Republic of the Philippines

CENTRAL BICOL STATE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE

San Jose, Pili, Camarines Sur 4418
Website: www.cbsua.edu.ph
Email Address: [email protected]
Trunkline: (054) 871-5531-33 local 101
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UNIT II- SOIL-PLANT RELATIONSHIP

MODULE 2b- Essential Elements

Key Concepts

Criteria of Essentiality

Plants absorb about 60 elements but does not guarantee that each is important and
has significance in the completion of the life cycle of the plant. According to Arnon
and Stout (1939), only 18 of those absorbed considered essential based on Arnon’s
criteria of essentiality:

1. The element is directly involved in the nutrition of the plant. Each of the
nutrients performs a specific role and function within the plant and the amount
of each depends largely on function.
.
2. A deficiency of the elements makes it impossible for the plant to
complete the vegetative and reproductive stage of its life. A limitation of
one nutrient can prevent the uptake of others, and ultimately, impact crop yield and
quality. Abnormalities in the plant growth occur. The plant cannot complete its life
cycle (seed to new seed) without it.

3. The deficiency can be corrected only by supplying the element in

question. Whatever element that causes the abnormality must be the only
element to be supplied to the plant. No other element can correct the
abnormality suffered by the plant except the one that causes the abnormality.
The element’s function cannot be replaced by another element.

The following are the essential elements. A memory aid is presented to help you
remember them easily.

C H O P K i N S Mag Ca

Fe Many CurB Zones ComMonly Close Naturally Ni

Grouping of the Essential Elements

A. In terms of the amount as they are required by plants;

Plants require a more or less18 essential elements, also called nutrients, for growth
which are grouped into three:

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 1. The first group is the three macronutrients that plants can obtain from water,
air, or both— carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O). The soil does not
need to provide these nutrients, so they are not sold as fertilizers.

2. The second group is the soil-derived macronutrients - nitrogen (N),

phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulfur (S), calcium (Ca), and magnesium
(Mg).
a. Primary nutrients: are those nutrients required relatively in large
quantities by the plants for their growth and development. These are also
designated as ‘fertilizer elements’ because, deficiency of these elements is
corrected by application through fertilizers. N, P, K
b. Secondary nutrients: are those nutrients which are required by plants
in moderate amounts. They are called secondary because they are
unknowingly supplied through fertilizers and other amendments. However
their role in nutrition is not secondary but they are given secondary
importance in its supply and management. Ca, Mg, S

3. The third group is and soil-derived micronutrients- boron (B), chlorine (Cl),
copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), cobalt
(Co) and zinc (Zn). The nutrients which are required by plants in relatively
smaller quantities for their growth and development, but these are equally
important and essential to plants as macronutrients. They are also called as
trace/rare/nano elements. These include Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, B, Mo, Cl and Ni.

It should be noted however that the essential elements are of equal importance
despite the difference in amount as they are needed. Keep in mind that the grouping
or classifications of micronutrient vs. macronutrient refer to plant needs rather than
plant uptake amounts. The plants will experience abnormalities in their growth if any
one of the micronutrients is not supplied adequately. To cite, one molybdenum atom
taken up for every 10 million carbon atoms, is just as important as the many C
atoms.

Additional Information.

Beneficial elements are the mineral elements which stimulate the growth and have
beneficial effects even at very low concentration. They are not essential or essential
only for certain plant species under specific conditions. They are also known as
‘potential micro-nutrients’.
 These elements have been found to affect the uptake, translocation and
utilization of other essential elements, help in production of essential
metabolite by activating enzymatic system/action and also counteract the
toxic effects of some other elements or anti metabolites.
 Eg: Silicon (Si) for rice, Sodium (Na), Aluminum (Al), Cobalt (Co), Selenium
(Se), Iodine (I), Gallium (Ga) and Vanadium (V).

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 B. Based on the biochemical behavior and physiological functions.

Table 1. Grouping of nutrients based on its biochemical behaviour and

physiological functions
Group Nutrients Biochemical Functions
I C,H,O, They are basic structural elements. They
are Major constituent of plants (carbohydrates,
proteins and fats) and organic matter. These
elements are also involved in enzymes process.
They provide energy for growth and development
by oxidative break down.
II N,P,S Accessory structural elements of the more
active and vital living tissues. Essential
component of metabolically active compounds
like amino acids, proteins, enzymes and non-
proteinaceous compounds. They involve in
energy storage (ATP & ADP) and transfer
(Phosphate esters).
III Ca, Mg,K, Regulators & carriers for the most part of plant
metabolism. They involve in synthesis and
translocation of carbohydrates, maintain ionic
charge balance and induce enzyme activation.
IV Fe, Mn, Catalysts and activators. These elements
Zn, Cu, B, Involve in oxidation-reduction reactions,
Mo, Cl. chlorophyll synthesis and also exists in organic
combinations.

