SOIL SCIENCE 2 – Soil Fertility Conservation and Management

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS

➢ The concept of soil fertility and its management to improve crop yields Nutrient Nutrient Elements from Soil
is perhaps as old as the development of agriculture by man. Elements Macro-Nutrients Micro Nutrients
➢ In ancient time, people had knowledge of applying manures such as from Primary Secondary
farmyard manure, green manure, night soil, bone, wood ashes, etc., to Atmosphere
soil for the purpose of increasing crop yields. and Water
Carbon Nitrogen Calcium Iron Boron
1. Xenophan (430 - 355 B.C) - a Greek historian, first recorded the merits Hydrogen Phosphorus Magnesium Manganese Zinc
of green manure crops. He wrote: “But then whatever weeds are upon Oxygen Potassium Sulfur Copper Chlorine
the ground, being turned into the earth, enrich the soil as much as dung” Molybdenum
meaning incorporating weeds into soils is as good as applying dung.
2. Cato (234 – 149 B.C) - wrote a practical handbook, “De Agri Cultura”,
Forms in which Elements Occur in Soils
and recommended intensive cultivation, crop rotations, and the use of
legumes for livestock farming. He was first to classify “Land” based on The unavailable form is the form in which element is combined as a part of a
specific crops. compound and is not accessible to plant absorption until the compound is
3. Columella (45 A.D) - emphasized the usefulness of turnips for soil “decomposed”.
improvements. He also advocated land drainage and the use of ashes,
marl (lime deposits), clover and alfalfa to make the soil more productive. The exchangeable form is the form in which the element exists as a cation or
4. Jethro Tull (1731) and Francis Home (1757) - claimed that Nitre anion absorbed (surface attraction) on the surface of organic compounds or
(Nitrate Salts), water, air, earth, Epsom salt (MgSO 4), Saltpetre clay minerals. The exchangeable ions are partly available to plants.
(Sodium & Potassium Nitrate), Vitriolated tarter (Potassium sulfate) and
Olive oil increased plant growth. The solution form is assumed to be the most available form. The water of
5. Nicholas Theodore de Seussure (1804) and Jean Baptiste soils tends to dissolve all the ions with which it comes in contact. The solution
Boussingault (1834) - In the early 19th century two prominent form is the ionic form with greater mobility. The ionic forms of the 13
scientists, a Swiss Physicist and a French Chemist & Agriculturist, were essential elements (except C, H, O) available to plant are as follows:
first to report that plants need 2 mineral nutrients for growth and
development. J.B.Boussingault was the first to start field plot Nitrogen (N) NH4+ Ammonium
experiments on his farm. NO3- Nitrate
6. Justus von Liebig (1840) - a German chemist, reported that growing NO2- Nitrite
plants obtain elements Ca, K, S and P from the soil, whereas carbon Phosphorus (P) HPO4 Hydrogen Phosphate
from CO2 in the air and not from the soil. He also suggested that plants H2PO4 Dihydrogen Phosphate
obtain H & O from air as well as from water and N from ammonia. He Potassium (K) K+ Potassium Cation
established the theory of “Law of Minimum” in relation to plant Sulfur (S) SO4- Sulphate
nutrition. He is regarded as the “Father of Agricultural Chemistry” SO3- Sulfur Trioxide
7. John B. Lawes (1837) - of the Rothamsted Experiment station, England Magnesium (Mg) Mg++ Magnesium Cation
was first to make and use Super phosphate on his farm (1840). Both Calcium (Ca) Ca++ Calcium Cation
J.B.Lawes & Joseph Henry Gilbert (1852) applied the principles of Iron (Fe) Fe++ Ferrous Cation
Fe+++ Ferric Cation
Liebig and stated that addition of mineral fertilizers to cropped soils
Manganese (Mn) Mn++ Manganous Cation
would keep the soil fertile. They further elaborated the chemistry of
Mn+++
plant nutrition.
Zinc (Zn) Zn++ Zinc Cation
8. Julius von Sachs (1860) - a German Botanist, and others, established
Copper (Cu) Cu+ Cuprous Ion
the essentiality of 10 nutrient elements and were using these elements
Cu++ Cupric Cation
in the synthetic mineral nutrient solutions for the growth of plant.
Molybdenum (Mo) MoO4-2 Molybdate
Discovery of other five nutrients was made after more than 60 -70 years,
Boron (B) BO3-3 Borate
while the last one in the group, “Chlorine” was established to be
essential for plant growth only in 1954.
Horizons
BASIC CONCEPTS IN PLANT NUTRITION
 O – Organic
✓ Nutrient – are substances required by an organism for their normal  A – Surface
growth and reproduction  B – Subsoil
✓ Nutrition – the supply and absorption of chemical compounds  C – Substratum
needed for growth and metabolism of an organism.  R – Bedrock
✓ Growth – is the progressive development of organisms.
✓ Plant Nutrient – is a “food” composed of certain chemical
elements referred as plant nutrient or plant food elements,
considered very essential for growth and development of plants.

