Plant Nutrition

Title :

Plant Nutrition

Author :

Kim Foglia & Kelly Reidell

Number of slides:

27

Slideshow :

Content transcript :

Physiological adaptation

Nutritional needs

* Autotrophic does not 

mean autonomous

* plants need…

* sun as an energy source

* inorganic compounds 

as raw materials

* water (H2O)

* CO2

* minerals

Macronutrients

* Plants require these nutrients in relatively large amounts

* C, O, H, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S

For what & from where?

Local Long Island soil issues

Micronutrients

* Plants require in very small amounts

* Cl, Fe, Mn, Bo, Zi, Ni, Mb

* primarily cofactors for enzyme function

Nutrient deficiencies

* Lack of essential nutrients 

* exhibit specific symptoms

* dependent on 

function of nutrient

* dependent on 

solubility of nutrient

Magnesium deficiency

* Symptoms

* chlorosis = yellowing of leaves

* Why? What is magnesium’s function?

Chlorophyll

The role of soils

* Plants are dependent on soil quality

* texture / structure

* relative amounts of various sizes of soil particles

* composition

* organic & inorganic chemical components

* fertility

Importance of organic matter

* Topsoil

* most important to plant growth

* rich in organic matter

* humus

* decomposing organic material 

* breakdown of dead organisms, feces, fallen leaves & other organic refuse by bacteria & fungi 

* improves soil texture

* reservoir of minerals

* organisms

* 1 tsp. of topsoil has ~5 billion bacteria 

living with fungi, algae, protists, insects, 

earthworms, nematodes

Soil health as a global issue

Not taking care of soil health has 

far-reaching, damaging 

consequences

* 1920’s Dust Bowl

* lack of soil conservation

* growing the same crop 

year after year (wheat)

* grazing by cattle

* bare ground exposed to 

wind erosion in winter

* drought

Soil health as a global issue

* Soil conservation & sustainable agriculture

* maintaining healthy environment

* sustainable production of food supply

* economically viable farming industry

Global Issues

* soil fertility

* erosion

* irrigation

* forestry destruction

Fertilizers

* “Organic” fertilizers

* manure, compost, fishmeal

* “Chemical” fertilizers

* commercially manufactured

* N-P-K  (ex. 15-10-5)

* 15% nitrogen

* 10% phosphorus 

* 5% potassium

Nitrogen uptake

* Nitrates

* plants can only take up nitrate (NO3-)

* Nitrogen cycle by bacteria

* trace path of nitrogen fixation!

Soybean root nodules

* N fixation by Rhizobium bacteria

* symbiotic relationship with bean family (legumes)

Increasing soil fertility

* Cover crops

* growing a field of plants just to 

plow them under

* usually a legume crop

* taking care of soil’s health

* puts nitrogen back in soil

Some plant oddities…

Parasitic plants

* tap into host plant vascular system

Plants of peat bogs

* High acid environment

* most minerals & nutrients bound up & are not available to plants

* must find alternative sources of nutrients

Carnivorous 

plants

Are they really carnivores?

Uses of peat

Any Questions??