Class 23 Plant Nutrients

8/6/2019 Class 23 Plant Nutrients

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Soil Nutrients


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Macro vs Micro Nutrients Macro nutrients are required by the

plant in relatively large amounts

Micro nutrients are required only insmall amounts

minor or trace elements


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Macro nutrients Non-mineral

elements

carbon (C)

hydrogen (H)

oxygen (O)

Primary Nutrients

Nitrogen (N)

Phosphorus (P)

Potassium (K)

SecondaryNutrients

calcium (Ca)

magnesium (Mg)

sulfur (S)


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Micro nutrients Iron (Fe)

Copper (Cu)

Zinc (Zn) Boron (B)

Molybdenum (Mo)

Manganese (Mn) Chlorine (Cl)


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Functions of Nitrogen Promotes growth of leaves and stems

Gives dark green color and improves

quality of foliage Necessary to develop cell proteins

and chlorophyll


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Nitrogen Deficiency symptoms

sick, yellow-green color

short stems, small leaves, pale coloredleaves and flowers

slow and dwarfed plant growth


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Nitrogen deficiency


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Functions of Phosphorus Stimulates early formation and

growth of roots

Provides for fast and vigorous growthand speeds maturity

Stimulates flowering and seeddevelopment

Necessary for the enzyme action ofmany plant processes


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Phosphorus Deficiency symptoms

decrease in growth

slow maturity older leaves are purplish color


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Phosphorus Deficiency


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Functions of Potassium Used to form carbohydrates and

proteins

Formation and transfer of starches,sugars and oils

Increases disease resistance, vigorand hardiness


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Potassium Deficiency symptoms

mottled, spotted, streaked or curled

leaves scorched, burned, dead leaf tips and

margins


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Potassium Deficiency


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Functions of Calcium Improves plant vigor

Influences intake and synthesis of

other plant nutrients Important part of cell walls


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Calcium Deficiency symptoms

small developing leaves

wrinkled older leaves dead stem tips


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Calcium Deficiency


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Functions of Magnesium Influences the intake of other

essential nutrients

Helps make fats Assists in translocation of phosphorus

and fats


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Magnesium Deficiency


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Sulfur Deficiency symptoms

young leaves are light green with lightercolor veins

yellow leaves and stunted growth


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Sulfur Deficiency


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Iron Functions of Iron

Essential for chlorophyll production

Helps carry electrons to mix oxygen withother elements

Deficiency symptoms

mottled and interveinal chlorosis in

young leaves stunted growth and slender, short stems


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Iron Deficiency


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Copper Functions

Helps in the use of Iron

Helps respiration Deficiency symptoms

young leaves are small and permanentlywilt

multiple buds at stem tip


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Copper Deficiency


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Zinc Functions

plant metabolism

helps form growth hormones

reproduction

Deficiency symptoms

retarded growth between nodes

(rosetted)

new leaves are thick and small

spotted between veins, discolored veins


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Zinc Deficiency


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Boron Functions

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


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Boron Deficiency


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Manganese Functions

plant metabolism

nitrogen transformation

Deficiency symptoms

interveinal chlorosis

young leaves die


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Manganese Deficiency


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Molybdenum Functions

plant development

reproduction

Deficiency symptoms

stunted growth

yellow leaves, upward curling leaves,

leaf margins burn


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Molybdenum Deficiency


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Chlorine

Functions

essential to some plant processes

acts in enzyme systems

Deficiency symptoms

usually more problems with too muchchlorine or toxicity than with deficiency


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Fertilizers


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Types of Fertilizers

Complete

Incomplete

Organic Inorganic

Soluble

Insoluble


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Complete vs. Incomplete

Complete has all three primarynutrients-nitrogen phosphorous &

potassium Examples: 10-10-10, 15-30-15, 20-5-20

Incomplete DOES NOT have all threeprimary nutrients

Examples: 20-0-0, 0-20-0, 12-0-44


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Organic Fertilizers

Comes from plant or animal matterand contains carbon compounds

Examples: urea, sludge and animaltankage


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Advantages of Organic

Slow release of nutrients

Not easily leached from the soil

Add organic components to growingmedia


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Disadvantages of Organic

Hard to get

Not sterile

Low nutrient content Expensive


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Inorganic Fertilizers

Comes from sources other thananimals or plants

Chemical products


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Advantages of Inorganic

Can make the desired ratio ofnutrients

easy to get lower cost


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Soluble Fertilizer

Dissolve in water and are applied as aliquid solution

Fertigation fertilizing through irrigation water

big advantage


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Granular vs. Slow Release

Granular

relatively inexpensive

easy to find Slow Release

more expensive because it is coated

more uniform release of nutrients over

time period


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Fertilizer Analysis

Fertilizer analysis expresses weight asa percent of nitrogen, phosphorusand potassium

20-10-20


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Fertilizer Analysis

For Example

A 100 pound bag of fertilizer has ananalysis of 15-5-15. How many poundsof nitrogen, phosphorus and potassiumare in the bag?

Nitrogen: 100lbs X 15%=15lbs

Phosphorus: 100lbs X 5%=5lbs

Potassium: 100lbs X 15%=15lbs


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Fertilizer Ratios

A fertilizer with a 10-10-10 analysiswould have a 1:1:1 ratio

A fertilizer with a 24-8-16 analysiswould have a 3:1:2 ratio

What would be the ratio for afertilizer with an analysis of 36-18-

27?

4:2:3


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Application Procedures

Banding

Sidedressing

Topdressing Perforating

Broadcasting

Foliar spraying Fertigation


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Banding

Placing a band of fertilizer about twoinches to the sides and about twoinches below seed depth.

DO NOT place below the seedsbecause fertilizer will burn the roots.


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Sidedressing

Placing a band of fertilizer near thesoil surface and to the sides afterseedlings emerge from the soil.


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Topdressing

Mixing fertilizer uniformly into the topone to two inches of growing mediaaround the plant.


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Foliar Spraying

Spraying micronutrients in a solutiondirectly on plant leaves.

Quickly corrects nutrient deficiencies

Fertilizer concentration should not betoo high or leaf burning will occur.


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Fertigation

Incorporating water-soluble fertilizerinto the irrigation system ofgreenhouse and nursery crops.

Concentrated solutions usually passthrough proportioners or injectors todilute to the correct ratio.

Venturi-type Positive-displacement


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Venturi-type

Simple and inexpensive

less accurate

depends on water pressure in thehose and in the smaller tube toproportion

Example: Hozon


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Positive-displacement

More expensive

very accurate

physically inject and mix specificamounts of concentrated solution andwater

Examples: commanderproportioners, and Smith injectors


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Rules for applying fertilizers

Method used should be practical,effective and cost efficient

Method used affects nutrientavailability for plant use

Fertilizer must be dissolved and reachplant roots

Class 23 Plant Nutrients

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