Biological Sciences
Soil Nutrients
Soil nutrients are essential elements and compounds that support plant growth and development. They include macronutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as micronutrients like iron, zinc, and copper. These nutrients are absorbed by plant roots from the soil and play a crucial role in various physiological processes within the plant.
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11 Key excerpts on "Soil Nutrients"
eBook - PDF- Jaga, Praveen Kumar(Authors)
- 2021(Publication Date)
- Daya Publishing House(Publisher)
2: Plant Nutrition One hundred and nine elements have been identified and included in the periodic table so far. Most of this exit in the earth’s mantle, earth’s crust and soil. Before, moving further, let us understand some of the key term which is often used in this chapter. Nutrient: A nutrient element is one that is required to complete the life cycle of the organism and its relative deficiency produces specific deficiency symptoms. Nutrients content is considered deficient when it is so low that it severely limits growth and produces characteristic deficiency symptoms. Range of nutrient content in plants associated with optimum crop yields is called sufficient. When the concentration of a nutrient element rises too high to cause significant growth reductions, it is termed as toxic. Available nutrients : In the soil a nutrients elements is distributed in different discrete chemical forms, which often exist in a state of dynamic equilibrium and constitute the pool from which plants draw it. The nutrient available to the biological organism is termed as bio available nutrients. It is that portion of the nutrient in the soil that can be readily absorbed and assimilated by the plants. An available nutrient constitutes only a small portion of the total nutrient present in the soil. Beneficial elements : Beneficial elements are the mineral elements which stimulate plant growth but are not essential or which are essential only for certain plant species, or under specific conditions like silicon, sodium, aluminium, cobalt, selenium and vanadium. Fractional nutrient: This term introduced by Nicholas (1961) is defined as an element that plays a role in plant metabolism, whether or not that role is specific or indispensable. Trace element: Trace elements are an element found in low concentration, perhaps less than one ppm or still less in soil plant and water, etc.
eBook - ePubSoil Fertility and Nutrient Management
A Way to Sustainable Agriculture
- A.S. Jadeja, D.V. Hirpara, L.C. Vekaria, H.L. Sakarvadia(Authors)
- 2021(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
2.2. BASIC SOIL -PLANT RELATIONSHIPS
Mineral Nutrients in the Soil: Mineral nutrients occur in the soil in both dissolved and bound form. Only a small fraction (less than 0.2%) of the mineral nutrient supply is dissolved in soil water. Most of the remaining i e , almost 98 % is either bound in organic form, humus and relatively insoluble inorganic compounds or incorporated in minerals. These constitute a nutrient reserve, which becomes available very slowly as a result of weathering and mineralization of humus. The remaining 2.0 % is adsorbed on soil colloids. The soil solution, the soil colloids and the reserves of mineral substances in the soil are in a state of dynamic equilibrium, which ensures continued replenishment of supplies of nutrient elements.Nutrient dynamics in the soil: Plant absorbs dissolved nutrients along with water from the soil solution through roots. Therefore, sufficient concentration of essential nutrients must be maintained in soil solution. But, there are different sites of nutrient reserve in soil viz. soil solution, exchange complex, minerals and organic matter etc. The ionic equilibration is maintained among them especially between soil solution and exchange complex. Thus, it is essential to know nutrient dynamics, the relationship between these nutrient reservoirs and important physical, chemical and biological processes that releases the nutrients in soil solution and consequently uptake by plants.The interaction of various physical, chemical and biological properties in soils controls plant nutrient availability. Understanding these processes and how they are influenced by environmental conditions during the growing season enables us to optimize nutrient availability and plant productivity.Fig. 2.2 Various dynamic soil processes influencing the nutrient availabilityNutrient supply to plant roots is a very dynamic process (Fig. 2.2 ). Plant nutrients are absorbed from the soil solution and release small quantities of ions (H+ , OH- and HCO3 ) back to the solution by plant roots (reaction 1 and 2). As a result several chemical and biological reactions occur to buffer or resupply the solution. Ions adsorbed to the surface of minerals desorbs from these surfaces to resupply the solution (reaction 3 and 4). Ion exchange (adsorption and desorption) in soil is an important reaction to plant nutrient availability. Soils also contain minerals that can dissolve
eBook - PDF- Singh, A.K.(Authors)
- 2020(Publication Date)
- NEW INDIA PUBLISHING AGENCY (NIPA)(Publisher)
C HAPTER -4 Biological Intensive Nutrient Management Plant nutrients are drawn up from soil for growth and development. There are more than 90 elements present in the soil. According to the criteria of Essentiality of Nutrients for plant growth , proposed by Arnon and Stout in 1952 , only 16 are considered to be essential for plant growth. Out of these, C (Carbon), H (Hydrogen), O (Oxgen), N (Nitrogen), P (Phosphorus), K (Potassium), Ca (Calcium), Mg (Magnesium) and S (Sulfur) are called Macronutrients (required in large quantities) and the remaining 7 elements -Fe (Iron), Mn (Manganese), Cu (Copper), Zn (Zinc), B (Boran), Mo and Cl are called Micronutrients or trace elements (required only in very small quantities). Among the macro elements -N, P and K are called Fertiliser elements or primary nutrients as they are most often applied in the form of synthetic or mineral fertilisers, and Ca, Mg and S are called secondary elements which are applied in smaller quantities than primary nutrients and required subsequent to primary nutrients. The approach to plant nutrition in organic agriculture is fundamentally different from the practices of conventional agriculture. While conventional agriculture aims at providing direct nutrition to the plants by using mostly easily soluble chemical fertilisers, organic farming feeds the plants indirectly by feeding the soil organisms with organic matter. Organic soil fertility management is based on rational use of native resources achieved through crop rotation, cultivation of legumes, green manures or deep rooting plants and reutilization of organic farm by-products. Use of auxiliary resources in soil fertility management, i.e. mineral fertilisers and soil improvers that are not obtained directly from the agro-ecologic system involved and are acquired on the market, should only be employed as a second choice.
