1. Components of Functional Soils
Soil Fertility
Components of Functional Soils

2. Terms and definitions Essential Nutrient: Deficiency: Symptom:
Element necessary for plant growth and reproduction. For example: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
Deficiency:
Plant condition where an essential nutrient is not sufficiently available.
Symptom:
A visual sign or condition that results from a deficiency: symptoms aid in diagnosing a deficiency.

3. Terms and Definitions (Cont.)
Fertilizer:
Natural, manufactured, or processed material or mixture of materials that contains one or more of the essential nutrients; available in:
dry form
liquid form
gaseous form

4. Fertilizer Terms Analysis: Sources of Nutrients: Complete Fertilizer:
Percentage water soluble content of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) in the fertilizer.
Sources of Nutrients:
N: Ammonia (NH4); P: (MgPO4) or any other phosphate;
K: Potash (K2CO3)
Complete Fertilizer:
Fertilizer which supplies all three primary nutrients, (N,P,K)

6. Chemical Elements Essential To Plant Growth
Non-mineral (sourced from air and water)
Carbon (C)
Hydrogen (H)
Oxygen (O)
Nitrogen (N)
Mineral (sourced from the soil)
Primary
Nitrogen (N)
Phosphorus (P)
Potassium (K)
Secondary
Calcium (Ca)
Magnesium (Mg)
Sulfur (S)
Micronutrients
Iron (Fe), Boron (B), Manganese (Mn), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Molybdenum (Mo), Chlorine (Cl), Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), etc.

7. 10 Essential Elements C. HOPKNS CaFé Mighty good Essential Elements
Carbon (C)
Hydrogen (H)
Oxygen (O)
Phosphorus (P)
Potash (K)
Nitrogen (N)
Sulfur (S)
Calcium (Ca)
Iron (Fe)
Magnesium (Mg)
C. HOPKNS CaFé Mighty good

9. Functions of Nutrients for plant growth
Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen are needed in the plant processes of photosynthesis and respiration.
Approximately 95% of the weight of plants comes from products of photosynthesis

10. Primary Nutrient Functions
Nitrogen (N)
Gives green color to plant
Induces vigorous , rapid growth in plants
Increases protein and yield
Aids and promotes seed and fruit development
Plants cannot utilize N as a gas, it must be combined with other elements.

11. More Primary Nutrient Functions
Phosphorus (P)
Important to germinating seedlings
Contributes to early maturing crops
Necessary for seed and fruit formation
Stimulates root growth

12. Primary Nutrient Functions (Cont.)
Potassium (K)
Controls water intake and respiration
Necessary for production and translocation (“positioning”) of carbohydrates
Produces plumper seeds
Stiffens straw and stalks

13. Secondary Nutrient Functions
Sulfur (S)
Necessary for nodule formation on legumes
Associated with plant enzyme systems
Stimulates seed production
Affects protein and crop quality

14. Secondary Nutrient Functions
Calcium (Ca)
Promotes root and leaf growth
Speeds decay of organic matter
Stimulates formation of nitrates
Necessary for nodulation of legumes

15. Secondary Nutrient Functions
Magnesium (Mg)
Aids in the formations of fats and oils
Necessary for chlorophyll or green plant color
Increases adsorption of phosphorus
Important in plant enzyme system

16. Primary nutrient deficiency symptoms
Nitrogen (N)
Stunted and Spindly
Yellow, yellowish green or light green in color in foliage (chlorosis)
Older leaves affected first, starting at the tip and moves along the middle of the leaf.

18. Primary nutrient deficiency symptoms (Cont.)
Phosphorus (P)
Purple leaves or portions of leaves in advanced stages
Stunted Growth
Very dark green color
Older leaves affected first

19. Phosphorus Deficiency

20. Primary nutrient deficiency symptoms (Cont.)
Potassium (K)
Lodging (bending of the stem) occurs
Shorter plants
Bronzing or browning of leaf color
Leaves show yellow to brown coloring along leaf margins followed by complete browning.

21. Potassium Deficiency

22. Secondary nutrient deficiency symptoms
Sulfur (S)
Young plants have stunted appearance
Leaves have a light-green to yellow coloring
Stems are thin and spindly
Sulfur deficiency symptoms are similar in appearance to nitrogen deficiency symptoms.

23. Secondary nutrient deficiency symptoms
Magnesium (Mg)
Leaf tissue becomes yellow, veins remain green (interveinal chlorosis)
Leaf parts between veins show a whitish color
Leaves curl upward along the margins

24. Deficiency By Other Means
Other conditions besides deficiencies may cause abnormal plant growth.
Cold, wet weather, lack of sunlight, disease, insect damage, and improperly applied chemicals are examples.