MINERAL NUTRITION

By Fredeslinda C. Evangelista, PhD

ESSENTIAL ELEMENT
one

whose absence prevents a plant from completing its life cycle part of some essential plant constituent or metabolite that has a clear physiological role

is

One

Essential elements
Macronutrients- required in large amounts (in excess of 10mmole/kg of dry weight) Micronutrients- required in relatively small quantities (less than 30 mmole/kg of dry weight)

, O2

Nutritional Needs of Plants

Organic nutrition- production of carbon compounds i.e., incorporation of C,H,O via Inorganic nutrition acquisition of mineral elements from the soil

Mineral nutrients
bsorbed by roots A ranslocated to various parts of the T plant sed in numerous biological functions U ycorrhizal fungi and nitrogen-fixing M bacteria often participate with roots in the acquisition of nutrients

hydroponics

Technique of growing plants with their roots immersed in nutrient solution without soil

Requirements in hydroponics
Maintenance

of nutrient

concentration
Maintenance

of pH

Sufficient

supply of O2

Functions of essential elements

In

plant structure

Metabolism

Osmoregulation

Mineral deficiencies
Symptoms

related to the roles played by essential elements in plants

Mineral deficiencies
More

easily studied in hydroponic culture than soil-grown plants: Deficiencies of several elements may occur simultaneously Deficiencies or excessive amounts of one element may induce deficiencies or excessive accumulations of another Virus-induced plant diseases may produce symptoms similar to those of nutrient deficiencies

Functions of essential elements

Nitrogen (NO3-, NH4+)

Amino acid

Required in greatest amounts Constituent of amino acids, nucleic acids, chlorophyll, certain hormones (cytokinin, IAA)

Essential elements Nitrogen

Deficiency symptoms
Chlorosis yellowing of leaves Growth inhibition Accumulation of anthocyanin pigments in leaves, stem, petiole Woodiness of stem Stimulates abundant growth of the shoot

Essential elements
Sulfur (SO4-2)
Functions
Found

in two amino

acids Constituent of several coenzymes (CoA) and vitamins (biotin, thiamine) essential for metabolism

Essential elements
Sulfur (SO4-2)
Functions
Iron-sulfur

protein (Fd) important in electron transport in photosynthesis

Essential elements
Sulfur (SO4-2)
Deficiency symptoms Chlorosis Anthocyanin accumulation Stunting of growth Develops in young mature leaves (immobile element)

Essential elements
Phosphorus (H2 PO4-, HPO4-2)
Functions Component of important compounds of the cell sugar-phosphate intermediates of respiration and photosynthesis

Essential elements

Phosphorus
(H2 PO4-, HPO4-2)
Functions Component of important compounds of the cell Phospholipids ATP

Essential elements

Phosphorus
(H2 PO4-, HPO4-2)
Functions Component of important compounds of the cell Nucleic acids

Essential elements
Phosphorus (H2 PO4-, HPO4-2)
Deficiency symptoms Stunted growth With necrotic spots Dark green coloration of leaves May produce excess anthocyanin Production of slender but not woody stems Death of older leaves

Essential elements
Boron (H3BO3)
Evidence suggests that it plays a role in: Cell division and elongation in the root Nucleic acid synthesis Hormone responses Membrane function Deficiency symptoms Black necrosis of young leaves base and terminal buds Unusually stiff and brittle stem

Essential elements
Boron (H3BO3)
Deficiency symptoms Apical dominance may be lost Fruits, fleshy roots and tubers may exhibit necrosis or abnormalities

Potassium (K+)
Functions Plays a role in regulation of osmotic potential of cells Activates many enzymes involved in respiration and photosynthesis

Essential elements
Potassium (K+)
Deficiency symptoms
Marginal

chlorosis Necrosis at leaf tips, margins and between veins Curled and crinkled leaves Slender and weak stems with abnormally short internodes

Essential elements Potassium

+) (K

Deficiency symptoms Susceptible to root-rotting fungi present in the soil Prone to lodging

