Introductory Crop Physiology (1+1)

Mineral Nutrition

In order to complete the life cycle normally, the living organism requires large number of substances from outside. This is called as nutrition. Thus, the plant growth and development can proceed only when the plants are applied with the chemical elements referred as Essential Elements. These nutrients are absorbed by plant root from the soil. Chemical analysis of the plant ash has shown that plants contain about 40 different elements. Some of them are indispensable or necessary for the normal growth and development of the plants and they are called as Essential Elements. Rests of the elements are called as Non-essential elements. It is now known that the following 16 elements are essential for majority of the plants: C, H, O, N, P, K, Ca, S, Mg, Fe, Zn, B, Cu, Mu, Cl and Mo. Besides these, Al, Si,, Na, Co and Ga may be essential for some plants.