Table 2. Forms of nutrient elements in the soil.

Soil Organic forms Inorganic forms Relatively Processes which Ionic forms
Nutrient simpler and transfer available to
soluble forms unavailable to plants
and ionic available forms
equivalen
N Organic N: “Fixed” am- monium Ammonium Org N NH4+
proteins salts decomposition NO3-
NO2-
P Organic P Inorganic P (50%) Ca, Mg, K Dissolution of H2PO4-
phytin, nucleis Calcium and iron phosphates; inorganic HPO4=
acids, bonded phos soluble phosphates,
phospholipids phates organic forms organic
decompos
K Primary minerals: Exchangeabl Weathering of K+
feldspar, micas and e K; K minerals, cation
secondary clay sulfates; K exchange
mineral carbonate
Ca Calcite, dolomite, Exchangeabl Weathering of Ca++
gypsum, feldspar, e Ca, simple minerals
hornblende calcium salts
Mg Primary Exchangeabl Weathering Mg++
minerals:Micas, e Mg minerals, cation
hornblende, exchangea
dolomite etc.
secondary minerals
as montmorillonite
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 S Organic S Gypsum,Pyrites Ca, K, Mg Weathering of SO4=
sulfite: minerals, SO3=
Ca,K,NH4,M organic S
g sulfates decomposition
Fe organic Fe Primary and weathering of Fe+++
complexes secondary minerals minerals, cation Fe ++
exchange
Mn organic Mn Trace in primary weathering of Mn++
complexes and secondary minerals, cation
minerals exchange
Zn organic Zn Trace in secondary Weathering of Zn++
complexes minerals minerals
B Trace in secondary Weathering in HBO3-2
minerals minerals H2BO3=
H3BO3

Cu organic copper Trace in primary weathering of Cu++ Cu+

complexes and secondary primary and
minerals secondary
minerals
Cl Chlorites carrier in weathering of Cl-
fertilizers chlorites
Mo organic Trace in minerals, Molybdate weathering of MoO4=
molybdenum esp. olivine, clay slats primary and
complexes minerals and secondary
sulfides minerals
Co present Co++
predominantly in
chelated form, in
prosthetic group;
non-amino acid
group or conjugated
proteins
Ni present Ni+2
predominantly in
chelated form, in
prosthetic group;
non-amino acid
group

Table 3. Function and Mobility of nutrients in the and within the plant
Essential Mobility of nutrients Function in the plant
nutrient In soil Within the plant
Mobile Immobile Mobile Immobile
nutrient nutrients nutrient nutrients
Nitrogen NO3-, NH42- Good Constituent of proteins, chlorophyll
and nucleic acids
Phosphorus H2PO4-, Good Constituent of many proteins,
HPO42- coenzymes, nucleic acids and
metabolic substrates; important in
energy
Potassium K+ Good Involved with photosynthesis,
carbohydrate translocation, protein
synthesis
Sulfur SO42- Good/ Important component of plant
Fair proteins, protoplasts, enzymes
Calcium Ca2+ Very A component of cell walls; plays a
Poor role in the structure and
permeability of membranes

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 Magnesium Mg2+ Good Enzyme activator, component of
chlorophyll
Boron BO33- Very Very Believed to be important in sugar
Poor Poor translocation and carbohydrate
metabolism, cell development,
growth regulators
Chlorine Cl- Good Involved with oxygen production in
photosynthesis
Copper Cu2+ Poor A catalyst for respiration; a
component of various enzymes
Iron Poor Involved with chlorophyll synthesis
and in enzymes for electron
transfer
Manganese Mn2- Poor Controls several oxidation-
reduction systems and
photosynthesis
Molybdenum Poor Involved with nitrogen fixation and
transforming nitrate to ammonium
Nickel Unkno Necessary for proper functioning of
wn the enzyme, urease, and found to
be necessary in seed germination
Zinc Zn2+ Poor Involved with enzyme systems that
regulate various metabolic
activities

Knowledge of the mobility of the nutrients brings a diagnosis for plant nutrient
deficiencies. Simply stated,if the lower leaves are affected, then a mobile nutrient is
most likely deficient. Conversely, if only the upper leaves show the deficiency, then
the plant is likely deficient in an immobile nutrient, because that nutrient cannot move
from older to newer leaves.

Nutrients vary greatly in their relative mobility within a soil. These differences are key
to developing effective nutrient management programs, and explain why applying
immobile nutrients

Summary

There are more than one hundred known elements and around 60 of which can be
absorbed by the plant. The presence however of a nutrient in a plant does not itself
constitute a proof that such element is important and has significance in the
completion of the life cycle of the plant. Its essentiality is gauged when such perform
a specific role in the completion of the plant cycle. The nutrients in the soil should be
its proper form and proportion to be absorbed by the plants.They come from air or
water, whereas the others are derived from the minerals or organic matter.

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