PLANT MINERAL

NUTRITION
The Essential Elements
Roles or Functions
Deficiency symptoms
Assimilation of nutrients
 Plant’s organ for water and nutrient absorption
 Ability to respond to the heterogeneity of the soil and other
plant growth media
 Manifest phenotypic plasticity in response to variations in
nutrient availability or other changes in their immediate
environment

PLANT ROOTS
 supply of carbohydrates from the shoots
 supply of hormones from the shoots and export of hormones
from the roots
 supply and form of mineral nutrients
 soil pH (inhibited at soil pH below 5)
 aeration
 presence of low molecular weight organic solutes
 presence of microorganisms which can either stimulate or
inhibit root growth

ROOT GROWTH DEPENDS ON:

CRITERIA FOR
ESSENTIALITY OF ELEMENT

Needed for the completion of plant’s

life cycle

Directly involved in plant metabolism

Function not replaceable by another

mineral element
 Deficiency symptoms appear in its absence
 Justus von Liebig – credited for adding minerals to soils to
improve plant growth
 Arnon and Stout (1939) – proposed the term “essential
element/mineral nutrient
 needed for the completion of plant’s life cycle;
 causes a specific deficiency when it is unavailable;
 must be directly involved in plant metabolism

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
THE CURRENT ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS

Year Element Number

1800’s C, H, O, P, K, N, S, Ca, Mg 9
Fe 1
1922 Mn, B 2
1939 Zn, Cu, Mo 3
1954 Cl 1
1987 Ni 1
Total 17 7
 CLASSIFICATION OF ESSENTIAL
ELEMENTS
 Based on growth requirement
 Macronutrients: H, C, O, N, K, Ca, Mg, P, S
 Micronutrients: Fe, Cl, B, Mn, Zn, Cu, Mo, Ni

 Based on physical properties

 Metals: K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Mo, Ni
 Non-metals: N, S, P, B, Cl

 Based on biochemical function

 Group 1 (form organic compounds): C, H, O, N, S
 Group 2 (energy storage or structural integrity) P, B, Si
 Group 3 (remain in ionic form) K, Mg, Ca, Mn, Cl
 Group 4 (involve in electron transfers) Fe, Cu, Zn, Mo, Ni

 Based on appearance of deficiency symptoms

 Mobile: N, K, Mg, P, Cl, Zn, Mo
 Immobile: Ca, S, Fe, B, Cu
ESSENTIALITY OF A MINERAL
ELEMENT CAN BE DEMONSTRATED
BY GROWING PLANTS IN:

Solution culture
Sand culture
Field plot
 Hydroponic technique
 minerals are supplied to the roots as aqueous solution of salts

 Nutrient film technique

 Minerals supplied to the roots as a thin film

 Aeroponic technique
 Minerals supplied to the roots in spray form

TECHNIQUES FOR GROWING

PLANTS IN NUTRITIONAL
STUDIES
HYDROPONIC TECHNIQUE

Lettuce Rice
Pechay Tomato
NUTRIENT FILM TECHNIQUE
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AEROPONIC TECHNIQUE
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 Contituents of organic structures (e.g. C, H, O, N, S and
Mg)
 Activator of enzyme reactions or charge carrier ( e.g. Fe,
Cu, Mo, Mn and Ni)
 Involvement in the osmoregulation or maintenance of
electrochemical equilibrium (e.g. K, Cl and Ca)
 Involvement in energy transfer (e.g. P and B)

FUNCTIONS OF ESSENTIAL
ELEMENTS
 Macronutrients --- required at 1,000 mg/kg of dry matter or above
Carbon In organic molecules
Oxygen In organic molecules, turgor
Hydrogen In organic molecule, turgor
Nitrogen In proteins, chlorophyll, nucleic acids and membranes

