Exercise 11

The Essential
Elements
Mineral Deficiency
Symptoms

Group 4 : 11/12/15: Dr. Bautista

 Elements
Essential elements
 Needed for the completion of plant’s life
cycle
 Directly involved in plant metabolism
 Function is no replaceable by another
element

17 Essential elements
(based on appearance of deficiency symptoms)
 Mobile:Mo,N,K,Mg,P,Cl,
 Immobile: Ca,S,Cu,Mn,Fe,B,Zn
 Experiment

Notes on Hoagland’s
culture solution
Solution culture technique/
hydroponic set-up
Procedure Rationale

Dark bottles used To avoid algae from growing on

root surface
Containers shaken everyday To aerate the roots

2 drops of FeCl3 solution was To replenish the supply of iron in

added every other day to the the solution
solution except –Fe cultures

pH was maintained at 5.5-6 To make the essential nutrients

available for plant
 Experiment
Treated culture solutions
Treatments
Salts Complete -N -P -K -Ca -Mg -S -Fe
KNO3 X X X X X X
Ca(NO3)2 X X X X X X
MgSO4 X X X X X X
NH4H2PO4 X X X X X X
Microelements X X X X X X X X
Fe X X X X X X X
CaCl2 X
KCl X
MgCl2 X
Na2SO4 X
NH4Cl X
NaH2PO4 X
NaNO3 X 2X
 Experiment

Complete
 Condition where all essential nutrients are available
 Desirable if amounts of the nutrients are not in excess
 Produces healthy plants
 Experiment

Nitrogen
 Mobile
 Important cell component
 Component of amides which are used for transport or cell
storage
 - Component of amines and polyamines of the lipid faction
of membranes to delay leaf senescence
 Form taken up by plants: NO3- NH4+
 Experiment
Nitrogen
 Old and mature leaves (mobile):
 May give rise to purple coloration in leaves, petioles and
stems of some plants
 Slender and woody stems
 Uniform chlorosis
 Experiment
Phosphorus
 Mobile
 Sugar phosphates used in respiration and photosynthesis
 Hastens maturity, promotes good root development
 Component of phospholipids that make up cell membrane
 In seeds, component of phytic acid
 Plays role in carbon partitioning of cytosol and chloroplast
 Form taken up by plants: H2PO4-
 Experiment
Phosphorus
 Old and mature leaves (mobile):
 Necrosis
 Stunted growth in young plants
 Dark green coloration of leaves which contain necrotic spots
 Excess anthocyanin formation
 Death of older leaves
 May cause delayed maturation
 Experiment

Phosphorus
 Experiment

Potassium
 Mobile
 Stomatal , water and carbohydrate movement
 Enzyme activator
 Located in the cell sap as an inorganic salt
 Form taken up by plants: K+
 Experiment


Potassium
Old and mature leaves (mobile):
 Chlorosis followed by necrosis
 Tip/ edge scorching
 Purple spots may appear on underside
 Experiment

Calcium
 Immobile
 Gives strength to cell wall
 Involved in root and tip elongation
 Form taken up by plants: Ca2+
 Experiment
Calcium
 Young and immature leaves (mobile):
 Localized tissue necrosis
 Curling
 Death of terminal buds and root tips
 Stunted growth
 Experiment

Magnesium
 Mobile
 Bound as the central atom of porphyrin ring in chlorophyll
 Act as enzyme activator
 Synthesis of amino acids and cell proteins
 Uptake and migration of phosphorus in plants
 Form taken up by plants: Mg2+
 Experiment

Magnesium
 Old and mature leaves (mobile):
 Interveinal or blotchy chlorosis
 Interveinal or blotchy necrosis and varying shades of color
 A whitish or yellowish striping effect on grasses
 ‘sand drowning’ in tobacco plant
 Experiment

Sulfur
 Immobile
 Used in protein and oil formation
 Promotes nodulation in legumes
 Develop and activate enzymes and vitamins
 Form taken up by plant: SO42-
 Experiment
Sulfur
 Young leaves (immobile):
 Leaf edges turns purple
 Interveinal yellowing (chlorosis), cupping
 Experiment
Iron
 Immobile
 Catalysis in chlorophyll production
 Component of cytochrome and ferredoxin
 Constitutes some enzymes and pigment
 Form taken up by plant: Fe2+, Fe3+

Cytochrome C Ferredoxin
 Experiment
Iron
 Young leaves (immobile):
 Interveinal / blotchy chlorosis
 Occur on high pH soils / certain plants
 Can turn completely white
 Experiment
Summary
Mobility/Location Deficient element Symptoms

Mobile N, Mg Chlorosis
Mature leaves
K, Mg, P Necrosis
Immobile S, Fe Chlorosis
Immature leaves
Ca Necrosis

Study questions
 Mobile elements can be transported from older mature
leaves to the younger leaves hence deficviency
symptoms first appear on the older leaves
 Immobile elements cannot be transported to the younger
leaves hence deficiency symptoms occur first in he
younger leaves
 Experiment
Study questions
Microelements in organis compounds
Organic compound Microelement

Ferredoxin Fe

Plastocyanin Cu

Cytochrome Fe

Oxygen-evolving Mn
complex
Urease Ni

Nitrogenase Mo, Fe

Carbonic anhydrase Zn

Superoxide dismutase Zn,Cu

 Exercise 11
The Essential
Elements
Mineral Deficiency
Symptoms

Group 4 : 11/12/15: Dr. Bautista