Calcium (Ca+2)
Functions Used in the synthesis of new middle lamella Used in mitotic spindle during cell division Needed for normal functioning of the plasma membrane

Essential elements Calcium

+2) (Ca

Functions Acts as a second messenger to responses to environmental and hormonal signals

Essential elements

Calcium (Ca+2)
Deficiency symptoms General chlorosis Necrosis of young meristematic regions such as tips of root s and young leaves Root system may appear brownish, short, highly branched and slippery to touch Severe stunting if tips die prematurely

Essential elements
Magnesium (Mg+2)
Role

in activation of enzymes involved in respiration, photosynthesis and the synthesis of DNA and RNA of the structure of chlorophyll

Part

Magnesium activates Rubisco

Magnesium activates PEPcarboxylase

Essential elements
Magnesium (Mg+2)
Deficiency symptoms Chlorosis between veins Leaves may become yellow or white Premature leaf abscission

Chlorine (Cl )
Functions Required for water-splitting reaction of photosynthesis through which O2 is formed

Essential elements
Chlorine (Cl-)
Functions Required for cell division in both roots and leaves Osmotically active solute in the vacuole Major counterion, maintaining neutrality across membranes Deficiency symptoms Develops wilting of leaf tips Chlorosis and necrosis of leaves

Essential elements

Chlorine

-) (Cl

Deficiency symptoms Leaves exhibit reduced growth Bronzing of leaves Roots appear stunted and thickened near the root tips

Essential elements
Manganese (Mn +2)
Functions Activates several enzymes (decarboxylases and dehydrogenases) involved in Krebs cycle

Essential elements
Manganese
Functions
Involved

+2) (Mn

in photosynthethic reaction through which oxygen is produced from water Deficiency symptoms Intervenous chlorosis associated with development of necrotic spots

Essential elements
Iron (Fe+2, Fe+3)
Functions Component of enzymes involved in the transfer of electrons (redox reactions e.g.,cytochromes)

Essential elements

Iron (Fe+2, Fe+3)

Functions Constituent of several oxidase (peroxidase, catalase) Required in the synthesis of chlorophyll Deficiency symptoms Intervenous chlorosis Symptoms appear first in young leaves Whole leaf may become chlorotic

Essential nutrients
Maintaining

availability of Fe

Use of chelators such as EDTA

Strategies for uptake under conditions of iron stress

Essential elements

Zinc (Zn+2)
Functions
Activates

some enzymes (e.g., alcohol dehydrogenase) for chlorophyll biosynthesis of some plants

Required

Essential elements

Zinc (Zn+2)
Deficiency symptoms Intervenous chlorosis then white, necrotic spots Reduction in internodal growth with small, distorted leaves with leaf margins having a puckered appearance

Essential elements Copper (Cu+2)

Functions Associated with enzymes involved in redox reactions (e.g. plastocyanin, cytochrome oxidase) Deficiency symptoms Dark green leaves with necrotic spots Twisted leaves Leaves may abscise prematurely

Essential elements
Nickel (Ni+2)
Functions Required for activity of enzyme (e.g., urease) Suggested to play a role in the mobilization of nitrogen during seed germination and seedling growth Deficiency symptoms Leaf tip necrosis due to accumulation of urea Reduced germination of seeds (legumes and cereals)

Essential elements

Nickel

+2) (Ni

Deficiency symptoms Depressed seedling vigor, chlorosis and necrotic lesions in leaves Flower formation may be prevented or abscise prematurely

Essential elements
Molybdenum (MoO4-2)
Functions
Component

of several enzymes (e.g. nitrate reductase and nitrogenase)

Nitrate reductase converts nitrate to nitrite Nitrogenase converts nitrogen gas to ammonia in nitrogen-fixing microorganisms

Deficiency symptoms Interveinal chlorosis Necrosis of older leaves Whiptail disease in broccoli and cauliflower

Beneficial elements
Additional

requirements of some plants

Sodium Silicon Selenium Cobalt

beneficial elements Sodium (Na+)

