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1. CRP, HC&RI, PKM
Mineral Nutrition
Dr. K. Venkatesan
Professor (CRP)

2. CRP, HC&RI, PKM
Plants, just like humans require certain
elements for normal growth. When any
of these are left out the plant will develop
definite symptoms related to its shortage
Introduction

3. CRP, HC&RI, PKM
The chemical compounds required by an
organism are termed as nutrients
Nutrition may be defined as the supply and
absorption of chemical compounds needed for plant
growth and metabolism
For plant growth and metabolism, 17 elements
are essential. They are
C, H, O, N, P, K, Ca, S, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, B, Cu, Mo,
Cl and Ni
C. H O P K i N S CaFe Mighty good CuZn, Burley Mnager, Motley Clerk

4. CRP, HC&RI, PKM
Plant Nutrients
Chemical Optimum Ionic forms Approximate dry
Element symbol range pH Absorbed by plants ____ concentration_____
Macronutrients
Nitrogen N 6.0 – 8.0 NO3
-, NH4
+ 4.0 %
Phosphorus P 6.5 – 7.5 PO4
3-, HPO4
2-, H2PO4
- 0.5 %
Potassium K 6.0 - 7.5 K+ 4.0 %
Magnesium Mg 7.0 – 8.5 Mg2+ 0.5 %
Sulfur S 6.0 & < SO4
2- 0.5 %
Calcium Ca 7.0 – 8.5 Ca2+ 1.0 %
Micronutrients
Iron Fe 6.0 & < Fe2+, Fe3+ 200 ppm
Manganese Mn 5.0 – 6.5 Mn2+ 200 ppm
Zinc Zn 5.0 – 7.0 Zn2+ 30 ppm
Copper Cu 5.0 – 7.0 Cu2
+ 10 ppm
Boron B 5.0 – 7.0 BO3
2-, B4O7
2- 60 ppm
Molybdenum Mo 7.0 & < MoO4
2- 2 ppm
Chlorine Cl Cl- 3000 ppm
Essential But Not Applied
Carbon C CO2 40 %
Hydrogen H H2O 6 %
Oxygen O O2, H2O 40 %
________________________________________________________________
Plant tissues also contain other elements (Na, Se, Co, Si, Rb, Sr, F, I) which are not needed for
the normal growth and development.
Element Year Discovered by
Iron 1860 J. Sachs
Manganese 1922 J.S. McHargue
Boron 1923 K. Warington
Zinc 1926 A.L. Sommer and C.B. Lipman
Copper 1931 C.B. Lipman and G. MacKinney
Molybdenum 1938 D.I. Arnon and P.R. Stout
Chlorine 1954 T.C. Broyer et al.
Nickel 1987 P.H. Brown et al.
Discovery of the essentiality of micronutrients for higher plants

5. CRP, HC&RI, PKM
Criteria of essentiality nutrients
Arnon and Stout (1939)
For an element to be considered essential, three criteria
must be met
1. A given plant may not able to complete its life cycle in the
absence of the mineral element.
2. The function of the element must not be replaceable by
another mineral element.
3. The element must be directly involved in plant
metabolism – for example, as a component of an
essential plant constituent such as an enzyme – or it
must be required for a distinct metabolic step such as an
enzyme reaction.

6. Element Year Discovered by
Iron 1860 J. Sachs
Manganese 1922 J.S. McHargue
Boron 1923 K. Warington
Zinc 1926 A.L. Sommer and C.B.
Lipman
Copper 1931 C.B. Lipman and G.
MacKinney
Molybdenum 1938 D.I. Arnon and P.R. Stout
Chlorine 1954 T.C. Broyer et al.
Nickel 1987 P.H. Brown et al.
CRP, HC&RI, PKM
Discovery of the essentiality of micronutrients for
higher plants

7. Beneficial Elements
Elements which are not required for all plants but can
promote plant growth and essential for particular plant
Elements which promote plant growth in particular / many
plant species but are not absolutely necessary for
completion of the plant life cycle, or
fail to meet Arnon and Stout's criteria
Silicon - component of cell wall - Insect & pathogen resistance
prevent lodging
Sodium - C4 plants, pyruvate transport
Selenium - prevented the excessive P uptake
Cobalt - Symbiotic and free living - N fixation

