Module 7 Soil Nutrition and Fertility Management

Lesson 1

Essential Elements

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Objectives Introduction
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At the end of this lesson, you
are expected to: Soil fertility focuses on the ability of soil to supply
nutrients to plants in adequate amount and proportion.
Identify and understand the
These nutrients are essential elements that drives plants
criteria of essentiality
metabolism. As such, understanding the criteria of
Identify the essential essentiality would help to every soil nutritionist aspirant
elements, their available in widening their understanding why not all elements
forms, sources, importance, present in the soil cannot be utilize by the plants for its
and functions. growth and development. Upon conclusion of your
journey in this lesson, you will know elements that are
Key Concepts either beneficial or essential to plants and the criteria of
nutrient essentiality. Moreover, you will understand how
a. Essential Elements
nutrients were taken by the plants and the sources of
b. Beneficial Elements
c. Macronutrients
nutrients in the soil.
d. Micronutrients
e. Criteria of Nutrient
Essentiality

Section 7.1
and
Read Interpret Elements: Essential or Non-essential
In this activity, you need a periodic table.

Procedure

1. Prepare a periodic table.

2. Without reading some references, in your periodic table, select at least 16 elements that
you think essential to plants.
3. Think what are those considerations that your chosen elements will be considered
essential.
4. Write on a paper.
5. Upon finishing reading the reference, and knowing already the essential elements and
their criteria of essentiality, divide the A4 size bond paper into two (2) columns. In the
left side write your chosen elements and the criteria you thought. In the right side, write
all the essential elements and the criteria of essentiality.

Analysis
1. Compare and contrast your written criteria of essentiality to the criteria of essentiality
by Arnon and Stout.
2. Explain why we need to know the essential elements.

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Essential Elements

 There are more than 100 chemical elements

known to man but only 16 (17 if Nickel is
included).
 By 1890, scientists had already established that the
elements N, P, S, K, Ca, Mg, and Fe were required by
Soil Horizon
plants, and that their absence or low availability
resulted in either the death of the plant or very Beneficial nutrients
poor plant growth with accompanying visual
symptoms of growth abnormalities. Several elements other
 Between 1922 and 1954, additional elements were than the essential
determined to be essential, those elements being nutrients have beneficial
functions in plants.
Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo, B, and Cl.
Although not essential (as
 In 1939, two plant physiologists at the University the plant can live without
of California published their criteria for plant them), beneficial nutrients
nutrient element essentiality, criteria that are still can improve the growth of
acknowledged today. Arnon and Stout (1939) some crops in some
established three criteria for essentiality: respects.
o Omission of the element in question must
 Nickel (Ni); Sodium
result in abnormal growth, failure to complete (Na); Cobalt (Co);
the life cycle, or premature death of the plant. Silicon (Si);
o The element must be specific and not Aluminum (Al)
replaceable by another.
o The element must exert its effect directly on
growth or metabolism and not some indirect
effect such as by antagonizing another
element present at a toxic level.

Plants require 16 essential elements for plant growth.

These nutrients may be broken into two groups:

1. Macronutrients: present in plant body in large
Note!
amounts; >100 mg/kg (dry weight basis) or >100
ppm
 C, H, O: come from air and water
 N, P, K: primary macronutrients The 13 elements are called
 Ca, Mg, S: Secondary macronutrients mineral nutrients because
they are taken up in mineral
2. Micronutrients: present in plant body in (inorganic) forms.
relatively lesser amounts; <100 mg/kg (dry
weight basis) or <100 ppm.
 Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, B, Cl, Mo
 Needed by plants in relatively lesser amount
but performs vital functions in the plant
body.

