Module 1 Lesson 4 Essential Elements
Module 1 Lesson 4 Essential Elements
of Soil
Science 1
Definition & Composition
of Soils
N P K
Lesson 4:
Essential Nutrients
Ca Mg S
Mn
Elements
Fe B
Zn Cu Mo Cl
Principles Module
of Soil
Science 1
Definition & Composition
of Soils
N P K
Lesson 4:
Essential Nutrients
Ca Mg S
Mn
Elements
Fe B
Zn Cu Mo Cl
Learning outcome
Essential element is a term often used to identify a plant nutrient. The term
‘nutrient’ implies essentiality, so it is redundant to call these elements
essential nutrients.
Essential elements
Based on the criteria, 17 elements have been considered essential. This includes nine
macronutrients (C, H, O, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S), which are taken by plants in relatively large
quantities (≥ 0.1% of the plant dry mass), and eight micronutrients (Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, Mo,
B, Cl, Ni), which are taken in relatively smaller amounts (≤ 0.01% of the plant dry mass).
Sources:
P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, Mo, B, Cl, Ni: considered as mineral nutrients
since they are absorbed from the soil
N: incorporated into the plant during its biological fixation in the root nodules of
legumes
Criteria of essentiality
In 1939, Daniel Arnon and Perry Stout made an important contribution in the study of
mineral nutrition when they introduced the concept of essentiality of elements. According to
them, an element is considered essential if it satisfies all the criteria below:
There are some elements that stimulate growth but do not fulfill Arnon and Stout’s criteria
for essentiality, or which are essential only for certain plant species or group. These
elements are called beneficial nutrients among which include Co, Na, Si, Al, Se, and V.
Mineral elements and their respective year of acceptance as essential (adopted from Allen,
2007)
Chemical symbols and common forms of the essential elements absorbed by plant roots from
soil (Foth, 1990).