Phosphorus In RNA, DNA, ATP, sugar phosphates, phospholipids

FUNCTIONS Potassium Stomatal opening, enzyme activator

OF Calcium In cell wall, acts as second messenger

ESSENTIAL Magnesium In chlorophyll, enzyme activator

ELEMENTS Sulfur In proteins and coenyzme A

Micronutrients --- required at less than 100 mg/kg of dry matter
Iron In cytochromes, ferredoxin
Chlorine Water splitting in photosynthesis
Manganese Water splitting in photosynthesis, enzyme activator
Zinc Enzyme activator, auxin synthesis
Boron Carbohydrate metabolism, pollen tube growth
Copper In plastocyanin, enzyme activator
Molybdenum
Nickel
Nitrate reduction
In urease enzyme
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BENEFICIAL ELEMENTS
 Elements which compensate for the toxic effects of
other elements or replace other elements in some
of their less specific function.
 Elements
satisfying specific additional nutrient
requirement for particular plants
 Silicon for grasses
 Sodium for C4 plants
 Cobalt for legumes
BENEFICIAL ELEMENTS AND THEIR
FUNCTIONS
Element Form Function
absorbed
Silicon Si(OH)4 Stiffens cell walls. Essential for horsetails and
some grasses. Present naturally in virtually all
plants where it often is beneficial
Sodium Na+ Essential for C4 and CAM plants and some
halophytes or salt accumulators. Present in
large amounts in many plants where it is often
beneficial
Cobalt Co2+ Required by nitrogen-fixing bacteria so
essential for legumes dependent on symbiotic
nitrogen fixation
Selenium SeO42- A few species accumulate large amounts which
prevents phosphorus toxicity

Aluminum Al3+ Needed to make hydrangea flowers blue rather

than pink. Accumulated by tea, heathers and
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mosses
3General Methods used in diagnosing
nutrient disorder in plants:
1. Visual symptoms of deficiency/toxicity
2. Plant and soil analysis
3. Determination of some biochemical indicators
• enzyme activity
• metabolic products like amines which at abnormal
levels are linked with nutrient disorder

NUTRIENT DISORDER
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 Nutrient deficiency results from:
a) Low concentration of nutrients in the soil
b) Unabsorbable form in which the nutrients exist
c) Processes which make the nutrients unavailable to
the plant
d) Inappropriate soil content and pH

NUTRIENT DISORDER
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NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS

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VISUAL SYMPTOMS OF SOME
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
Element Function

Nitrogen (N) In young plants, stunted growth and chlorosis (yellow coloration)
of older leaves; often abundant anthocyanin in veins; stems
short and woody
Phosphorus Young plants stunted; leaves dark blue green, sometimes
purplish; stems slender, not woody; often with anthocyanin in
(P)
veins and may become necrotic
Potassium (K) Yellow with marginal or mottled chlorosis which then develops
into necrosis occurring at leaf tip and margins towards leaf
base; margin “firing” (rapid drying of margins and tips)
Magnesium Interveinal chlorosis appearing first on old leaves; severely
affected leaves wilt and shed or may abscise; brittleness of
(Mg)
leaves common; necrosis often occurs
Calcium (Ca) Young shoots deformed in appearance; breakdown of
meristematic tissues in stems and roots (death in acute cases);
roots poorly developed; symptoms appear near growing points
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of stems and roots; little or no fruiting
VISUAL SYMPTOMS OF SOME
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS
Element Function

Sulfur (S) Leaves light green to yellow, appearing first along veins of
young leaves; stems often slender

Iron (Fe) Interveinal chlorosis appearing first on young leaves; tendency

for chlorosis of all aerial parts, often becoming necrotic; in some
cases, leaves may completely bleached with margins and tips
scorched
Chlorine (Cl) Willting of leaves, especially at leaf margins; with severe
deficiency curling of youngest leaves, followed by shriveling;
necrosis might occur
Boron (B) Terminal leaves necrotic, shed prematurely; internodes of
terminal shoots shortened; apical meristems blacken and die;
plants dwarfed, stunted
Manganese Mottled chlorosis with veins green, appearing first on young
(Mn) leaves, may spread to old leaves; stems yellowish green, often 23
hard and woody
VISUAL SYMPTOMS OF SOME
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS

Element Function

Zinc (Zn) Stunted growth in dicots due to reduction in internodal growth

(“rosetting”) and drastic decrease in leaf size; whitish chlorotic
streaks between veins in older leaves; chlorosis of lower leaves
followed by necrotic spots

Copper (Cu) Wilting of terminal shoots frequently followed by death; leaf

color often faded

Molybdenum Light yellow chlorosis of older leaves; flowers may fail to grow
(Mo)
Nickel (Ni) Root growth severely inhibited; leaf tip necrosis with urea
application
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 The ability of plants to obtain nutrients from the soil, water
or air.
 It may be influenced by:
 concentration and availability of ions in the soil
 root physiology and growth
 supply of nutrients through symbiotic means
 supply of energy and properties of ion transport proteins

