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| Nutrients |
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| Just as the human body needs nutrients for its healthy growth, plants also need certain nutrients for their growth. The nutrients required by plants for their healthy growth are 16 in number. They are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulphur, iron, manganese, copper, zinc, boron, molybdenum and chlorine. Plants consume carbon element from carbon-di-oxide in the air, hydrogen from water, and oxygen from both air and water. The remaining elements are procured from the soil. Carbon, oxygen and nitrogen are very important because they constitute 94% to 99.5% of total plant tissue. The remaining 0.5% to 6% plant tissue is synthesized from soil constituents. These 13 nutrients have a direct influence on the growth of the plant, depending upon their availability in the soil. |
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| An element is called essential if, |
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 the plant is not able to complete its life-cycle in the absence of the element. |
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 the deficiency of the element can be prevented or corrected only by supplying the nutrient. |
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 the element must have a direct influence on the plant growth and other physiological activities. |
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| On the basis of the quantities required, the various nutrients needed for plant growth can be classified into two groups. |
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| Classification of essential nutrients |
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| The macro-nutrients required for the growth of the plant are: |
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 Carbon |
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 Hydrogen |
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 Oxygen |
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 Nitrogen |
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 Phosphorus |
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 Potassium |
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 Calcium |
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 Magnesium |
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 Sulphur |
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| The micro-nutrients required for the growth of the plant are: |
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 Iron |
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 Manganese |
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 Copper |
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 zinc |
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 Boron |
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 Molybdenum |
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 Chlorine |
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Food - Crop Production System
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