Plant Nutrients Overview

Plants need 16 elements for Normal/Optimal growth

— From air and water :

•Carbon(C)

•Hydrogen(H)

•Oxygen(O)

🔷MacroNutrients

•Nitrogen (N)

•Phosphorus (P)

•Potassium(K)

🔹SecondaryNutrients

(Usually are either present in sufficient quantities or are added coincidentally with soil amendments)

•Calcium

•Magnesium

•Sulfur

🔷MicroNutrients

•Iron

•copper

•manganese

•zinc

•boron

•chlorine

•molybdenum

🔷Mobile Nutrients - are able to move from one part of the plant to another as needed. Molar nutrients show deficiency symptoms on older, lower leaves first.

🔷Immobile Nutrients - Either stay at the destinations or move very little once assimilated and transported. Deficiencies show symptoms first and younger leaves.

🔸 Barium (Ba), Cadmium(Cd), Chromium(Cr), Lithium(Li), Palladium(Pd), Vanadium(V) - may be necessary for plant growth and health

MACRO

🟢Nitrogen(N) - 🚗💨 Mobile

• promotes growth of leaves and stems

• Critical to chlorophyll production

• Nitrogen Fixation - Process we are Bacteria turn atmospheric N into a form that can be used by plants

🟢Phosphorus (P)- 🚗 Less Mobile

• aids in flower and fruit/seed production

• Encourages early and rapid root growth

🟢Potassium (K) - 🚗🚗💨 Very Mobile

• promotes strong stems, disease resistant and winter hardiness

• Potassium regulates the opening and closing of stomata thus regulating the uptake of CO2 thus enhancing photosynthesis.

• It triggers activation of important biochemical enzymes for the generation of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP). ATP provides energy for other chemical and physiological processes such as excretion of waste materials in plants.

• It plays a role in osmoregulation of water and other salts in plant tissues and cells.

• Potassium also facilitates protein and starch synthesis in plants.

• It activates enzymes responsible for specific functions.

• potassium is supplied to agricultural land in a mineral form and it dissolves in the soil water and is available to the plant

SECONDARY

🟢Calcium(C) - Immobile 🚫

• important for general plant vigor

• used primarily to build cell walls

• Needed in growing young root and shoot tips

• Plays a role in protein formation and carbohydrate movement in plant

• ❗️)Most calcium sources will raise pH. Gypsum best option for not raising pH)

• ❗️ New growth at the leaf tips and margins begins to wither in die back; new leaves appear deformed

🟢Magnesium(Mg)- 🚗 - Less Mobile

• Stored in the chlorophyll- important in the dark green color and for the ability of a plant to manufacture food from sunlight

• aids in seed formation

• Necessary for formation of sugars, proteins, oils, and fats

• Central element in chlorophyll and aids in uptake of nutrients

• Is a phosphorus Carrier

• ❗️deficiencies include mottled yellow between leaves while veins remain green

🟢Sulfur(S)- 🚗💨 Mobile

• Needed to manufacture chlorophyll

• component of plant proteins

• Helps maintain dark green color while encouraging more vigorous plant growth

• Helps form important enzymes and assists in making proteins

MICRO

🟢Boron (B) -🚫 Immobile

• Helps in cell development and helps to maintain plant metabolism

• Protein synthesis

• Development of cell walls

• Carb metabolism

• Sugar translocation

• Hormone regulation

• Pollen grain germination and pollen tube growth

• fruit set/seed development

🟢Chlorine (Cl)

• involved in photosynthesis

• Gas exchange

• Protection against diseases in plants

• Increasing chloride balances out the positive charge of the potassium during the opening of the stomata to prevent plant damage

🟢Copper (Cu)- 🚫 Immobile

• Aids in forming chlorophyll

• activate enzymes in your plants the help synthesize lignin

• APART of the photosynthesis process

• ❗️leaf nodes will grow closer and closer together

🟢Iron (Fe) - 🚫 Immobile

• assist in the manufacturing of chlorophyll

• Vital functions like enzyme and chlorophyll production, nitrogen fixing, and development and metabolism are all depending on iron

• ❗️leaf chlorosis - yellowing of leaves while veins remain green; starts at tip of new leaves and work it’s way to older leaves

🟢Manganese (Mn) - 🚫 “less” mobile

• Needed for chlorophyll production ❗️But not A part of chlorophyll

• Involved in photosynthesis

• ❗️deficiencies involve green “hugging” around yellow veins

🟢Molybdenum (Mo)- 🚫 Immobile

• helps plants use nitrogen

• Enables the plant to use the nitrates from the soil - legumes Need more molybdenum to fix nitrogen than to utilize nitrates

• ❗️ Plants become stunted, with symptoms similar to those of nitrogen deficiency; edges of leaves may become scorch by the accumulation of unused nitrates - NITROGEN TOXICITY

🟢Zinc (Zn)- 🚫 Immobile

• ❗️whitening of leaves on edges

• Development of enzymes and hormones

• Needed by legumes to form seeds

• HELP the plant produce chlorophyll