NUTRIENTS

In 19th century B.J von Liebig showed that,

Nutrients are essential for plant life

NEED TO USUAGE OF NUTRIENTS

Main source of successful crop production. Essential for plant growth. Some involve in plant metabolism.

TYPES OF NUTRIENTS
NUTRIENTS

MACRONUTRIENTS
(Primary Nutrients and Secondary Nutrients) (e.g) N,P,K etc, Based on amount of usuage. According to 1999 (19th century).

MICRONUTRIENTS

(e.g) B,Cl,Fe etc,

NUTRIENT ELEMENT

16 nutrient elements C,H & O not plant nutrients Macronutrients & Micronutrients Macronutrients (primary and Secondary nutrients).

Huge amount needed for plant growth. Fastly used by the soil. Very essential for healthy plant growth.

EXAMPLES OF MACRONUTRIENTS

N-Nitrogen P-Phosphorous K-Potassium Ca-Calcium Mg-Magnesium S-Sulfur Si-Silicon

FUNCTIONS & DEFICIENCIES

(MACRONUTRIENTS)

FUNCTIONS OF MACRONUTRIENTS
NITROGEN: Essential component of proteins. Rapid growth, increase leaf size & quality. Fruit & Seed development.

PHOSPHOROUS

Light energy to chemical

energy Increases disease & drought resistance Plant growth , flower / seed formation

POTASSIUM
Opening & closing of stomata Water regulation Reduces water loss from leaves Increases drought tolerance

CALCIUM
Transport of nutrients Activation of plant enzymes Production of new growing tips Elasticity, rigid , brittle.

MAGNESIUM
Important part of chlorophyll. Production of ATP through its as enzyme cofactor.
Carbohydrate metabolism.

SULPHUR
Essential manufacturing of chloroplast. Structure of amino acids and vitamins. Increases size & weight of grain crops.

SILICON

Deposit in cell wall.

Mechanical properties. Rigidity and elasticity.

DEFICIENCIES OF MACRONUTRIENTS
NITROGEN: Stunted growth.

Foliage pale green. Severe cases fired appearance seen. Tips turn brown & fall off.

PHOSPHOROUS
Stunted growth. Reddish purple leaf tips & margins. A leathery texture (dark green leaves).

POTASSIUM

Necrosis / interveinal chlorosis. Chlorosis (loss of green colour). Severe cases, whole plants turn yellow & leaves fall off.

 Stunting Roots

CALCIUM

get short & stubby. Younger leaves first aborted. Growing tips die (extreme cases).

MAGNESIUM
Interveinal chlorosis.
Extreme cases, the entire leaf

turns yellow.
Prevalent on sandy-textured

soils (leaching)

SULPHUR & SILICON

SULPHUR Stunted growth. Delayed maturity. Yellowing of plants. SILICON Rigidity loses. Cell wall loses its elasticity.

MICRONUTRIENTS

Less amount needed for plant growth. Slowly used by the soil.

Essential for plant growth.

MICRONUTRIENTS

Less amount needed plant growth.

Slowly used by the soil.

Essential for plant growth.

EXAMPLES OF MICRONUTRIENTS
Chlorine (Cl) Iron (Fe) Boron (B) Manganese (Mg) Sodium (Na) Zinc (Zn) Copper (Cu) Nickel (Ni) Molybdenum (Mo)

FUNCTIONS OF MICRONUTRIENTS
CHLORINE Normal growth. Necessary for healthy plant.

IRON

IRON & BORON BORON

Necessary for photosynthesis. Enzyme cofactor in plants.

Sugar transport. Cell division. Synthesizing certain enzymes.

MANGANESE & SODIUM

MANGANESE

Necessary for building the chlorophyll. Involved in regeneration of PHOSPHOENOL PYRUVATE. Substitute for potassium.

SODIUM:

ZINC & COPPER

ZINC

DNA
transcription. Required large number of enzymes.

COPPER Important for photosynthesis. Manufacture of lignin , Grain production.

NICKEL
Activation of
urease. Several enzymes activated. Substitute for zinc & iron as cofactor in enzymes

MOLYBDENUM
Cofactor

to enzymes important in building amino acids. Symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Normal growth.

DEFICIENCIES OF MICRONUTRIENTS
CHLORINE:

Reduced growth.
Interveinal
chlorosis.

Stubby roots.

IRON Interveinal chlorosis. Necrosis.

BORON Necrosis in young leaves. Stunting. Death of growing tips. Flower abortion.

MANGANESE: Coloration abnormalities. Interveinal chlorosis. Stunted plants. Reduced yield & quality.

SODIUM: No regeneration of Phosphoenolpyruvate.

ZINC : Stunted growth of leaves. Little leaf Chlorotic leaves Slow growth.

COPPER : Chlorosis. Leaf tip die back.

 Formation

of necrotic lesions No activation of several enzymes.

Similar to nitrogen. Whiptail leaves (narrow irregular growth). Yellow leaves, marginal chlorosis.