogen and synthesis of chlorophyll.
4.Controls the redox potential in plant cells during the phases of light and darkness.

Deficiency symptoms：
1.Chlorosis between the veins of young leaves, characterized by the appearance of chlorotic and necrotic spots in
   the interveinal areas.
2.Greyish areas appear near the base of the younger leaves and become yellowish to yellow orange.
3.Symptoms of deficiency popularly known in oats as "grey speck", in field peas as "marsh spot", in sugarcane as
   "streak disease''.

Boron (B)

Functions：
1.Affects the activities of certain enzymes.
2.Ability to complex with various polyhydroxy-compounds.
3.Increases permeability in membrane and thereby facilitates carbohydrate transport.
4.Involved in lignin synthesis and other reactions.
5.Essential for cell division.
6.Associated with the uptake of calcium and its utilization by plants.
7.Regulates potassium/calcium ration in plants.
8.Essential for protein synthesis.

Deficiency symptoms：
1.Death of growing plants (shoot tips).
2.The leaves have a thick texture, sometimes curling and becoming brittle.
3.Flowers do not form and root growth is stunted.
4."Brown heart" in root crops characterized by dark spots on the thickest part of the root or splitting at center.
5.Fruits such as apples develop "internal and external cork" symptoms.

Molybdenum (Mo)

Functions：
1.Associated with nitrogen utilization and nitrogen fixation.
2.Constituent of nitrate reductase and nitrogenase.
3.Required by Rhizobia for nitrogen fixation.

Deficiency symptoms：
1.Chlorotic interveinal mottling of the lower leaves, followed by marginal necrosis and infolding of the leaves.
2.In cauliflower, the leaf tissues wither leaving only the midrib and a few small pieces of leaf blade ("whip-tail").
3.Molybdenum deficiency is markedly evident in leguminous plants.

Chlorine (Cl)

Functions：
1.A constituent of auxin chloroindole-3-acetic acid which in immature seeds takes the place of indole acetic acid.
2.Constituent of many compounds found in fungi and bacteria.
3.Stimulates the activity of some enzymes and influences carbohydrate metabolism and water holding capacity of
   plant tissue.

Deficiency symptoms：
1.Wilting of leaflet tips, chlorosis of leaves and finally bronzing and drying.

Zinc (Zn)

Functions：
1.Involved in the biosynthesis of indole acetic acid.
2.Essential component of a variety of metallo-enzymes-carbonic anhydrase, alcohol dehydrogenase, etc.
3.Plays a role in nucleic acid and protein synthesis.
4.Assists the utilization of phosphorus and nitrogen in plants.

Deficiency symptoms：
1.Deficiency symptoms mostly appear on the 2nd or 3rd fully mature leaves from the top of plants.
2.In maize, from light yellow striping to a broad band of white or yellow tissue with reddish purple veins between the
   midrib and edges of the leaf, occurring mainly in the lower half of the leaf.
3.In wheat, a longitudinal band of white or yellow leaf tissue, followed by interveinal chlorotic mottling and white to
   brown necrotic lesions in the middle of the leaf blade; eventual collapse of the affected leaves near the middle.
4.In rice, after 15-20 days of transplanting, small scattered light yellow spots appear on the older leaves which later
   enlarge, coalesce and turn deep brown; the entire leaf becomes rust-brown in color and dries out within a month.
5.In citrus, irregular interveinal chlorosis; terminal leaves become small and narrowed (little-leaf); fruit-bud formation is
   severely reduced; twigs die back.

Copper (Cu)

Functions：
1.Constituent of cytochrome oxidase and component of many enzymes - ascorbic acid oxidase, phenolase, lactase,
   etc.
2.Promotes formation of vitamin A in plants.

Deficiency symptoms：
1.In cereals, yellowing and curling of the leaf blade, restricted ear production and poor grain set, indeterminate
   tillering.
2.In citrus, die back of new growth; exanthema pockets of gum develop between the bark and the wood; the fruit
   shows brown excretions.

Parts Per Million (ppm) - A notation for indicating small amounts of materials. The expression gives the number of units by weight of the substance per million weight units of another substance, such as oven-dry soil. The term may be used to express the number of weight units of a substance per million weight units of a solution. The approximate weight of soil is 2 million pounds per acre-6 inches. Therefore, ppm X 2 equals pounds per acre-6 inches of soil, or ppm X 4 equals pounds per acre-foot of soil.

Parts per million (ppm) - Unit of concentration used to describe substance concentration in a million; may be expressed on a weight, volume, or number basis. The metric equivalent is mg/l.