Plant nutrition

What is an essential element?

An essential mineral element is one that is required for normal plant growth and
reproduction. The amount of each element required by the plant varies;
however, all essential elements are equally important in terms of plant
physiological processes and plant growth.

The exact number of elements that should be considered “essential” to plant

growth is a matter of some debate. For example, cobalt, which is required for N
fixation in legumes, is not considered to be an essential element by some
researchers.

Table 1, lists 16 elements that are considered essential by many

scientists. Other elements that are sometimes listed as essential are Cobalt (CO),
Nickel (Ni), sodium(Na), silicon (Si), and vanadium (V).

Table 1: Essential elements for plant growth, and the chemical forms most
commonly taken up by plants.

Categories of essential elements

Essential elements can be grouped into four categories based on their origin or
the relative amount a plant needs in order to develop properly (Table 2) .
Table2. Essential elements, their relative uptake, and sources where they are
obtained by plants

Functions of essential elements in plants

Nutrient deficiency symptoms
Visual diagnosis of plant deficiencies can be very risky. There may be more than
one deficiency symptom expressed, which can make diagnosis difficult.
Both soil and tissue samples should be collected, analyzed, and
interpreted before any recommendations are made concerning
application of fertilizer.
Mobility and specific deficiency symptoms