Mineral Nutrition• Overview• Soil Characteristics• Mineral Nutrition

Overview

• Function • Physical support • Inorganic nutrients • Water

Functions

Soil Characteristics

• Properties:• Air • water • mineral • organic • Horizons: O, A, B

Soil• Particles:• clay <.002 mm • silt .002-.02 mm • sand .02-2 mm • gravel > 2 mm • Loam: 20% clay, 50%

sand • Soil texture affects• Components: Organic

component, Inorganic

Soil component properties• Soil texture affects:• water retention • leaching of nutrients • availability of nutrient • Soil Properties• maximum retention capacity • field capacity • permanent wilting point • cation exchange capacity • H+>Ca>Mg>K=NH4>Na retention

on clay • anions leached due negative

charge of clay • Organic component• phenolics• pH

Mineral Nutrition

• Essential nutrients • Quantitative

requirements • Deficiency symptoms

Nutrients

• macronutrients • micronutrients • two properties of

essentiality • cannot complete life

cycle • forms part of

molecule/structure of plant that is essential

Quantitative requirements

• Deficiency • Adequate • Toxic • Law of diminishing

return

Nutrient Deficiency symptoms

• Function of element • Whether mobile in

plant • Old vs new leaves

show symptoms

Symptoms