Mineral Nutrition

Maria Anabel B. Dela Cruz

Section S- 6L

March 29, 2014

A scientific paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements in CROP

SCIENCE 1 Laboratory under Mr. Bryan Apocionado, 2nd semester, AY 2013- 2014
 ABSTRACT
The effects of mineral deficiency and oversufficiency to plants
were determined by performing an experiment involving the plant tomato
subjected into different nutrient solutions. The experiment shows that the
plant grew the biggest and healthiest in the +++Fe. In the complete, it is
normal. The other treatment resulted in abnormalities in the plants.

INTRODUCTION

Plants use inorganic minerals for nutrition, whether grown in the field or in a container.

Complex interactions involving weathering of rock minerals, decaying organic matter, animals,

and microbes take place to form inorganic minerals in soil. Roots absorb mineral nutrients as

ions in soil water (Bolce, n.d.). A mineral can either be an essential or beneficial element.

Essential elements are defined as those which are necessary for a plant to complete its life cycle

(normal growth and reproduction), and for which no other element can substitute. An essential

element is either a constituent of an essential metabolite or is needed for an enzymatic function.

Either criterion is sufficient to demonstrate essentiality (Hangarter, n.d.). Beneficial elements are

those that can compensate for toxic effects of other elements or may replace mineral nutrients in

some other less specific function (Bolce, n.d.). There are actually 20 mineral elements necessary

or beneficial for plant growth. Carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) are supplied by air and

water. The six macronutrients, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca),

magnesium (Mg), and sulfur (S) are required by plants in large amounts. The rest of the elements

are required in trace amounts (micronutrients). Essential trace elements include boron (B),

chlorine (Cl), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), sodium (Na), zinc (Zn), molybdenum

(Mo), and nickel (Ni). Beneficial mineral elements include silicon (Si) and cobalt (Co). The

beneficial elements have not been deemed essential for all plants but may be essential for some
(Bolce, n.d.). Nitrogen is an element used in larger quantities than any other mineral nutrient.

Deficiency of nitrogen results in stunted and/or yellow on the older leaves. It also causes little

fruiting on melons and tomatoes. Phosphorus hastens maturity, promotes good root development,

improves drought and cold tolerance, and improves seedling vigor, important in seed and fruit

formation. Phosphorus deficiency symptoms include overall reduction in growth, stunting, delay

in maturity, and failure of seed to form. Potassium is used in larger amounts than any other

element except N. May have "luxury consumption" plants take up more than is needed. It helps

disease resistance and increases quality of fruits and vegetables. One of the Potassium deficiency

symptom is that the tips and margins of leaves turn brown. One of Calciums functions is plant

root and tip elongation. Calcium deficiency symptom includes failure of terminal buds to

develop and blossom end rot of tomatoes. The functions of Iron include catalyst in the

production of chlorophyll and in enzyme systems (Broome, n.d.).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Tomato and corn plants growing in different nutrient solution was set-up for

demonstration purposes and was placed in a common area and was observed and evaluated

weekly. The plants were grown in solutions deficient of one element and were compared to a

control grown in a medium with complete nutrient solution. The first treatment was Complete,

wherein all essential elements were present in optimum amounts. The second is N, where there

were zero N levels and all other elements were optimum. The third was P, where there were

zero P levels and all other elements were optimum. The fourth is K, where there were zero K

levels and all other elements were optimum. Next is +++Fe, where the iron concentration was
three times of optimum and all other elements were optimum. The last is Ca, where there were

zero Ca levels and all other elements were optimum.

The first step in setting up demonstration plants was the preparation of stock solutions.

The stock solutions listed before were prepared using reagent grade chemicals dissolved in

distilled water. The next step was preparation of nutrient solutions. The total amount of nutrient

solution necessary for the number of growing containers was computed. Distilled or deionized

water was added to about three-fourths of the necessary volume, then the amount of stock

solutions necessary to give the amount of basal nutrients or ions under test were put in. Nutrients

were added in the order they are listed. The solutions were stirred vigorously after each addition.