Functions Required in species utilizing the C4 and CAM pathways of carbon fixation to regenerate PEP Stimulates growth of C3 plants by enhanced cell expansion Can partially substitute for K+ as an osmotically active solute

Deficiency symptoms Chlorosis and necrosis Failure to form flowers

Beneficial elements
Cobalt (Co)
Functions Required by nitrogen-fixing bacteria

Free living Symbiotic

Essential

for growth of legumes

When legumes are provided with fixed nitrogen, cobalt is no longer required

Beneficial elements Silicon (Si)

Functions
Required only by members of family Equisetaceae Other plants showed enhanced growth and fertility Can ameleorate the toxicity of many heavy metals

Deficiency symptoms Prone to lodging and fungal infection

Beneficial elements

Selenium (Se)
Generally

toxic to most plants High concentrations tolerated by members of the legume genus Astragalus Thought to be essential to these plants

Soil
Consists of: Solid phase

Mineral particles derived from parent rock

Primary source of nutrient elements

Organic materials in various stages of decomposition

Liquid Gases

phase- water/ soil solution of microorganisms

Variety

Soil
When

soil is stirred in water Sand settle Silt Clay remain in stable suspension Colloid -small enough to remain in suspension and too large to go into true solution - will scatter light Tyndall effect - 2 phase system (solid i.e. colloidal micelle suspended in liquid )

Colloidal clay
Exposes

large surface area Surface with numerous negative charges Can bind and retain cations Can exchange cations Negative charge on the surface Mineral colloid (clay i.e. aluminum silicates)

simplest type kaolinite Al2Si2O5.(OH)4 Charge due to ionization of alumina and silica at the edges

Colloidal clay
Negative charge on the surface Organic colloid (Humus) Incompletely degraded to colloidal dimensions Largely derived from lignin and carbohydrates Negatively charged because of the dissociation of H+ ions from carboxylic acid, hydroxyl and phenolic groups
COOH + OH- = COO- + H2O

Colloidal clay
Highly hydrated
Positive

pole of water attracted to negatively charged surfaces

Negative charge and hydration contributes to stability of colloidal suspension Attract cations from surrounding soil solution Al+3>H+>Ca+2>Mg+2>K+=NH4+>Na+ Trivalents> divalents>monovalents Electrostatic rules are modulated by relative hydrated size

Colloidal clay
Cation adsorption is reversible Ion exchange -exchange between cation adsorbed and cation in soil solution Exchangeability- ease of removal Cation with higher affinity can displace an ion lower in the series (H+ > Ca+2) An ion of lower affinity can, by mass action, displace an ion of higher affinity

Plant source of mineral nutrients

Cations Immediate source soil solution Nutrient reservoir- adsorbed ions Not easily lost when leached by water Roots normally secrete H+ ions which assist in the uptake of nutrients Anions Soil colloids do not attract anions Remain in soil solution

Root-microbe interaction
Association with mycorrhizal fungi

Mycorrhizae a root infected with fungus Mycelia the body of a fungus made up of a
mass of hyphae Facilitates uptake of nutrients e.g., phosphorus beyond the depletion zone Nutritional status of the host plant is a key factor in extent of mycorrhizal association

Nutrient depletion zone defines the limit of the soil from which the root is able to readily extract nutrient elements

Root-microbe interaction
2 types: 1. Ectotrophic mycorrhizal fungi- with thick mantle of mycelium around the roots, between cortical cells (Hartig net) and into the soil Infect tree species exclusively Uptake of P may be by simple diffusion
3.

Vesicular- arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi- less dense hyphae grow within the root and the surrounding soil

Association with most species of herbaceous angiosperms Uptake of P may be by simple diffusion from intact or degenerating arbuscules

Root-microbe interaction
Bacteria

Induces formation of proteiod roots (intense lateral root production)

Allow intensive mining of soils for poor mobile nutrients like phosphorus Could be related to IAA production by the bacteria

Both invasive and free living nitrogen-fixing bacteria are the primary source of nitrogen for plants

dinitrogenase

Nitrosomonas

Nitrobacter