ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS

Chemical element required for normal plant growth

without which plants cannot complete their life cycles.
(Brady and Weil, 1999)

What are plant nutrients?

They are essential elements needed for plant growth
Plants absorb at least 90 different elements
but
Only few are needed for plant growth
therefore
Plants contain many elements not needed for growth
Some nutrients in the soil are not available while
others are available

What are essential elements?

A lack of essential element stops a plant
from completing growth or reproduction
Essential element is directly involved in plant
nutrition not just taking up space in plant
tissues
A shortage of the essential element can be
corrected only by supplying that element

Law of Minimum

Essential elements.
17 of them have been recognized
C, O, and H account for 95% of all plant needs
C, O, and H are obtained from water and air
Other 14 mineral elements are obtained from
the soil other sources through fertilization

 Macronutrients
Mineral elements in large amounts:
N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S

Use of these elements by plants in greatest

amount are N K > Ca > Mg P > S

 Primary macronutrients
Mineral elements usually not available in large
enough quantities for best growth
Primary macronutrients are N, P, and K
N, P, and K are mostly added to soils by
fertilizer

 Secondary macronutrients (Secondary

nutrients)
Ca, Mg, and S which are usually not deficient in soils
compared to N, P, and K
Most soils supply enough Ca, Mg, and S

 Note
Division between primary and secondary
nutrients is based on their importance as
fertilizers, and not based on the relative
amounts used by plants

Micronutrients and trace elements

Mineral elements used in small quantities:
Boron
Copper
Zinc
Iron
Chlorine
Manganese
Molybdenum
Nickel

 Beneficial elements
Elements which do not meet the requirements
for being essential for all plants, but are
helpful for growth or needed by some plants
Example
Few plants require silicon to complete growth and
reproduction
If present in plants, silicon makes cell walls strong
and reduces insect and disease problems

 Importance of knowing nutrients as ions

Because roots absorb nutrients in ion form
Examples
K
K+
S

SO42-

Because soil particles adsorb nutrients in ion

form

 Note
Absorb: take in something like sponge
absorbing water
Adsorb: to attract a thin layer of molecules
to a surface, where they stick

Nutrient uptake

 Nutrient uptake
When plant roots (root hairs) take cations
such as NH4+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, and K+, the root
cells release H+ into the soil
When plant roots take anions such as NO 3-,
H2PO4-, HPO42-, SO42-, the roots release OHinto the soil

Ions Transport Across Root Membrane

Electrogenic Pumps

 Mechanisms of nutrient absorption

OR uptake by plant roots
Root interception
Mass flow
Diffusion

 1. Root interception
Interception of nutrients in soil solution by
the extension of root systems
Root interception contributes to only small
amount of nutrients (<1%) taken up by
plants because roots have very little contact
with soil

 2. Mass flow
Absorption of nutrient ions by plant roots
due to flowing of water containing the ions
towards plant roots
Results from transpirational water uptake by
plants

 3. Diffusion
Movement of ions toward roots from
surrounding soil
i.e. ions diffuse through soil water instead of
being carried with the water

Diffusion
Movement of ions by random kinetic
motion of molecules, sometimes
referred to as Brownian Movement.
When a concentration gradient
exists, net movement occurs by
diffusion from locations of high
concentration to locations of low
concentration.

 Distant of diffusive nutrient movement:

0.1 15mm

 Note
Interception, mass flow, and diffusion occur at the
same time
Relative importance of interception, mass flow, and
diffusion depends on:
Plant species
Specific nutrient
Soil texture
Soil moisture

 Example
H2PO4-, HPO42- and K+ are better taken up by plants
via diffusion than mass flow
Generally, diffusion is the most important
mechanism
Root interception contributes least to nutrient uptake

 Factors influencing nutrient uptake

Light
Oxygen
Soil moisture
Soil temperature
Amount of nutrient ions applied or in soils
Good rooting system
Rhizosphere organisms

 Light

Nutrient
uptake
involves
energy
consumption by roots. Roots get this energy
from
plants
through
photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis is affected by light. Therefore
anything that affects photosynthesis affects
nutrient uptake
Example
Plants growing under low light make less
sugar to send to roots, so they take up fewer
nutrients

 Oxygen
Plants use oxygen for respiration so any
condition that limits or affect oxygen supply
will limit nutrient uptake
Example
Poor drainage and soil compaction slow
movement of oxygen into the soil. Therefore,
these conditions also limit the ability of plants
to absorb nutrients

 Soil moisture
When a soil dries, it lowers nutrient uptake
because lack of water retards nutrient flow
toward root hairs by mass flow and diffusion
Example
Phosphorus in most cases move in soils by
diffusion, so P uptake is sharply reduced in
dry soils

 Soil temperature
Rates of all chemical reactions both in soils
and plants depend on temperature
Examples
Plants respire less in cold soils, so plants
have less energy to take up nutrients
Root growth is slow in cold soil therefore
limiting root interception of nutrients

 Soil temperature
Rates of all chemical reactions both in soils
and plants depend on temperature
Examples
Low temperature slows decomposition of
organic matter to release more nutrients, so
nutrient uptake in cold soils is low
Phosphorus and Fe deficiencies are
common in spring when soils are cold and
wet

 Amount of soil nutrient ions

Increase in amount of ions in the soil via or
through fertilization improves absorption
Example
When K is high in soils, plants take up more
than they need (luxury consumption)
Note: If something happens to slow uptake,
the excess K stored in the plant cells is used

 Rooting system
Nutrient uptake is fast when plants grow well
to produce a lot of roots
Poor drainage, compaction, and low
nutrients status reduce root growth, so these
affect nutrient uptake

 Rooting system
Examples
Deep rooted plants need less fertilization
than shallow rooted plants
Soils with restricted zones such as high
water table, bedrock, plowpan, can use
shallow rooted plants

Organisms
Examples
Nematodes or root-rotting fungi damage
ability of roots to take up nutrients
Micorrhizal infections improve availability of
nutrients more
Insects feed on plant roots to disrupt nutrient
uptake

Raises fertility

Lowers fertility

High clay content

High humus content
Good structure
Warm soil
Deep soil
Moist soil
Good drainage
Fertilization
Desirable microbes
Near neutral pH

High sand content

Loss of organic matter
Compaction
Cold soil
Shallow soil
Dry or wet soil
Excess irrigation or drainage
Erosion
Root damaging
pH too acid or alkaline