- Sarangi, Chittaranjan(Authors)
- 2020(Publication Date)
- NEW INDIA PUBLISHING AGENCY (NIPA)(Publisher)
Chapter 2 Essential Plant Nutrients Terminology Nutrient: Nutrients are substances required by an organism for their normal growth and reproduction. Plant Nutrient: The plant nutrient is a “food” which is composed of certain chemical elements often referred to as ‘plant nutrient’ or plant food elements considered very essential for growth and development of plants. Nutrition: The supply and absorption of chemical compounds needed for growth and metabolism of an organism. Plant nutrient elements are broadly grouped into two types. Essential Nutrients/ Elements Beneficial Nutrients/Elements A. Essential nutrients/elements Plants absorb or utilize more than 90 nutrient elements from the soil and other sources during their growth and development and about 64 nutrients have been identified in plants by their tissue analysis. But all are not essential for their growth and development. They require only 17 elements/nutrients. These 17 have been recognized as essential elements. They are; Carbon (C), Hydrogen (H), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Sulphur (S), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Zinc(Zn), Copper (Cu), Boron (B), Molybdenum (Mo), Chlorine (Cl), Nickel (Ni), Oxygen (O), Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), Potassium (K). Of these element C, H, O together constitute 95-96% (C-45%, O-45%, H-6%). Subsequently N, P and K constitute 2.7% in plants. The other elements 10 Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management in Horticulture constitute only 1.3-1.4%. But all have definite roles to play in the growth and development. Among these Nickel is the latest nutrient addition to the list in 1987. Classification of essential nutrients Essential nutrients are classified in to two major groups based on relative utilization or absorption by the plants and also based on their biochemical behavior and physiological functions. Based on relative utilization or absorption by the plants A.
eBook - PDF- Premasis Sukul(Author)
- 2021(Publication Date)
7.1. Introduction Like all other living organisms such as humans, animals, and microorganisms, plants also need elemental nutrients for their growth and development. They assemble the nutrients from soil, water and air. However, to obtain economical crop yield, nutrients are also supplied to the crops from external sources such as chemical fertilizers and manures and using biofertilizers. It is the present-day need to handle the soil fertility status in a more realistic and careful way to obtain maximum crop harvest. Under poor management practices, soil may become infertile and loose its importance in agricultural use. In modern days, huge food demand for the burgeoning human population does not permit to show luxury to use only fertile soil. Moderately fertile soil or even degraded soil should also be managed properly so that they may be used to grow crops. For this, plant nutrients status of the soil plays a significant role along with other soil properties. For sustainable soil fertility management, parameters such as crop to be raised, its nutrient demand at various growth stages, current nutrient status of the soil, amount of nutrient application based on the soil testing results etc are important to be considered. Balanced nutrition to the plants is the prerequisite to obtain maximum benefit. If nutrients supplied to the plants are low in quantity than their requirement, crop production is lowered down. Similarly, if the nutrients are provided in more amount in the soil or unbalanced way through fertilizer or manure applications, total crop yield is suffered. It is a very common example that excess of phosphorus leads to zinc deficiency in most crop plants and it has been observed that excess N is responsible for potassium starvation in potato. Again, excess of iron, manganese, zinc, copper shows plant toxicity.
