1. Soil Nutrients and Fertilizers
Essential Standard Explain the role of nutrients and fertilizers.

2. Objective 6.01
Discuss macro and micro nutrients and the role they play in plant deficiencies.

3. Plant Nutrients
Nutrients are elements needed by a plant to promote healthy tissue, processes, and growth
When plants are lacking in nutrients, deficiencies occur and may exhibit a number of symptoms
Stunted appearance
Pale green or yellow (chlorosis) may develop initially, but coloring can be related to the nutrient that is lacking
General unhealthy appearance

4. Macro vs Micro Nutrients
Macro nutrients are required by the plant in relatively large amounts
Micro nutrients are required only in small amounts
minor or trace elements

5. Macro nutrients Non-mineral elements Primary Nutrients
carbon (C)
hydrogen (H)
oxygen (O)
Primary Nutrients
Nitrogen (N)
Phosphorus (P)
Potassium (K)
Secondary Nutrients
calcium (Ca)
magnesium (Mg)
sulfur (S)

6. Micro nutrients Iron (Fe) Copper (Cu) Zinc (Zn) Boron (B)
Molybdenum (Mo)
Manganese (Mn)
Chlorine (Cl)

7. Functions of Nitrogen N Promotes growth of leaves and stems
Gives dark green color and improves quality of foliage
Necessary to develop cell proteins and chlorophyll N

8. Nitrogen Deficiency symptoms sick, yellow-green color
short stems, small leaves, pale colored leaves and flowers
slow and dwarfed plant growth

9. Nitrogen deficiency

10. Functions of Phosphorus
Stimulates early formation and growth of roots
Provides for fast and vigorous growth and speeds maturity
Stimulates flowering and seed development
Necessary for the enzyme action of many plant processes

11. Phosphorus P Deficiency symptoms decrease in growth slow maturity
older leaves are purplish color P

12. Phosphorus Deficiency

13. Functions of Potassium
Used to form carbohydrates and proteins
Formation and transfer of starches, sugars and oils
Increases disease resistance, vigor and hardiness K

14. Potassium Deficiency symptoms
mottled, spotted, streaked or curled leaves
scorched, burned, dead leaf tips and margins

15. Potassium Deficiency

16. Secondary Nutrients
Calcium (Ca)
Magnesium (Mg)
Sulfur (S)

17. Functions of Calcium Ca Improves plant vigor
Influences intake and synthesis of other plant nutrients or elements
Important part of cell walls Ca

18. Calcium Deficiency symptoms small developing leaves
wrinkled older leaves
dead stem tips

19. Calcium Deficiency

20. Functions of Magnesium
Influences the intake of other essential nutrients
Helps make fats
Assists in translocation of phosphorus and fats Mg

21. Magnesium Deficiency symptoms
Interveinal chlorosis-yellowing of leaves between green veins
leaf tips curl or cup upward
slender, weak stalks

22. Magnesium Deficiency

23. Functions of Sulfur
Promotes root growth and vigorous vegetative growth
Essential to protein formation S

24. Sulfur Deficiency symptoms
young leaves are light green with lighter color veins
yellow leaves and stunted growth

25. Sulfur Deficiency

26. Micro Nutrients Also called “trace” elements
Needed by plants in small amounts

27. Iron (Fe) Functions of Iron Deficiency symptoms
Essential for chlorophyll production
Helps carry electrons to mix oxygen with other elements
Deficiency symptoms
mottled and interveinal chlorosis in young leaves
stunted growth and slender, short stems

28. Iron Deficiency Fe

29. Copper (Cu) Functions Deficiency symptoms Helps in the use of Iron
Helps respiration
Deficiency symptoms
young leaves are small and permanently wilt
multiple buds at stem tip

30. Copper Deficiency Cu

31. Zinc (Z) Functions Deficiency symptoms plant metabolism
helps form growth hormones
reproduction
Deficiency symptoms
slowed growth between nodes (rosetted)
new leaves are thick and small
spotted between veins, discolored veins

32. Zinc Deficiency Zn

33. Boron (B) Functions Deficiency Symptoms
affects water absorption by roots
translocation of sugars
Deficiency Symptoms
short, thick stem tips
young leaves of terminal buds are light green at base
leaves become twisted and die

34. Boron Deficiency B

35. Manganese (Mn) Functions Deficiency symptoms plant metabolism
nitrogen transformation
Deficiency symptoms
interveinal chlorosis
young leaves die

36. Manganese Deficiency Mn

37. Molybdenum (Mo) Functions Deficiency symptoms plant development
reproduction
Deficiency symptoms
stunted growth
yellow leaves, upward curling leaves, leaf margins burn

38. Molybdenum Deficiency

39. Chlorine (Cl) Functions Deficiency symptoms
essential to some plant processes
acts in enzyme systems
Deficiency symptoms
usually more problems with too much chlorine or toxicity than with deficiency
Chlorine is found in the soil

40. Chlorine Deficiency Cl