Soil Nutrients are classified into two categories: Macro and Micro Nutrients. Soil Macro Nutrients include carbon, Hydrogen, oxygen, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulfur. While MicroNutrients Includes Iron, Copper, Zinc, Boron, Molybdenum, Manganese and Chlorine. Details are Given Below
Micro and Macro soil nutrients Their Functions and symptoms
Soil Macronutrients | Soil Micronutrients |
---|---|
Nutrients are required by the plant in relatively large amounts called Macronutrients | Soil Nutrients are required only in small amounts Called Micronutrients |
Non-mineral elements carbon (C) hydrogen (H)oxygen (O) Primary Soil Nutrients Nitrogen (N) Phosphorus (P) Potassium (K) Secondary Soil Nutrients calcium (Ca) magnesium (Mg) sulfur (S) | Iron (Fe) Copper (Cu) Zinc (Zn) Boron (B) Molybdenum (Mo) Manganese (Mn) Chlorine (Cl) |
Functions and symptoms of Nutrients
Nitrogen Roles and Deficiency symptoms
Roles of Nitrogen
- Promotes growth of leaves and stems
- Gives dark green colour and improves the quality of the foliage
- Necessary to develop cell proteins and chlorophyll
Deficiency symptoms of Nitrogen
- Sick, yellow-green colour
- short stems, small leaves, pale coloured leaves and flowers
- slow and dwarfed plant growth
Phosphorus Roles and Deficiency symptoms
Roles of Phosphorus
- Stimulates early formation and growth of roots
- Provides for fast and vigorous growth and speeds maturity
- Stimulates flowering and seed development
- Necessary for the enzyme action of many plant processes
Deficiency symptoms of Phosphorus
- Decrease in growth
- Slow maturity
- Older leaves are a purplish colour
Potassium Roles and Deficiency symptoms
Roles of Potassium
- Used to form carbohydrates and proteins
- Formation and transfer of starches, sugars and oils
- Increases disease resistance, vigour and hardiness
Deficiency symptoms of Potassium
- Mottled, spotted, streaked or curled leaves
- Scorched, burned, dead leaf tips and margins
Calcium Roles and Deficiency symptoms
Roles of
- Improves plant vigour
- Influences intake and synthesis of other plant nutrients
- An important part of cell walls
Deficiency symptoms of Calcium
- small developing leaves
- wrinkled older leaves
- dead stem tips
Magnesium Roles and Deficiency symptoms
Roles of Magnesium
- Influences the intake of other essential nutrients
- Helps make fats
- Assists in the translocation of phosphorus and fats
Deficiency symptoms of Magnesium
- Interveinal chlorosis-yellowing of leaves between green veins
- leaf tips curl or cup upward
- slender, weak stalks
Sulfur Roles and Deficiency symptoms
Roles of Sulfur
- Promotes root growth and vigorous
vegetative growth - Essential to protein formation
Deficiency symptoms of Sulfur
- Young leaves are light green with lighter
colour veins - Yellow leaves and stunted growth
Iron Roles and Deficiency symptoms
Roles of Iron
- Essential for chlorophyll production
- Help carry electrons to mix oxygen with
other elements
Deficiency symptoms of Iron
- Mottled and interveinal chlorosis in young
leaves - Stunted growth and slender, short stems
Copper Roles and Deficiency symptoms
Roles of Copper
- Helps in the use of Iron
- Helps respiration
Deficiency symptoms of Copper
- Young leaves are small and permanently
wilt - Multiple buds at stem tip
Zinc Roles and Deficiency symptoms
Roles of Zinc
- Plant metabolism
- Helps form growth hormones
- Reproduction
Deficiency symptoms of Zinc
- Retarded growth between nodes (rosette)
- New leaves are thick and small
- Spotted between veins, discoloured veins
Boron Roles and Deficiency symptoms
Roles of Boron
- Affects water absorption by roots
- Translocation of sugars
Deficiency Symptom of Boron
- Short, thick stem tips
- young leaves of terminal buds are light
green at base - leaves become twisted and die
Manganese Roles and Deficiency symptoms
Roles of Manganese
- Plant metabolism
- Nitrogen transformation
Deficiency symptoms of Manganese
- Interveinal chlorosis
- Young leaves die
Molybdenum Roles and Deficiency symptoms
Roles of Molybdenum
- Plant development
- Reproduction
Deficiency symptoms of Molybdenum
- Stunted growth
- Yellow leaves, upward curling leaves, leaf
margins burn
Chlorine Roles and Deficiency symptoms
Roles of Chlorine
- Essential to some plant processes
- Acts in enzyme systems
Deficiency symptoms of Chlorine
- Usually more problems with too much
Chlorine or toxicity than with deficiency
Learn More
- Soil Science One-Liner Questions for Agriculture Jobs
- Role of Silicon in alleviating biotic & abiotic stresses in plants
- Vermicompost application for enhancement of soil fertility and to reduce environmental pollution
- Role of Legume Crops in Soil improvement
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