PLANT NUTRITION

Plant Nutrition

Macronutrients

• Plants require various inorganic nutrients for biosynthesis.

  • Compounds like amino acids, phospholipids, nucleic acids, and ATP need elements like phosphorus, nitrogen, and sulfur.

Nitrogen

• Essential for leaf growth and development.

• Deficiency leads to yellowing of leaves and stunted growth.

• Excess causes hypertrophy of foliage and suppresses fruit production.

Potassium

• Important for maintaining membrane potential and turgidity in cells.

• Deficiency results in poor health symptoms and chlorosis in leaves.

Phosphorus

• Essential for vital compounds like nucleic acids and ATP.

• Deficiency leads to dark green leaves and abnormal colors in leaves and stalks.

Sulfur

• Essential for proteins due to its presence in amino acids.

• Deficiency causes chlorosis in new leaves and poor root development.

Calcium

• Important for cell division and growth.

• Deficiency results in abnormal growth and cell division.

Magnesium

• Required for enzyme action and chlorophyll synthesis.

• Deficiency leads to mottled chlorosis.

Micronutrients

• Required in trace amounts for plant health.

Iron

• Needed for electron transport and chlorophyll synthesis.

• Deficiency causes interveinal chlorosis in leaves.

Boron

• Deficiency results in dark foliage and growth abnormalities.

Zinc

• Required as a cofactor for DNA polymerase enzymes.

• Excess is toxic to plants.

Manganese

• Required for enzymes in oxidative metabolism and photosynthesis.

• Deficiency leads to chlorotic leaf yellowing.

Chlorine

• Needed for ionic balance and oxygen production in photosynthesis.

• Deficiency results in small leaves and slow growth.

Molybdenum

• Needed for denitrifying and nitrogen-fixing enzymes.

• Low productivity is related to molybdenum deficiency.

Copper

• Component of enzymes and cytochromes.

• Deficiency results in lowered protein