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Lecture-2_SAC 301_2023

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16 views

Lecture-2_SAC 301_2023

Uploaded by

skdrama746
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PLANT NUTRITION:

It is the process of absorption and utilization of


essential elements for plant growth and
reproduction.

Plant Nutrient :
It is a mineral element which is essential for plant
growth and development.
It is involved in plant metabolic functions and the
plant cannot complete its life cycle without the
element.
The essential nutrient required by higher plants
are exclusively of inorganic in nature
The following terms are commonly used to
describe nutrient levels in plants:

Deficient :
When the concentration of an essential element is
low enough to severely limit yield and distinct
deficiency symptoms are visible.
Extreme deficiencies can result in plant death

Sufficient :
It is the nutrient concentration range in which
added nutrient will not increase yield but can
increase nutrient concentration in plant.
The term luxury consumption is often used to
describe nutrient absorption by the plant that does
not influence yield.
E.g. Potassium uptake by plants

Excessive or toxic :
When the concentration of an essential element is
high enough to reduce plant growth and yield.
Excessive nutrient concentration can cause an
imbalance in other essential nutrients, which can
also reduce yield
Adequate / sufficient

Excess / Toxic
Critical range
Plant yield

Deficient

Nutrient level in soil or plant


Critical range :

It is the nutrient concentration in the plant below


which a yield response to added nutrient occurs.
It vary among plants and nutrients but occur
somewhere in the transition between nutrient
deficiency and sufficiency.
ESSENTIAL PLANT NUTRIENTS
Plants need 17 elements for their growth and
completion of life cycle.
They are: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen,
phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulphur,
iron, manganese, zinc, copper, boron, molybdenum
and chlorine. Recently Nickel has been included.

In addition, four more elements viz., sodium, cobalt,


vanadium and silicon have also been established as
essential nutrients in some plants. These four
nutrients are almost never deficient in soils.
Beneficial elements: The elements, the essentiality
of which for growth and metabolism has not been
unequivocally established, but which are shown to
exert beneficial effects at very low concentrations
are often referred to as beneficial elements, or
potential micronutrients.
The beneficial effect of these nutrients may be due
to the ability of these elements affecting the
uptake, translocation and utilization of the
essential elements. They may be essential only for
certain plant species or under specific conditions.

Although > 90 elements can be absorbed by plants


only 21 are considered as essential and others as
useful elements ( but not essential).
CRITERIA OF ESSENTIALITY
Arnon and Stout (1939) proposed criteria of
essentiality which was refined by Arnon (1954).
An element is considered as essential

(1) When plants cannot complete vegetative or


reproductive stage of life cycle due to its
deficiency
(2) When this deficiency can be corrected or
prevented only by supplying this element and

(3) When the element is directly involved in the


metabolism of the plant.
According to this criterion, molybdenum and
chlorine can not be considered as essential
though they are functional in plant metabolism
since they can be replaced by vanadium and
halides respectively.

D.J. Nicholas (1961) gave more exact definition of


essential elements and advanced the term
“functional or metabolic nutrient” to include any
mineral element that functions in plant
metabolism, whether or not its action is specific.
CLASSIFICATION OF ESSENTIAL PLANT NUTRIENTS

The essential elements can be classified based on


1. the amount required,
2. their functions inside the plant
3. their mobility in the plant and soil,
4. their chemical nature
1. On the basis of amount of nutrients present in plants,
they can be classified into three groups:

a. Basic nutrients:

b. Macronutrients:

c. Micronutrients:
a) Basic nutrients:

The basic nutrients viz. C, H & O constitute 96% of total


dry matter of plants

Among them, C & O constitute – 45% each and H 6% of the


total tissue
These elements are abundantly present in atmosphere and
need not to be applied
b) Macronutrients:
The nutrients required in large quantities are
known as macronutnents.

They are N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S.


Among these, N, P and K - Primary Nutrients or
Major Nutrients

and Ca, Mg and S - Secondary Nutrients.


c) Micronutrients:
The nutrients which are required in small
quantities (traces) are known as micronutrients
or trace elements.
They are Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, B, Mo and Cl.

Though micronutrients are required in traces but they


are just as important as the major nutrients.

These elements are very efficient and in minute


quantities produce optimum effects.
2. Based on functions performed in the
plants, there are 4 categories
i) Elements that provide basic structure to the plant
Eg.: C, H and O

ii) Elements useful in energy storage, transfer and bonding


Eg.: N, S and P

iii) Elements necessary for charge balance


Eg.: K, Ca and Mg
iv) Elements involved in enzyme activation and electron
transport
Eg.: Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, B, Mo and CI
3. BASED ON MOBILITY OF NUTRIENTS
Based on the mobility in the soil, the nutrient ions can be
grouped as - Mobile,
- Less mobile and
- Immobile.
1. Mobile nutrients - Highly soluble and are not adsorbed
on clay complex
e.g.: NO3-, SO4=, BO3=, Cl-, Mn++.
2. Less mobile – Are soluble, but are adsorbed on clay
complex and so their mobility is reduced
e.g.: NH4+, K+, Ca++, Mg++, and Cu++.
3. Immobile nutrient - Are highly reactive and get fixed in
the soil
e.g.: H2PO4-, HPO4=, Zn++
Based on the mobility of nutrients in the plant:
It helps in finding what nutrient is deficient.
A mobile nutrient in the plant moves to the growing points
in case of deficiency. Deficiency symptoms, therefore,
appear on the lower leaves.

1. N, P and K are highly mobile.

2. Mg, Na are mobile

3. Zn is moderately mobile

4. S, Fe, Mn, Cu, Mo and Cl are less mobile

5. Ca and B are immobile


4. Based on their chemical nature:
The nutrients can also be classified into:
Metals and Non-metals as well as
Cations and Anions
Metals: K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu,

Non-metals: N, P, S, B, Mo, CI

Cations: K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe2+, Mn2+, Zn2+, Cu2+

Anions: NO3-, H2PO4-, SO42-


NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY
Factors Influencing Nutrient Availability:

1. Natural supply of nutrients in the soil which is closely


related to parent material of that soil and vegetation,
under which it is developed
2. Soil pH as it affects nutrient release
3. Addition of commercial fertilizer, animal manure and
green manure, and
4. Activity of microorganisms

5. Soil temperature, moisture and aeration


FORMS OF NUTRIENTS ABSORBED BY PLANTS
Nutrient elements Forms absorbed by plants
(i) Absorbed as a single nutrient element:
Potassium K+
Calcium Ca2+
Magnesium Mg2+
Iron Fe2+, Fe3+
Manganese Mn2+, Mn4+
Copper Cu+, Cu2+
Zinc Zn2+
Chlorine Cl-
Cobalt Co2+
Sodium Na+
FORMS OF NUTRIENTS ABSORBED BY PLANTS
Nutrient elements Forms absorbed by plants

(ii) Absorbed as a combined form:


Nitrogen NH4+, NO3
Phosphorus H2PO4- , HPO42-, PO43-
Sulphur SO42-
Boron H2BO3- , H3BO3, BO32-
Molybdenum MoO42-
Carbon CO2 (Mostly through leaves)
Oxygen CO2 , O2, OH-
Hydrogen H+, OH-
Silicon Si(OH)4

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