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L3 SOIL-PLANT

The document discusses soil-plant relationships, focusing on essential nutrients required for plant growth and reproduction. It outlines the criteria for essential elements, differentiates between macronutrients and micronutrients, and explains the effects of nutrient deficiencies and toxicities on plant health. Additionally, it highlights the importance of understanding soil processes that affect nutrient availability for optimal plant development.

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Mesheil Taladro
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20 views22 pages

L3 SOIL-PLANT

The document discusses soil-plant relationships, focusing on essential nutrients required for plant growth and reproduction. It outlines the criteria for essential elements, differentiates between macronutrients and micronutrients, and explains the effects of nutrient deficiencies and toxicities on plant health. Additionally, it highlights the importance of understanding soil processes that affect nutrient availability for optimal plant development.

Uploaded by

Mesheil Taladro
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SOIL-PLANT

RELATIONSHIPS
Nutrient: Nutrients are substances required
by an organism for their normal growth and
reproduction.
Plant Nutrient: The plant nutrient is a food
which is composed of certain chemical
elements often referred to as plant nutrient‘
or plant food elements considered very
essential for the growth and development of
plants.
Nutrition: The supply and absorption of
chemical compounds needed for the growth
and metabolism of an organism.
Deficient: When an essential element is at a
low concentration in a plant that severely limits
the plant growth and produces more or less
distinct deficiency symptoms on plants. Under
such conditions, the yield of crops will be low /
the quality of the product will be inferior.
Insufficient: When the level of an essential nutrient
is below their actual content in a plant or available
in an inadequate amount that also affects the plant
growth and development.
Toxic: When the concentration of an element in
plants is very high this affects the plant growth
severely and produces toxicity symptoms on plants.
Excessive: When the concentration of an essential
nutrient is sufficiently high but not toxic. It results
in a corresponding shortage of other nutrients.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS IN SOILS
AND THEIR FORMS
A. ESSENTIALITY OF ELEMENTS
There are more than 100 elements in the periodic table yet only
seventeen (17) of those are considered as essential. Arnon and Stout
(1939) suggested the three criteria for the essentiality of a plant
nutrient. An element is considered essential if it meets the following
criteria:

1. A deficiency of the essential element makes it impossible for a plant


to complete its life cycle.
2. The deficiency is specific to a particularly essential element or it
must not be replaceable by another element.
3. An essential element is directly involved in the nutrition of the plant.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS IN SOILS
AND THEIR FORMS
B. BENEFICIAL ELEMENTS
The fourth criterion is used because some specific
plants need certain elements. For example, cobalt (Co)
is required by bacteria responsible for nitrogen (N)
fixation in legumes; therefore, Co is classified as
beneficial‘, rather than essential. Silica (Si) is not
essential‘, but highly beneficial‘ to help plants cope
with multiple stresses. Other beneficial elements
include sodium (Na) and vanadium (V). Essentiality is
generally determined by growing plants in a nutrient.
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS IN SOILS
AND THEIR FORMS
C. ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS AND THEIR AVAILABLE FORMS
Plants require seventeen (17) elements found in nature to
properly grow and develop. Elements used in large
quantities by the plant are termed macronutrients.
Macronutrients include carbon (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen
(O), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K),
calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S). Nevertheless,
micronutrients are essential elements used in small
quantities these micronutrients include iron (Fe), boron (B),
copper (Cu), chlorine (Cl), Manganese (Mn), molybdenum
(Mo), zinc (Zn), and nickel (Ni).
• Since the soil provides the most essential
nutrients, we must understand the soil processes
that determine the availability of each essential
nutrient for plant uptake. In the table below are
presented the 17 essential elements in their
available forms taken up by plants.
ROLE OF ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
IN PLANT NUTRIENTS
• Elements that are utilized within the physical
plant structure, namely carbon (C), hydrogen (H),
and oxygen (O). These elements, obtained from
the air (CO2) and water (H2O), are the basis for
carbohydrates such as sugars and starch, which
provide the strength of cell walls, stems, and
leaves, and are also sources of energy for the
plant and organisms that consume the plant.
ROLE OF ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
IN PLANT NUTRIENTS
• Macronutrients can be further divided as primary or secondary. The
primary nutrients include nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and
potassium (K). These elements contribute to plant nutrient content,
the function of plant enzymes and biochemical processes, and the
integrity of plant cells. They are the three most important nutrients
supplied by fertilizers.
• The secondary nutrients include calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and
sulfur (S). On the other hand, micronutrients that are needed in
minute amounts are necessary for plant survival and most of them
are enzyme activators like Fe, B, Cu, Cl, Mn, Mo, Zn, Co, and Ni.
Nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur are the macronutrients
that will most likely limit plant growth. Nutrient
deficiencies can be due to several reasons. The most
common is that the element is not at a sufficient level
naturally in the soil. Many sand-based soils with high
leaching potential are often low in highly soluble
nutrients. In some cases, the element is inadequate
levels, but unavailable due to pH being too high or too
low or the soil temperature being too low for adequate
uptake. Other reasons could be too little or too much
water or soil compaction.
Deficiencies are indicated by morphological changes in plants.
These symptoms differ from each element and disappear when
sufficient levels are provided. The part of the plant that shows
the effect of the deficiency depends on the mobility of the
mineral. For example, the deficiency of nitrogen, potassium, and
magnesium first appears in the old leaves after which they are
mobilized to younger leaves. However, it is also important to
note that deficiency of one element can cause multiple
symptoms or the same symptoms can be caused by the
deficiency of multiple elements. The table below shows the
deficiency symptoms of each element, primary sources of
elements, and their mobility in plants.

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