Plant food.

Plants and animals

require food for growth and
development. This food is composed
of certain chemical elements often
referred to as plant-food elements.
MACRO NUTRIENTS

Macronutrients include carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen,

oxygen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, sulfur,
and magnesium. Micronutrients are boron,
chlorine, manganese, iron, zinc, copper, and
molybdenum. A plant uses these nutrients to support
its growth, life cycle, and biological functions.
Micronutrients
Micronutrients are essential elements that are used by plants in small
quantities. For most micronutrients, crop uptake is less than one pound per
acre. In spite of this low requirement, critical plant functions are limited if
micronutrients are unavailable, resulting in plant abnormalities, reduced
growth and lower yield. In such cases, expensive, high requirement crop
inputs such as nitrogen and water may be wasted. Because of higher yields,
higher commodity prices and higher costs of crop inputs, growers are
reviewing all potential barriers to top grain production, including
micronutrient deficiencies
Plant Requirements and Soil Availability

There are 16 elements essential to growth of crop plants:

Supplied by air and water: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen
Macronutrients: nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium
Secondary Nutrients: calcium, magnesium, sulfur
Micronutrients: boron (B), chlorine (Cl), copper (Cu), iron (Fe),
manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), and zinc (Zn).
MACRO ELEMENTS
Plant Chemical Functions
Nutrient Symbol
Nitrogen N Promotes dark green color; leaf, stem, and fruit development; and
hastens growth and increases the protein content of the crop.
Phosphorous P2O5 Favors rapid plant growth and development; hastens fruiting and
maturity; and improves the quality of the crop.
Potasium K2O Hastens maturity; stimulates blooming; aids in seed formation; and
gives plants hardiness.
Calcium Ca Corrects acidity; acts as protective sieve for the nitrates to set through
in passing into the cells; and acts as a cement between the walls of
the cells to hold them together.
MICRO ELEMENTS
Plant Chemical Functions
Nutrient Symbol

Calcium Ca Corrects acidity; acts as protective sieve for the nitrates to set
through in passing into the cells; and acts as a cement between the
walls of the cells to hold them together.
Magnesium Mg The key element in the molecule of chlorophyll and Mg
combines with the phosphates so that the latter can move to their
proper places in the plant.
Sulfur S Gives green color to the younger leaves including the veins.
Manganese Mn Gives green color to the younger leaves including the veins.
Boron B Boron hunger results in a reddish-yellow discoloration and often
there is purplish tone, first seen on the margins of the leaves or the
tip half.
Copper Cu Helps in seedstalk formation.
MICRO ELEMENTS
Plant Chemical Functions
Nutrient Symbol
Zinc Zn Treats abnormally small leaves or leaves that are yellow or
mottled in appearance.
Iron Fe Treats chlorosis
Molybdenum Mo Influences the utilization of nitrogen by the plant and it is
required before nitrogen-fixing bacteria can utilize
atmospheric nitrogen.
Chlorine Cl Tends to concentrate in some plants, in the veins and floral
parts, and appears to be tied up in some way in the
formation of the red, blue, and violet pigments. Hastens
maturity.
FERTILIZER

 fertilizer is any manufactured or processed material or mixture of materials that

contains one or more of the recognized plant-food elements, in liquid or dry form.
 a fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin, which is
added to the soil to supply certain elements essential to plant growth.
 Fertilizers are used to increase the growth rate, yield, and quality or nutritive value of
plants
Kinds of fertilizer

Organic fertilizers are farm manures, compost, crop residues, and

other farm wastes, which supply nutrients and improve soil physical
conditions.
 Organic fertilizer is generally the most valuable soil conditioner. As
soil conditioners, organic fertilizer helps prevent soil erosion,
crushing, and cracking of soil.
 They retain soil humidity and improve the internal drainage of the
soil.
 These fertilizers should serve as supplement to inorganic fertilizers.
 These improve the physical make-up of the soil making the soil
porous and rich in organic matter
SOURCES OF ORGANIC FERTILIZER

• Animal wastes: cattle, carabao, pig, goat, poultry, and horse manure or
urine, etc.
• Crop wastes: rice straw, corn stalks, weeds, stubbles, plant leaves,
husks, etc.
• Human inhabitation wastes: night soil, sewage, and garbage
• Green manure: ipil-ipil leaves, legumes, and madre de cacao leaves
• Water crops or plants: water hyacinth (water lily), water alligator, and
water lettuce
• Biological organic sources: azolla, and blue green algae
• Silt, river mud, and pond mud
• By-product of biogas digester, digested sludge, and effluent
• Other sources: animal bone, ash, seaweeds, and guano (bat manure)
INORGANIC (CHEMICAL) FERTILIZERS)

usually result from chemical processes such as sulfuric

acid treatment or rock phosphate to produce
superphosphate. It consists of materials processed or
transformed into a chemical material or fertilizer.
Types of fertilizer based on the fertilizer
element present

1. Single element fertilizer contains only one of the major fertilizer

elements. Examples: Ammonium sulfate, urea, and
superphosphate
2. Incomplete fertilizer contains only two major elements like
ammophos (nitrogen and phosphorus).
3. Complete fertilizer contains the three primary plant food elements:
nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
 Table 8. Analysis of common inorganic or commercial fertilizers
(INGO 2005)
  Percent  
Material N P2O5 K 2O

Anhydrous ammonia 82 0 0
Ammonium sulfate 21 0 0
Ammonium phosphate 16 20 0
Ammonium chloride 25 0 0
Urea 46 0 0
Superphosphate 0 20 0
Trial superphosphate 0 48 0
Muriate of potash 0 0 60
Sulfate of potash 0 0 50
Complete 14 14 14
QUIZLET

1. What makes fertilizers complete?

2. The key element in the molecule of chlorophyll
3. Treats abnormally small leaves or leaves that are
yellow or mottled in appearance.
4. Are used to increase the growth rate, yield, and
quality or nutritive value of plants.
5. It retain soil humidity and improve the internal
drainage of the soil.