Mineral nutrients: essential, non-essential elements, criteria of essentiality, macro and micro elements and their list, function and deficiency symptoms of macro and micro elements, beneficial elements and their function

1. Mineral nutrition of
Plants
SOURAV GORAI
M.Sc IN BOTANY (MICROBIOLOGY)
Dept. Of Botany, J.k. College
Purulia

2. Mineral
elements
Essential
Necessary for
normal growth and
development
Non -
Essential

3. Criteria for essentiality
(Epstein, 1972)
An element is essential if the plant can not complete
its lifecycle (i.e. form viable seed) in the absence of
the element.
An element is essential if it forms part of any molecule
or constituent of the plant is itself essential for the
plant (for instance N in proteins and Mg in
chlorophylls).

4. Essential
elements
Macronutrients
(Major
elements)
Require in large
amounts (more
than 10 mmol
/Kg of dry
matter)
Micronutrients
(Minor elements
or Trace
elements)
Requires in very
small amounts
(less than 10
mmol/ Kg dry
matter)

5. Functions
of
Essential
elements
Constituents
of
Protoplasm
and cell wall
Influence on
the osmotic
pressure of
plant cells
Catalytic
function
Antagonistic
or balancing
function
against toxic
elements

6. SEVENTEEN ELEMENTS ARE DEEMED TO BE ESSENTIAL FOR
PLANT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

7. Nitrogen
Function
Constituent of amino
acids, amides, proteins,
nucleic acids, nucleotides,
coenzymes, hexoamines
etc.
Deficiencysymptoms
Yellowingi.e. chlorosis of
leaves.
Petiole or leaf veins
colored due to deposition
of anthocyanin.
Plant growth stunted

8. Phosphorous
Function
Componentof sugar
phosphates, nucleic acids,
nucleotides,coenzymes,
phospholipids,phytic acid, etc.
Has a key role in reactions that
involveATP.
Deficiency symptoms
Prematureleaf fall.
Dead necrotic ara develop on
fruits and leaves.
Leaves turn dark to blue-green
in colour.

9. Sulphur
Function
Component of cysteine, cystine,
methionine, and proteins.
Constituent of lipoic acid,
coenzyme A, thiamine
pyrophosphate, glutathione,
biotin, adenosine-5′-
phosphosulfate, and 3-phospho
adenosine.
Deficiency symptoms
Chlorosis of leaves.
Margin and tips of leaves
roll inward.
Stem become hard due to
development of
sclerenchyma.

10. Calcium
Function
Constituent of the middle
lamella of cell walls. Required as
a cofactor by some enzymes
involved in the
hydrolysis of ATP and
phospholipids. Acts as a second
messenger in metabolic
regulation.
Deficiency symptoms
Disintegration of growing
meristematicregions of roots.
Chlorosis along leaf margin.
Malformationof younger leaves.

11. Magnesium
Function
Required by many enzymes
involved in phosphate
transfer. Constituent of the
chlorophyll molecule. Play
role in binding ribosomal
particles during protein
synthesis.
Deficiency symptoms
Chlorosis of leaves.
Dead necrotic patches
develop on leaves.

12. Potassium
Function
Required as a cofactor for more
than 40 enzymes. Principal
cation in establishingcell
turgor and maintaining
cell electroneutrality. Play role
in stomatalmovement.
Deficiency symptoms
Mottled Chlorosis of leaves.
Dead necrotic patches develop at
tips and margins of leaves.

13. Iron
Function
Constituent of
cytochromes and
nonheme iron proteins
involved in
photosynthesis,N2
fixation, and respiration
Deficiency
symptoms
Rapid Chlorosis of leaves.

14. Manganese
Function
Required for activity of some
dehydrogenases,
decarboxylases, kinases,
oxidases, and peroxidases.
Involved with other cation-
activated enzymes and
photosynthetic O2 evolution.
Deficiency symptoms
Rapid Chlorosis and necrotic
spots of leaves.

15. Copper
Function
Component of ascorbic acid
oxidase, tyrosinase,
monoamine oxidase, uricase,
cytochrome oxidase,
phenolase,
laccase, and plastocyanin.
Deficiency symptoms
Necrosis of tips of leaves.
Die-back of citrus and
reclamationdisease of cereals
and leguminousplants.

16. Zinc
Function
Constituent of alcohol
dehydrogenase,
glutamic
dehydrogenase,
carbonic anhydrase, etc.
Deficiency
symptoms
Chlorosis of older
leaves. Mottle leaf
diseases of apple,
citrus, walnut etc.

17. Boron
Function
Complexes with mannitol,
mannan,polymannuronic
acid, and other constituents
of cell walls. Involved in cell
elongation and nucleic acid
metabolism.
Deficiency symptoms
Death of shoot tip, flower
formationsuppressed,root
growth stunted,leaves become
coppery in texture.

18. Molybdenum
Function
Constituent of
nitrogenase, nitrate
reductase, and
xanthine
dehydrogenase
Deficiency
symptoms
Chlorotic interveinal
mottling of older
leaves. Flower
formation inhibited.
Whip tall diseases in
cauliflower plants.

19. Chlorine
Function
Required for the
photosynthetic reactions
involved in O2 evolution.
Deficiencysymptoms
Wilting of leaf tips followed
by chlorosis and necrosis.
Leaves show reduce
growth. Roots become
stunted in length but
thickened near the tips.

20. Nickel
Function
Constituent of
urease. In N2-
fixing bacteria,
constituent of
hydrogenases.
Deficiency
symptoms
Due to
accumulation of
urea in leaves
necrosis of leaf tips
occur.

21. BENEFICIAL ELEMENTS
In addition to the 17 essential elements, some plants appear to have
additional requirements. However, because these have not been
shown to be requirements of higher plants generally, they are
excluded from the list of essential elements. They are referred to
instead as beneficial elements. The definition of beneficial currently
applies primarily to sodium, silicon, selenium, and cobalt.

22. Sodium
Function
generally essential as a
micronutrient for plants
utilizing specifically the C4
photosynthetic pathway, but
not for most C3 plants. It
may be realated to transport
of pyruvate between bundle
sheath cell and mesophyll
cell.
Deficiency
symptoms
Plants grown in the depleted
solution showed reduced
growth, chlorosis (yellowing
due to loss of chlorophyll),
and necrosis (dead tissue) of
the leaves.

23. Silicon
Function
beneficial to grasses,
accumulates in the cell
walls, especially of
epidermal cells, and may
play a role in fending off
fungal infections or
preventing lodging, a
condition in which stems are
bent over by heavy winds or
rain.
Deficiency
symptoms
More susceptible to fungal
infection and lodging.

24. Cobalt
Function
Cobalt is essential for the
growth of legumes, In this case,
the requirement can be traced
to the needs of the nitrogen-
fixing bacterium rather than the
host plant. when legumes are
provided with fixed nitrogen
such as nitrate, a cobalt
requirement cannot be
demonstrated
Deficiency
symptoms
Reduce the legume-bacterial
association

25. Selenium Function
Generally toxic to most plants,
certain members of the legume
genus Astragalus (milk-vetch or
poison-vetch) tolerate high
concentrations of selenium (up
to 0.5 percent dry weight). High
selenium content in these
plants causes a sickness known
as alkali poisoning or ‘‘blind-
staggers’’ in grazing animals.

26. References
Plant Physiology by Taiz and Zeiger 3rd edition
Introduction to Plant Physiology by William G. Hopkins and
Norman P. A. Huner 4th edition