Plant Nutrition Types oF NuTRITION Its of two types 1, Autotrophic Nutrition Depending upon source of energy, autotrophs are classified into two groups (a) Photosynthetic : Plants trap the solar energy and convert it into chemical energy of the organic compounds with the help of pigments. (b) Chemosynthetic » Chemical energy is used by organisms for food synthesis 2. Heterotrophie Nutrition It is a mode of nutrition in which the organisms are unable to synthesize their own food by themselves and obtain it from other sources. Heterotrophie plants are divided into three main groups : (Parasites (ii) Saprophytes (ii) Inseetivorous Plants A. Parasites These plants obtain their food trom other living organisms. ‘Th (a) Total parasites and (b) Partial (a) Total Parasites Obtain food, water and minerals from the host. These are total root parasites and total stem parasites. are divided into two groups rasites (i) Total root Parasites : Orobanche. Balanophora, Rafflesia ete. Balanophora: Grows on roots of forest trees Rafflesia: Grows on fig. Orobanche: Grows on roots of mustard, potato, ete. Gi) Total Stem Parasites: Cuscuta (Amar bel) grows on stem of Zizyphus, Citrus etc Arceuthobium grows on stem of Pinus and Juniperus Partial Parasites : These plants synthesize their organic food themselves but they depend upon the host plants for their water and minerals. (a) Partial Stem Parasites Viscum grows on the stem of walnut, apple, oak ete: Loranthus grows on mango, Dalbergia, etc. (b) Partial Root Parasites, Santalum album grows on roots of Dalbergia ©)Plant Nutrition 11 B. Saprophytes These are non greén plants which obtain their food from dead and decaying organic matter. Monotropa (Indian pipe) grows in human rich soil of pine forests. Roots are associated with fungal hyphae. Neottia (Bird’s nest orchid) grows in humus rich soil of the forests. Plant has underground rhizome which bears roots. Roots are associated with fungal hyphae. C. Insectivorous Plants These plants are autotrophic but they grow in soil which is deficient in nitrogen. (Drosera (Sundew) : It is herbaceous plant, Leaves are covered by glandular hair with a swollen tip due to the presence of secretion drop. When an insect sits on the leaf, the hair curve due to thigmonasty. Nepenthes (Pitcher Plant) : Leaf base of this plant is winged, petiole is tendriller and lamina is modified into pitcher. Inner surface of pitcher is lined by numerous digestive glands. The mouth (rim) of pitcher bears nectariferous glands. Below rim downwardly directed hair are present. Insects cannot come out due to downwardly directed hair. (ii) Utricularia (Bladderwort): Its submerged root less aquatic herb having dissected leaves. Some leaf'segments are modified into tiny bladders. Opening of bladder is guarded by a valve. Each bladder has external glands as well as internal (digestive) glands. Bladder show special trap mechanism. (iv) Dionaea (Venus fly trap) : It is a herb having rosette of leaves. Petiole is winged. Lamina is bilobed. Margin ofeach lobe bears spines. Digestive glands and sensitive bristles are present on upper surface of each lobe. ‘When an insect sits on the leaf, the two lobes rise upward, spines of two lobes get interlocked and insect get trapped. (W) Pinguicula (Butterwort) : 1 is a herb with rosette of leaves. Two types of glands are present on upper surface of leaf: sessile and stalked glands. Sessile glands produce digestive juices. Stalked glands produce sticky substance. (vi) Aldrovanda (Water flea trap) : It is rootless, aquatic plant. Petiole is winged and iamina is bitobed with marginal teeth. INORGANIC NUTRITION IN PLANTS The first study in inorganic nutrition (mineral nutrition) was carried out by Van Helmont in 1648. Wood ward (1699) reported that plants grow better in muddy water as compared to fresh rain water. De Saussure (1804) first of all demonstrated that plants obtain minerals from soil through root system. Glauber and Mayhow got increased plant growth on addition of salt peter (KNO,,) to the soil Liebig gave Law of minimum which states that productivity of soil depends upon the proportionate amount of deficient mineral + Liebig also stated that the source of carbon in the plant is carbon dioxide which is obtained from atmosphere. Analysis of plant ash shows that about 109 mineral elements are present in different plants. Out of these in each and every plant, 20 elements are necessary for plants and are called essential elements. Cairenia FoR Essenmiatity oF ELemenTs Arnon and stout (1939) formulated three criteria for calling an element being essential for plant which are (Element can not be replaced by another element with similar properties. (i) Element should be directly involved in metabolism of plant. (ii) Element deficiency should prevent completion of life cycle and produce deficiency symptom Essential Elements are Divided into Two Main Types : () Macro Elements : Macronutrients must generally be present in plant tissues in concentration of >I mg per gram of dry weight. These are C, H, O, N , P, S, K, Ca, Mg and Silicon Micronutrients (Trace Elements) : These are present in plant tissues in concentration equal to N,O—>N, Nirrare Assimiarion In PLANTS Nitrate absorbed by the plants is reduced in two steps to form NH, for incorporation into organic substances. The Iwo steps are reduction of nitrate to nitrite and reduction of nitrite to ammonia, |. Reduction of Nitrate to Nitrite : It is carried out by nitrate reductase. NO; + NADPH + HY Miers, No; + NADP* + 1,0 EMNor| 2 Reduction of Nitrite to Ammonia : This step is catalysed by reductase NO; + NADPH, —Mwiesels, NH; + NADP’ +2H,0 Fd Synthesis of Amino Acids : In plants amino acids are synthesised by reductive amination and transamination () Reductive Amination : In this process NH, reacts with o,-ketoglutaric acid and forms glutamic acid. ax-ketoglutaric acid + NH} + NADPH, —Slusmae dehdrpenase_, Glutamate + H,O + NADP* (i) Transamination : It invovles the transfer of amino group from one amino acid to the keto group of keto acid. Reaction is catalysed by transaminase. Transamination of Glutamic acid produce 17 other amino acids. ‘huoes ‘Two most important amides found ia plants are Asparagine and Glutamine. Amides are formed from amino ids in presence of enzyme glutamine synthetase or Asparagine synthetase. 4+ Pungent smell of onion and garlic is due to sulphur compounds. + K’ are most conimon free ion in the cell. + More than 40 enzymes depend upon K” for their activity. — Leghaemoglobin is formed by joint activity of bacteria and host — Legume-Rhizobium association can annually fix 25-60 kg of nitrogen per hectare. — Solutes absorbed by root surface pass inwardly through cortex, endodermis pericycle. xylem parenchyma and xylem channels. Movement can be through apoplasti symplast or both. — Upward transport in shoot takes place through xylem channels along with ascent of sap, — Inwhip tail disease, lamina degenerates but petiole and midrib persists, — Exudation of gummy matter from places where bark splits up is known as Exanthema. — Killing of apical bud due to copper deficiency is known as Dieback. B4 06068