eBook - PDF- Roksana Khalid(Author)
- 2019(Publication Date)
- Delve Publishing(Publisher)
On the other hand, excessive uptake of nutrients can also result in toxicity and poor growth. Therefore, the sufficient levels of minerals and their proper placement is extremely important. Various test methods have been developing to determine the true mineral content in soil and plant tissues. Analysis of the plants’ nutrition data can help the scientists and researchers to estimate the mineral requirements of a particular plant in a certain soil. Apart from the mineral content, the pH of the soil or water also plays an important role in determining the nutrition requirement and toxicity levels in plants. Plants require the suitable combination of minerals and nutrients to survive, grow and breed. Plants show the signs of malnutrition due to the insufficient supply of essential nutrients. Both excess and deficiency of the nutrients can cause health problems in plants. Plant nutrients can mainly be categorized into two classes, i.e. micro nutrients and macro nutrients (Chapin et al., 1986; Chadwick et al., 1999). Macronutrients are typically those mineral elements which are required in comparatively huge amounts. Macronutrients include nitrogen, Sulphur, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. On the contrary, micro nutrients are those essential elements which are required by the plants in small (trace) amounts such as iron, boron, zinc, copper, manganese, molybdenum and chlorine. Both micro- and macro nutrients are naturally acquired by the plants (via roots) from the soil. Particular conditions need to be met for the roots to uptake these nutrients from the soil. For instance, the soil needs to be moist enough to Essential Nutrients for Plants 105 allow the smooth uptake and transport of the nutrient elements. Sometimes fixing inappropriate watering approaches will eradicate nutrient deficiency signs. The soil pH must be maintained within a particular range for easy release of nutrients from the soil.
eBook - ePub- Allen V. Barker(Author)
- 2021(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
3 Requirements of Plants for Soil-Derived NutrientsThis chapter presents information on (1) the functions of nutrients in plants, (2) the effects of nutrients on plant growth and quality, (3) recognition of symptoms of deficiencies of nutrients, and (4) how to supply nutrients to plants. For most of the nutrients, specific metabolic functions in plants have been identified. Participation in these metabolic roles is a factor that makes an element essential. The function of all essential elements in plants is not known, but the fact that plants will not grow in the absence of the elements is evidence of their being plant nutrients. Because of the metabolic disorders associated with shortages of a nutrient, limitations in the supply of any nutrient may restrict plant growth, development, and yields and cause appearance of symptoms of deficiency. Often deficiencies of nutrients are expressed in lower quality of produce. Increasing the supply of the nutrient will enhance growth and yields within limits and will also have effects on crop quality, for example, developing green color in a leafy vegetable crop. However, supply of nutrients in excess of the needs of a crop may have an adverse effect on crop quality, often lowering quality or suppressing harvest yields.Severe shortages of nutrients usually lead to the development of symptoms of deficiency. Recognition of these symptoms is a useful way of identifying nutritional disorders in a crop. If the deficiency is detected in time, fertilization may restore crop productivity. If the deficiency is recognized too late for correction in the current crop, the grower is alerted that remedies need to be taken for the next season.Fertilizers are materials that carry plant nutrients to the soil or directly to crops. This chapter will present and evaluate organic and chemical fertilizers for each of the plant nutrients and will discuss practices that increase the nutrient-supplying capacity of soil.
eBook - PDF- Mohammad Pessarakli(Author)
- 2014(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
355 18 Some Interactions of Mineral Nutrients and Organic Substances in Plant Nutrition Thomas W. Crawford, Jr. 18.1 INTRODUCTION The mineral nutrition of plants is dependent upon complex inorganic and organic sources of essen-tial plant nutrients. Carbon is assimilated from the air by photosynthetic plants, and parasitic plants absorb some or all of their nutrients from other plant or animal material. Essential plant nutrients other than carbon are absorbed directly through cells in contact with the environment (e.g., roots, leaves, and surface of cells of other organs) or from other plants, in the case of parasitic plants such as Cassytha spp. or Striga spp. The acquisition of mineral nutrients can be directly facilitated by other organisms, such as mycorrhizae, which can increase the surface area of the root system of a plant, and indirect action by organisms such as fungi and bacteria can mineralize elements, making them available for absorption by plants. The purpose of this chapter is not encyclopedic, but rather to orient the reader regarding various aspects of interaction of mineral nutrients with organic sub-stances in plant nutrition; further, in-depth information is available via the references. 18.2 PROPERTIES OF THE ESSENTIAL PLANT NUTRIENTS There are 17 essential plant nutrients, and an element is essential if it fulfills either one or both of two criteria: (1) it is part of a molecule that is an intrinsic component of the structure or metabolism of a plant, or (2) plants deprived of this element exhibit abnormalities in growth, development, or reproduction (Epstein and Bloom, 2005). For the purpose of better understand-ing of interactions of organic (carbon-containing) substances with mineral nutrients (elements other than carbon), it is useful to categorize the 17 essential plant nutrients as 9 metals and 8 nonmetals.