PH of the solutions were adjusted to 5.5-5.8 with 1M H2SO4 or 1M KOH. Next is the preparation

of growing containers. Bottles were cleaned thoroughly, dried and covered with 1-inch thick

styrofoam boards into which a hole has been drilled in the center. An empty film canister fits this

hole. The bottom of the film canister was removed and replaced with net material. A one-two cm

layer of coir dust was placed and wetted before seeds were sown or seedlings transplanted. The

coir dust was not allowed to dry out during the growth of the seedlings. When roots were already

coming out the bottom of the film canister were transferred to the nutrient solution. The next

step was the maintenance and care of plants. The bottles were filled with the nutrient solution to

the level was allowed to go down until two-three inches of the upper roots are exposed to air.

This level was maintained until the end of the observation period.

Every week, the treatments were observed in changes in the leaf color, plant growth, root

vigor and were compared to the growth of the plants in control treatment.
 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

The experiment shows different results in each treatment at the fourth week. The plant

subjected in the +++Fe treatment has a flower and big leaves. In the complete treatment, the

plant started to grow taller than before. In the N treatment, the plant have a light color. The

plant subjected in P treatment has smaller leaves than the other plants. In the K treatment, the

plant leaves have yellow spots. The plant subjected in Ca treatment started to flower and it also

have small leaves. The length of the plant growth is recorded in Table 1. The treatment where the

plant grew the tallest is in the +++Fe treatment while the treatment where the plant grew the

smallest is in the P treatment (Graph 1 and Graph 2).

Table 1. Observations on the length of plants grown in different nutrient solutions.

LENGTH (cm)
WEEK 1 WEEK 2 WEEK 3 WEEK 4
TREATMENT Plant 1 Plant 2 Plant 1 Plant 2 Plant 1 Plant 2 Plant 1 Plant 2
COMPLETE 34.5 37.5 41.0 44.9 46.0 49.0 51.0 54.0
-N 36.3 34.5 46.5 47.5 55.0 57.5 63.0 66.0
-P 34.0 35.0 38.5 31.5 45.5 44.5 51.0 53.0
-K 34.5 28.5 44.0 33.5 53.0 39.0 62.0 46.0
+++Fe 43.3 30.2 50..5 38.5 58.5 57.0 66.0 70.0
-Ca 42.4 24.0 57.0 36.0 62.0 47.5 49.0 59.0

70

60

50

40
Week 1
Lenght (cm)
30 Week 2
Weeek 3
20
Week 4
10

0
Complete -N -P -K +++Fe -Ca

Treatment

Graph 1. Length growth of tomato plants on different treatments. (plant 1)

 80

70

60

50
Week 1
40 Week 2
Week 3
30 Week 4

20

10

0
Complete -N -P -K +++Fe -Ca

Graph 2. Length growth of tomato plants on different treatments. (plant 2)

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

 The experiment shows that deficiency in any one of the mineral nutrients will result in

abnormalities and defects. The length of the plant is also affected in mineral deficiency although

in complete treatment, the plant has shorter length. An over sufficiency will result in better and

bigger plant. Although there is only a limited amount until these nutrients can be taken up by the

plant.

LITERATURE CITED
Bolce, Jerry. N.d. What is plant nutrition? http://retirees.uwaterloo.ca/~jerry/orchids/nutri.html.
Date accessed: March 25, 2014.

Broome, Stephen. N.d. Mineral nutrients required in plant nutrition.

http://broome.soil.ncsu.edu/ssc051/index.html. Date accessed: March 25, 2014.

Hangarter, Roger. N.d. Mineral nutrition.

http://sites.bio.indiana.edu/~hangarterlab/courses/b373/lecturenotes/mineral
s/minnut.html. Date accessed: March 25, 2014.