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Deficiency Symptoms

Deficiency symptoms usually show up as visual

signs in the plant.
Soil Horizon
 Whether the symptoms appear in new growth
Out of these 16 elements,
or older growth depends on the mobility of
carbon (C) and oxygen are
the nutrient in the plant.
obtained from the gas
CO2, and hydrogen (H) is
obtained from water 1. Mobile elements in Plants:
(H2O).  can be translocated within plants from
older to actively growing tissue.
The other 13 elements are  N, P, K, Mg
called mineral nutrients  deficiency symptoms occur in the
because they are taken up older growth
in mineral (inorganic)
forms. 2. Immobile elements in Plants:
Oxygen, C and H make up  not translocated within the plant.
95 percent of plant  Ca, S, B, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn
biomass, and the  deficiency symptoms occur in the new
remaining 5 percent is growth
made up by all other
elements.
Nutrient Uptake by Plants

Nutrients are supplied to the root surface in 3 ways:

1. Root Interception:
 roots move through soil and comes in
contact with the nutrient on colloids.
 generally, not very important because the
root only comes into contact with 1-2% of
the total soil volume.
2. Mass flow:
 nutrients move to the root with water.
 most important with nutrients that will
easily flow with the water. Nitrogen may be
taken up by mass flow.

3. Diffusion:
 concentration gradients are set up around
the root surfaces and the soil farther away.
In response to this gradient the nutrients
The amount of nutrients taken up by move towards the plant root. For most
plants is in this order: cations this is the most important form of
N> K> Ca >P> Mg> S>micronutrients movement.
o for nutrients like P and K this is the
most important form of uptake.
o the addition of fertilizer will increase
the gradient and increase uptake.

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 Forms of nutrients taken up by the plant ………………………………………………………………………………………

Plant-available
Element
 plants will only take up a nutrient if it is in form
some ionic form.
N NH4+, NO3-
P H2PO4-, HPO4-2
K K+
Ca Ca +2
Sources of Essential Elements in the Soil Mg Mg+2
S SO4 -2
1. Organic matter Fe Fe +2
Most soil nutrients are contained in the soil Mn Mn +2
organic matter. To make these nutrients B H2BO3-
available the organic matter must be Cu Cu+2
decomposed. Zn Zn+2
Cl Cl-
2. Soil minerals (includes clay minerals) Mo MoO4-2
These are the nutrients that are in the parent
materials. These nutrients may become
available through weathering; however, this
is a very slow process. There are also
nutrients in the clay minerals. This includes
Mg and K that are in the 2:1 clay minerals.

3. Adsorbed nutrients.
These are the nutrients that are held on the
soil colloid. This is the major source of
nutrients for the plants and is the source that
is most easily controlled by man.

4. Others: rainfall, fertilizer application

Reflections Check Enumerate the essential elements and its available forms
Differentiate macronutrients and micronutrients
Discuss how plants absorb nutrients from the soil.
Discuss the different sources of elements in the soil.

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Section 7.2 Application

Think like an Agriculturist!

Understand Soil Horizons
7. Explain why plants will only take up a 1. Soil Horizon
Compare and
nutrient if it is in some ionic form. contrast essential and beneficial
elements.
8. WRITING in Soil Science 2. Enumerate the criteria that has to be
met for an element to be considered
As an agriculturist, you are expected to essential.
provide technical aid to our local farmers in 3. Discuss the importance of knowing
terms of practical guide towards essential whether an element is mobile or
elements for plant nutrition. Supposing you immobile.
are to advice farmers in terms of plant 4. Discuss the role of the 16 essential
nutrition, what are the information you will elements.
be sharing to them. As you want the farmers 5. Explain the sources of essential
to be informed properly, you will create a elements.
brochure that enclosed the information
you want to share to them.

References

Brady, N.C. and Weil, R. R. 2017. The Nature and Properties of Soils, 15th edition. Pearson
Education Limited, Edinburgh Gate, Harlow, Essex CM20 2JE, England, 1105 pp.

Buol, S.W., R.J. Southard, R.C. Graham and P.A. McDaniel. 2011. Soil Genesis and Classification.
John and Wiley and Sons, Inc., Iowa. 556 p.

Carating, R.B., Galanta R.G. and C.D. Bacatio. 2014. The Soils of the Philippines. Springer
Dordrecht Heidelberg New York: London. 363 pp.

Jones, B.J. Plant Nutrition and Soil Fertility Manual, 2nd Edition. CRC Press Taylor and Francis
Group. 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300.

Recommended Website to Explore

www.iuss.org; www.fao.org; www.bswm.da.gov.ph

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