Mineral ion deficiencies

• Pathogens are disease-causing viruses, bacteria, fungi or protists which attack plants as well as animals.
• Plants have physical and chemical defences against pathogens.
• Mineral ion deficiencies are a type of deficiency disease that develops because an organism (plant or animal) does not have enough vitamins or mineral ions.
• Naturally occurring, inorganic chemical substances are minerals, which are necessary for both plant and animal health.
• Scurvy is a deficiency disease historically found in sailors who did not have enough fresh fruit or vegetables, so were deficient in Vitamin C.
• Plants suffer from deficiency diseases when they do not have enough mineral ions.
• Nitrate deficiency is a condition where plants are limited in terms of their photosynthetic ability and the plant growth is compromised.
• Nitrates are the chemical absorbed from the soil by plants to produce their protein as a supply of nitrogen, which is needed to make proteins for healthy growth.
• Nitrates are present in high levels in plant fertilisers.
• Without nitrates, the amount of chlorophyll in leaves reduces, which reduces the plant's ability to photosynthesise.
• Photosynthesis is a chemical process used by plants to make glucose and oxygen from carbon dioxide and water, using light energy.
• Algae subsumed within plants and some bacteria are also photosynthetic and grow properly, which reduces the farmers' crop yield.
• Farmers or gardeners can add chemical or natural fertilisers, such as manure to increase nitrate levels.
• Magnesium ion deficiency is a condition where plants are limited in terms of their photosynthetic ability and the plant growth is compromised.
• Magnesium is a limiting factor in healthy plant growth.