SOIL SCI

• Mobile nutrients


  • N
  • P
  • K
  • Mg
  • Zn
• Immobile nutrients


  • Cu
  • Mn
  • Bo
  • S
  • Fe
• 19 essential elements


  • Nitrogen
  • Phosphorus
  • Potassium
  • Magnesium
  • Manganese
  • Calcium
  • Sulfur
  • Iron
  • Nickel
  • Carbon
  • Copper
  • Zinc
  • Boron
  • Chlorine
  • Molybdenum
  • Hydrogen
  • Oxygen
  • Sodium
  • Cobalt
• Primary (macronutrients)


  • Nitrogen
  • Phosphorus
  • Potassium
• Nitrogen


  • Necessary for formation of amino acids, the building blocks of protein
  • Essential for plant cell division and vital for plant growth
  • Directly involved in photosynthesis
  • Necessary component of vitamins
• Nitrogen deficient symptoms


  • Yellow coloration in a V shaped pattern
  • Progresses from leaf end to leaf collar
  • Progresses from lower to upper leaves
• Phosphorus


  • Involved in photosynthesis, respiration, energy storage and transfer, cell division, and enlargement
  • Promotes early root formation and growth
  • Improves quality of fruits, vegetables, and grains
  • Vital to seed formation
  • Helps plants to survive harsh winter condition
  • Increases water use efficiency
  • Hastens maturity
• Phosphorus deficient symptoms


  • Purple coloration on lower leaves
• Potassium


  Carbohydrate metabolism and the breakdown and translocation of starches
• Potassium deficient symptoms


  • Scorching and burning along the edges and tip of the leaf
  • Occur first on lower leaves and may progress to upper leaves
• Secondary nutrients


  • Calcium
  • Magnesium
  • Sulfur
  • Zinc
  • Boron
  • Manganese
  • Iron
• Calcium


  • Utilized for continuous cell division and formation
  • Involved in nitrogen metabolism
  • Reduces plant respiration
  • Aids translocation of photosynthesis from leaves to fruiting organs
  • Increases fruit set
  • Essential for nut development in peanuts
  • Stimulates microbial activity
• Calcium deficient symptoms


  • Observed in meristematic region found at stem, leaf, and root tips
  • Malformation or distortion of the younger leaves, eventually die or terminating the growth of this organ
• Magnesium


  • Key element for chlorophyll production
  • Improves utilization and mobility of phosphorus
  • Activator and component of many plant enzymes
  • Increases iron utilization in plants
  • Influences earliness and uniformity of maturity
• Magnesium deficient symptoms


  • Whitish stripes along the veins and often purplish color on the under side of the lower leaves
• Sulfur


  • Integral part of amino acids
  • Helps develop enzymes and vitamins
  • Promotes nodule formation on legumes
  • Aids in seed production
  • Necessary in chlorophyll formation (though it isn't one of the constituents)
• Sulfur deficient symptoms


  • Small light green corn plants
  • Yellow leaves similar to nitrogen deficiency
• Zinc


  • Aids plant growth hormones and enzyme system
  • Necessary for chlorophyll production
  • Necessary for carbohydrate formation
  • Necessary for starch formation
  • Aids in seed formation
• Zinc deficient symptoms


  • Leaf narrow, and small veins still paler, no dead spot
  • Occurs in leaf middle, may progress outward
• Boron


  • Essential for germination of pollen grains and growth of pollen tubes
  • Essential for seed and wall formation
  • Promotes maturity necessary for sugar translocation
  • Affects nitrogen and carbohydrates
• Boron deficient


  • Young leaves of terminal lose color at the base and breaking down start from the base
  • Death of the terminal bud
• Manganese


  • Functions as a part of certain enzyme system
  • Aids in chlorophyll synthesis
  • Increases the availability of P and Ca
• Manganese deficient symptoms


  • Leaf chlorotic, main and small veins are dark green forming checkered appearance
  • Occurs in leaf middle may progress outward
• Iron


  • Promotes formation of chlorophyll
  • Acts as an oxygen courrier
  • Reaction involving cell division and growth
• Iron deficient symptoms


  • Extensive chlorosis in the leaves
  • Main vein typically green
• Mechanism of nutrient movement

  • Mass flow
  • Diffusion
  • Contact exchange (interception)
• Mass flow


  Nutrients are carried by mass movement of water as water is absorbed the roots
• Diffusion


  • The movement of ions from a zone of high concentration to a zone of low concentration
  • Most of nutrients particularly P and K are supplied to plant by diffusion
• Contact exchange (interception)


  The direct exchange of ions between the roots and soil colloids as roots come in contact with the colloid