eBook - PDF- Jr. Jones(Author)
- 2012(Publication Date)
- CRC Press(Publisher)
(see Chapter 13, “Elements Considered Beneficial to Plants”). The two such 84 Plant Nutrition and Soil Fertility Manual, Second Edition elements falling into this category are Ni and Si, elements that are listed at the end of this section, although they have yet to be “officially” categorized as a micronutrient. Cobalt (Co) is an element that is required by organisms that are able to fix atmo-spheric nitrogen (N 2 ). Therefore, some consider Co as an essential element (would be categorized as a micronutrient based on its concentration requirement) for those legumes that are able to symbiotically fix N 2 that exists in the atmosphere surround-ing the plant roots. Without sufficient Co, these plants would require an inorganic source of N in order to grow. 12.3 CONTENT AND FUNCTION The approximate concentrations of micronutrients in mature leaf tissue generalized for various plant species from deficient to sufficient or normal and to excessive or toxic. In general, the micronutrients Cl, Cu, Fe, and Mn are involved in various pro-cesses related to photosynthesis; therefore, their deficiency will be evident in terms of either significantly reduced plant growth and/or chlorosis symptoms. Four of the micronutrients, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn, are associated with various enzyme systems; Mo is specific for nitrate reductase only. Boron is the only micronutrient not spe-cifically associated with either photosynthesis or enzyme function, but is associated with the carbohydrate chemistry and reproductive system of the plant. 12.4 SOIL AND PLANT SPECIES ASSOCIATIONS The micronutrients are unique among the essential elements because their deficiency is frequently associated with a combination of crop species and soil characteristics.
- Gusau, W L(Authors)
- 2018(Publication Date)
- Agri Horti Press(Publisher)
Soil: An Introduction 27 may receive greater than 150 lbs S/acre/year from the combustion of fossil fuels. Volcanic eruptions can also emit large quantities of sulfur gases. Soils most commonly deficient in available sulfur are sandy, leached soils that are low in organic matter. Micronutrients Iron, zinc, manganese, copper, chlorine, boron, and molybdenum are classified as micronutrients. Micronutrients are plant essential elements that are required by plants in much smaller amounts than the other essential nutrients. Generally, less than 1 lb/acre of each micronutrient will be present in the aboveground portion of crops. This small quantity contrasts with the 200 lb/acre or more of nitrogen. The total quantity of many micronutrients in soils doesn’t necessarily relate to plant availability. Most soils, for example, will contain from 20,000 to 200,000 lbs total iron/acre to a depth of six inches, but may not be able to supply a crop with sufficient available iron for uptake of 1 lb/acre. Iron deficiency is usually associated with highly alkaline soils because iron solubility roughly decreases 1000-fold for each one unit increase in soil pH. Zinc, manganese, and copper availabilities are also decreased by alkalinity and by high organic matter concentrations (>10%). These three elements form very stable bonds with soil organic matter which decrease their availability. Plant micronutrient deficiencies are becoming more widespread because of greater quantities required by higher yields and decreasing micronutrient impurities in fertilizers. Soil Management Most soils cannot provide one or more plant essential nutrients in sufficient available form for modern crop production. Soil samples are frequently tested to determine the quantities of nutrients and other amendments which should be applied.
- Ahamad, Shahid(Authors)
- 2021(Publication Date)
- Daya Publishing House(Publisher)
In a bid to produce more, This ebook is exclusively for this university only. Cannot be resold/distributed. soils are exploited very badly and they are gradually becoming deficient in several nutrients in recent years. There are several soil related constraints coming in the way of achieving sustainability in crop production. These are: Physical Constraints Excessively coarse texture, deterioration in soil structure, surface crusting, excess soil compaction, poor permeability, sub-soil pans, poor infiltration, water logging, soil erosion and shifting cultivation. Chemical Constraints Soil acidification, salinization in irrigated agriculture and dry-lands, soil fertility interactions, elemental toxicities arising from build up of heavy metals etc. Biological Constraints Decline in microbial biomass, soil borne diseases and decline in quality and quantity of organic matter. To overcome the above mentioned constraints and to enhance the nutrient supply to crops, adoption of soil management and conservation practices, amelioration of problems soils, improving soil conditions for achieving higher fertilizer use efficiency, choosing crop species to exploit the reserve forms of nutrients, choosing appropriate cultural practices and cropping systems for maximizing utilization of available nutrients, growing legumes and tree crops in the cropping systems, inoculation with P solubilizing bacteria to mobilize unavailable P for crop production need greater attention. Organic Resources Organic resources are largely biological in origin and they have several nutrients in their composition, which on decomposition are released into soil. It has been well established that the applied organic resources not only increase soil fertility but also improve soil physical condition which is helpful for proper growth of plants. Increasing water holding capacity, aeration, This ebook is exclusively for this university only. Cannot be resold/distributed.
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