Criteria of Essentiality – Arnon and Stout (1939)

a) A deficiency of the element makes it impossible for the plant to

complete the vegetative or reproductive stage of its life.
b) The deficiency symptom of the element in question can be
prevented or corrected only by supplying element.
c) The element is directly involved in the nutrition of plant
 SOIL SCIENCE 2 – Soil Fertility Conservation and Management
ROLES OF ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS IN PLANT NUTRITION Mass Flow – nutrients must be dissolved in water and as the water moves
through the roots, the nutrients are also carried and becomes positionally
Group I (C,H,O,Ca) Group II (N, P, S) available.
They are basic structural elements. Accessory structural elements of
They are major constituents of the more active and vital living Flow driven by:
plants (carbohydrates, proteins and tissues. Essential component of a) Transpiration (major factor)
fats) and organic matter. metabolically active compounds b) Evaporation
like amino acids, proteins, enzymes c) Percolation
and non-proteinaceous compounds.
They are involved in energy • Quantity of nutrients supplied by mass flow is proportional to:
storage (ATP & ADP) and transfer (1) rate of flow (volume of water transpired)
(Phosphate esters). (2) solution concentration of nutrients
Group III (K, Ca, Mg) Group IV (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, B,
Regulators & carriers for the most Mo, Cl) • Mass flow:
part of plant metabolism. They are Catalysts and activators. These (a) supplies most of the required amounts of mobile nutrients such
involved in synthesis and elements are involved in oxidation- as NO3-, Cl- , SO4 2- , BO3 3-
translocation of carbohydrates, reduction reactions, chlorophyll (b) can meet Cu, Mn, and Mo requirement
maintain ionic charge balance and synthesis and also exists in organic
(c) can supply a significant portion of required Fe and Zn.
induce enzyme activation. combinations.
Factors Affecting Mass Flow
AVAILABILITY OF NUTRIENTS 1. Soil Water Content – dry soil, no nutrient movement
2. Temperature – low temperature reduces transpiration and
Nutrient Availability – fraction of nutrients in the soil which is accessible to
evaporation.
plant roots. Nutrient that are available to plants.
3. Size of Root System – affects water uptake and movement
Process of Nutrient Availability

1. Movement of ions from the soil to the soil solution. Diffusion – ion movement from an area of high concentration to an area of
low concentration.
2. Movement of ions from the soil solution to the root surface.
 Concentration at root surface decreases compared to “bulk” soil
3. Movement of ions from the root surface to the interior part.
solution
4. Movement of ions within the plant  Ions diffuse down concentration gradient toward root surface
 Diffusion is important for nutrients that interact strongly with soil
 Primary mechanism for supplying P, K, Ca, Mg, NH4 +
 Important for micronutrients especially Fe and Zn
Mechanism of Nutrient Uptake  Nutrients that are taken rapidly by plant roots and which are
generally in the soil solution in low concentration are mainly
Root Interception - nutrients come in contact with roots as the roots push transported by diffusion.
their way through the soil.  In soil solution, P concentration does not exceed 1ppm.
a) Roots grow through the soil
b) Contact soil particle surfaces
c) Root surfaces contact adsorbed ions
Relationship between Soil Nutrient Supply and Plant Growth
• Quantity of nutrients intercepted by roots depends on:
• (1) soil concentration of nutrients; (2) volume of soil displaced by Nutrient Mobility within the plant
root system.
• Roots occupy less than 1% up to 2% of soil volume; even in Mobile Nutrients Immobile Nutrients
surface soil where root is greatest. Nitrogen (N) Sulfur (S)
Phosphorus (P) Calcium (Ca)
• Root interception is: Potassium (K) Iron (Fe)
(a) Relatively small, but still important to nutrients reaching root Chloride (Cl) Zinc (Zn)
surfaces Magnesium (Mg) Manganese (Mn)
(b) Most significant for: Molybdenum (Mo) Boron (B)
1. Nutrients present in high concentrations (Ca, Mg) Copper (Cu)
2. Nutrients required in small amounts (Zn, Mn, other Nickel (Ni)
micronutrients).

Factors Affecting Root Interception

1. Dry Soil
2. Compaction
3. Low Soil pH
4. Poor Aeration
5. Root Diseases, Insects, Nematodes
6. High or Low Soil Temperature
SOIL SCIENCE 2 – Soil Fertility Conservation and Management