9. CRP, HC&RI, PKM
Classification of essential elements
1. Amount of nutrients
1. Basic nutrients
C, H, O
2. Macronutrients
primary nutrients : N, P and K
secondary nutrients : Ca, Mg and S
3. Micronutrients or trace elements
Fe, Zn, Cu, B, Mo and Cl

10. CRP, HC&RI, PKM
2. Functions in the plant
Based on the functions, nutrients are grouped into four :
• basic structure to the plant
C, H and O
• useful in energy storage, transfer and bonding
N, S and P
• charge balance
K, Ca and Mg
• enzyme activation and electron transport
Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, B, Mo and Cl

11. CRP, HC&RI, PKM
3. Mobility in Plants
1. Mobile : N, P and K
2. Partially mobile : Ca, Mg
3. Immobile : S, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo, B and Cl
4. Chemical Nature
Cations : K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu
Anions : NO3, H2PO4, SO4, BO3

12. CRP, HC&RI, PKM
Hidden Hunger
 to a situation in which a crop needs
more of a given nutrient yet has
shown no deficiency symptoms.
 The nutrient content is above the
deficiency symptom zone but still
considerably needed for optimum
crop production.
 With most nutrients on most crops,
significant responses can be
obtained even though no
recognizable symptoms have
appeared.

13. CRP, HC&RI, PKM
Culturing plants in containers
without soil is called
hydroponics.
Hoagland (1938) came up
with a suitable mix of
minerals and chelating
agents.
Plants can be grown without soil

14. CRP, HC&RI, PKM
The practice of growing
plants in nutrient enriched water
without soil is called as soilless
growth or hydroponics.
Plants rooted in sand, gravel
or other similar matter which is
soaked with a recycling flow of
nutrient – enriched water.
Eg.: cucumbers, egg plants,
peppers, lettuces, spinach and other
vegetables
SOILLESS GROWTH OR HYDROPONICS

15. CRP, HC&RI, PKM
Advantage
1. The regulation of nutrients
2. Control of pets and diseases
3. Reduction of labour cost
4. Sometimes quicker yield
Disadvantage
1. the cost of settling up the system is very high
2. it requires skills and knowledge its operation

16. CRP, HC&RI, PKM
Aeroponics
 as a system where roots are continuously or discontinuously in an
environment saturated with fine drops (a mist or aerosol) of
nutrient solution.
 requires no substrate and entails growing plants with their roots
suspended in a deep air or growth chamber

17. CRP, HC&RI, PKM
Sand culture
 sand beds that are usually under greenhouse cover
 The plants are planted in the
 sand and then watered through drip irrigation.
 Each plant has its own drip emitter that will deliver the nutrient
solution
 New nutrient solution is used every time

18. CRP, HC&RI, PKM
Foliar Nutrition
Application of chemicals through leaves is termed as foilar
nutrition
• foliar nutrition is a useful method of fertilizing certain crop
plants
• to deal with special problems that cannot be solved readily by
application of chemical fertilizers to the soil

19. CRP, HC&RI, PKM
Ist stage : Substances supplied to the surface to leaves
penetrate the cuticle and the cellulose wall
(Via) limited or free diffusion.
IInd stage : These substances having penetrated the free
space are adsorbed to the surface of the
plasma membrane by binding.
IIIrd stage : The absorbed substances are taken up into
the cytoplasm in a process requiring
metabolically derived energy.
Mechanism of Foliar nutrition
• foliar penetration
• absorption
• translocation

20. CRP, HC&RI, PKM
Advantages
1. applying supplemental macronutrients during critical
growth periods
2. serve as a means of applying micronutrients to crops
3. to prevent nutrient deficiency in fast growing crops
4. to supply nutrient where the plant can not able to
absorb the nutrient from soil

21. CRP, HC&RI, PKM
FERTIGATION
F E R T I G A T I O N
IRRIGATION
FERTILIZATION
=
NUTRIENT SOLUTION

22. CRP, HC&RI, PKM
APPLICATION OF NUTRIENTS
Soil Fertilization
1. Fertilizers are applied hardly in 2 – 3 splits
2. Application not according to growth stages
3. Nutrients availability is not guaranteed
4. More chances of leaching and fixation
5. No uniform application of nutrients to plants
Fertigation
1. Fertilizers are applied on daily basis
2. Application according to growth stages
3. Nutrients availability is guaranteed
4. Minimum leaching and fixation losses
5. Uniform application of nutrients to plants