Macro Nutrients
⭐ Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
These are not mineral elements in the true sense but have been included because these elements form the composition of all organic compounds present in plants.They are a part of carbohydrates, proteins,and days.Thus these elements have a role to play in the general metabolism of plants.
Deficiency symptoms
Deficiency of these elements is very rare because the plants have a steady supply of these through water and gaseous exchange.Deficiency affects the normal growth and development of plants.
⭐ Nitrogen
Nitrogen is an essential constituent of proteins, nucleic acids,vitamins and many other organic molecules such as chlorophyll.Nitrogen also forms a constituent of various hormones, coenzymes and ATP.
Deficiency symptoms
Stunted growth,chlorosis, reduction in flowering, excessive colouring in apple and peach and reduction in fruit size,decrease in protein contents,change in the pigmentation pattern.
⭐ Phosphorus
It is present in plasma membrane, nucleic acids,nucleotides,many co-enzymes and organic molecules.It plays an important role in energy metabolism.Phosphorus promotes healthy root growth and fruit ripening.
Deficiency symptoms
Loss of older leaves, reduction in growth,increase in phosphatase enzyme activity, causes accumulation of carbohydrates in soyabean.
⭐ Potassium
Potassium is required in the meristematic regions and regions of cell differentiation.It accumulates in older leaves.Though it does not have a structural role,it is involved in stomatal opening and closing.It is an activator of many enzymes and has a role in protein and carbohydrate metabolism.
Deficiency symptoms
Leaf tips curve downward,causes mottled chlorosis, development of chlorosis at tips and margins of leaves, shortening of internodes and stunted growth.
⭐ Sulphur
Sulphur is the constituent of certain vitamins such as thiamine and biotin.It is constituent of coenzyme-A playing an important role in respiration.It forms the sulphydryl group in many enzymes and is a constituent of sulphur containing aminoacids such as cystine,cysteine and methionine.
Deficiency symptoms
Causes inhibition of protein synthesis,younger leaves show chlorosis first,chloroplasts of mesophyll show a decrease in stroma lamellae but grana increase.
⭐ Magnesium
Magnesium is a constituent of chlorophyll molecule which cannot be formed without magnesium.It has a vital role in carbohydrate metabolism and the binding of ribosomal subunits.Magnesium is the activator of many enzymes involved in DNA and RNA synthesis.It acts as a Phosphorus carrier and activates enzymes such as PEP carboxylase and RuBP carboxylase.
Deficiency symptoms
Interveinal chlorosis takes place,anthocyanin pigment deposition takes place after chlorosis,necroctic spots appear in acute cases.
⭐ Calcium
Calcium forms an important constituent of the cell wall occuring in the middle lamella as calcium pectate.It has an important role in the formation of plasma membrane.Calcium plays a role in mitotic cell division and is a constituent of enzymes like phospholipase and adenyl kinase where it acts as an activator.
Deficiency symptoms
Affects the carbohydrate metabolism,the process of respiration is badly affected as number of mitochondria are decreased, meristematic tissues are affected and leaf and root tips die,cell wall may become brittle or rigid.
Micro Nutrients
⭐Iron
Soil is generally not deficient in iron.Iron is a constituent of various flavoproteins and forms a part of enzymes such as catalases,peroxidases and cytochromes.It plays an important role in the electron transport system of photosynthesis being part of cytochrome and derredoxin.
Deficiency symptoms
Causes interveinal chlorosis and the leaves become yellow or white,impairs aerobic respiration and related processes, fruit trees particularly show sensitivity to iron deficiency.
⭐Boron
Leaves and seeds require boron.It is necessary for uptake and utilisation of Ca++ions,pollen germination,cell differentiation and translocation of carbohydrates.It plays a role in nitrogen metabolism,hormone and fat metabolism.
Deficiency symptoms
It causes brown heart rot disease in beetroot,in apple internal tissues become corky,causes leaf to curl and become brittle, premature fall of fruits and flowers.
⭐ Manganese
Manganese is required by leaves and seeds,It is an activator of enzymes like carboxylases,oxidases,dehydrogenases and kinases.
Deficiency symptoms
Causes grey spot disease in oat,poor development of root system,interveinal chlorosis occurs.
⭐ Copper
This is required in all plant parts.Copper forms a component of enzymes such as phenolases and tyrosinase.Copper being a constituent of plastocyanin plays a role in photophosphorylation.Copper maintains the carbohydrate-nitrogen balance.
Deficiency symptoms
Causes die back of shoots especially in citrus,a disease called exanthema causes yield of gums on the bark.
⭐Zinc
Zinc is involved in the synthesis of indole acetic acid by activating the enzyme tryptophan synthetase.It plays a role in protein synthesis.
Deficiency symptoms
Causes distortion of growth,leaves become very small and resettled called as little leaf disease.
⭐ Molybdenum
Molybdenum has an important role to play in the metabolism of Nitrogen.It activates the enzymes involved in nitrogen metabolism.
Deficiency symptoms
It leads to mottling and witling of leaves at the margins causing “yellow spot”disease of citrus.
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