NUTRIENT ACQUISITION
ALTHOUGH NUTRIENT IS PRESENT IN
SOIL, IT IS UNAVAILABLE FOR UPTAKE
DUE TO:

 ions may bind to charged soil particles in organic matter

 ions may have been precipitated by other ions in the solution
as insoluble salts (e.g. phosphates of iron)
 elements occur in various ionic forms, only one of which is
taken up by roots (e.g. Fe2+ is preferred over Fe3+)
 Nutrient availability can be influenced or modified by roots
 Roots not only take up ions and water but also releases H+ or
HCO3- and CO2 → changes the pH
 Roots also consume or release O2 causing alterations in redox
potential

ROOT PHYSIOLOGY AND

GROWTH
 Low molecular-weight exudates may mobilize mineral nutrients
directly or indirectly by providing energy for microbial activity
in the rhizosphere (soil-root surface)
 Important for root ion uptake
 Adaptation of plants to adverse soil conditions (e.g. acid
soils)

ROOT PHYSIOLOGY AND

GROWTH
 Root-induced changes in rhizosphere pH → imbalance in
cation/anion uptake ratio; release of H+ or HCO3- (or OH-);
excretion of organic acids
 Soil water increases → redox potential increases (more
negative/reduced)
 Roots secrete exudates of high molecular weight (mucilages)
and low molecular weight solutes (organic acids, sugars,
phenolics, amino acids)
 Mucilage glues soil particles improving soil-root contact

ROOT –TRIGGERED
MODIFICATIONS:
 Symbiotic Nitrogen
Fixation
 association between
the roots of legumes
and nitrogen-fixing
bacteria having
nitrogenase

SOME NUTRITIONAL
ADAPTATIONS OF PLANTS
 Mycorrhiza
 association between plant roots
and fungi
 helps the plant by enhancing
mineral nutrition (phosphorus and
trace metals), water absorption
and pathogen resistance

SOME NUTRITIONAL
ADAPTATIONS OF PLANTS
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 Parasitic Plants
 supplement their photosynthetic nutrition by tapping into
the host’s vascular tissues

SOME NUTRITIONAL
ADAPTATIONS OF PLANTS
Rafflesia 35
Dodder Mistletoe
 Carnivorous Plants
 fortify themselves by killing and digesting insects

SOME NUTRITIONAL
ADAPTATIONS OF PLANTS
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TRIGGER HAIRS AND CILIA
 The conversion of mineral nutrients into carbohydrates,
amino acids, lipids and other carbon skeleton for growth
and development
 Remain in the plant in an unchanged state (e.g. K+ and Cl-)
 Incorporated directly into organic molecules (e.g. P, Mg, Fe,
Ca)
 must be metabolized (e.g. N, S)

NUTRIENT ASSIMILATION
NITROGEN

 N availability is a limiting factor in agricultural production

 Molecular nitrogen, N2 is 80% of the air abundant in inert form
and cannot be used by plants
 Available by biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) carried out by
bacteria and blue green algae
NITROGEN

 In soil, N exists mainly as nitrate ion (NO3-) or ammonium ion

(NH4+)
 NH4+ be incorporated with organic molecules; cannot be
stored (toxic and inhibit photophosphorylation)
 NO3- readily mobile in the xylem and can be stored in
vacuoles of roots, shoots and storage organs
 NO3- has to be reduced to ammonia by nitrate reduction
to be incorporated into organic structure
NITROGEN CYCLE
 Conversion of N2 to NH3
 Accomplished by both biological and industrial (Haber-Bosch
process) means
 Consume much energy: 960 kJ/ N fixed
 Three major strategies of BNF can be differentiated in terrestrial
ecosystems:
 Symbiotic
 Associative
 Free-living
 Key enzyme: nitrogenase (or dinitrogenase)

NITROGEN FIXATION
 Formation of amino acids, amides and related compound
 main pathway of detoxification for NH4+ ions either taken up by
roots or derived from nitrate reduction or N2 fixation
 Ammonium assimilation in roots require much carbon skeletons
for amino acid synthesis

ASSIMILATION OF AMMONIUM
 Nitrate Reduction
NO3- + H+ + e- → NO2- + H+ + e- → NH4+
nitrate reductase nitrite reductase
(plastid) (cytosol)

Assimilation of NH3-N
NH3 + glutamate → glutamine → glutamate
glutamine synthetase glutamate synthase
(GS) (GOGAT)
glutamate + oxaloacetate → aspartate + -ketoglutarate
aminotransferase
(cytosol, plastid, microbodies)