Essential Elements

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Essential Elements
SOIL 5813 Soil-Plant Nutrient Cycling and
Environmental Quality Department of Plant and
Soil Sciences Oklahoma State University Stillwater
, OK 74078 email wrr_at_mail.pss.okstate.edu Tel
[phone]
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• Arnon's Criteria of Essentiality
• Element required to complete life cycle
• Deficiency can only be corrected by the ion in
  question
• Element needs to be directly involved in the
  nutrition of the plant and not indirectly via the
  need of another organism.
• Any mineral element that functions in plant
  metabolism, whether or not its action is specific
  (Tisdale et al., 1985)
• C, H, O, N, P, and S (constituent of proteins)
• Ca, Mg, K, Fe, Mn, Mo, Cu, B, Zn, Cl, Na, Co, V,
  Si (essential to one or more plants)
• 'CHOPKNS CaFe MgB Mn Cl CuZn Mo'
• MobileNutrientsA.Plant1. deficiency symptoms
  appear in the lower older leaves
• B. Soil
• Immobile Nutrients
•   A.Plant1. deficiency symptoms appear in the
  upper younger leaves
• B. Soil

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Deficiency Symptom Element Mobility Mobility Form
taken up Soil Plant by Plants _________________
__________________________________________________
_________________ Overall chlorosis seen N
Nitrogen Yes Yes NO3-,NO2-,NH4 First on lower
leaves Purple leaf margins P Phosphorus No Yes HPO
4,H2PO4-,H3PO4 Chlorotic leaf margins K
Potassium No Yes K Uniform chlorosis, stunting
S Sulfur Yes Yes(no) SO4,SO2 (younger leaves)
NS interaction Stunting-no root elongation Ca
Calcium No No Ca Interveinal chlorosis Fe
Iron No (ls) No Fe,Fe(veins remain
green) Interveinal chlorosis Mg Magnesium No
(ls) Yes/No Mg Reduced terminal growth B Boron
(NM) Yes No H3BO3(chlorotic tips) Interveinal
chlorosis Mn Manganese No No Mn, Mn Wilting,
chlorosis Cl Chlorine Yes Yes Clreduced root
growth Young leaves, yellow stunted Cu Copper No
(ls) No Cu Interveinal chlorosis Zn Zinc No
(ls) No Znin young leaves  Interveinal
chlorosis, stunting Mo Molybdenum Yes/No(ls) No Mo
O4 Dark green color Na Sodium No(ls) Yes Na   C
Carbon CO2 H Hydrogen H2O O
Oxygen H2O _____________________________________
_______________________________________________
absorbed through plant leaves (NM) Non Metal (ls)
Low Solubility Mo availability increases with
soil pH, other micronutrients show the opposite
of this. Immobile nutrients in plant symptoms of
deficiency show up in the younger leaves. Stage
of growth when deficiency symptom is apparent
later stage
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What are the Primary Nutrients needed by all
crops
Nutrient
Nitrogen (N)
Potassium (K)
Phosphorus (P)
Soil (lb/a)
400 8,000
800 - 60,000
400 10,000
Crop (lb/a)
80
40
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Range of total amount in soil. From Chemical
Equilibria in Soils. W.L.Lindsay, 1979. Wiley
Sons.
Calculated for 2 ton crop yield (67 bushel
wheat).
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Secondary Nutrients Neededby all Crops
Nutrient
Calcium
Magnesium
Sulfur
Soil (lb/a)
14,000 1,000,000
1,200 - 12,000
60 20,000
Crop (lb/a)
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8
6
Range of total in soil. From Chemical
Equilibria in Soils. W.L.Lindsay, 1979. Wiley
Sons.
Calculated for 2 ton crop yield (67 bushel
wheat).
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Micronutrients Needed by all Crops
Nutrient
Iron
Manganese
Copper
Zinc
Boron
Chlorine
Molybdenum
Soil (lb/a)
14,000 1,100,000
40 6,000
4 - 200
20 - 600
4 - 200
40 1,800
0.4 - 10
Crop (lb/a)
1
0.8
0.08
0.6
0.08
4
0.0008
Range of total in soils. From Chemical
Equilibria in Soils. W.L.Lindsay, 1979. Wiley
Sons.
Calculated for 2 ton crop yield (67 bushel
wheat).
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Review Nutrients Needed by all Crops
Primary
Nitrogen (N)
Potassium (K)
Phosphorus (P)
Secondary
Calcium (Ca)
Magnesium (Mg)
Sulfur (S)
Micro
Iron (Fe)
Zinc (Zn)
Manganese (Mn)
Copper (Cu)
Chlorine (Cl)
Boron (B)
Molybdenum (Mo)
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Nutrients are grouped according to crop removal.

• Primary (N, P, K).
• Removed in largest amount by crop.
• Most commonly deficient.
• Secondary.
• Removed in moderate amount by crop.
• Micro.
• Removed in minute amount by crop.

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Nutrients not found deficient in Oklahoma crops.

• Calcium.
• Liming prevents Ca deficiency.
• Manganese.
• Copper.
• Molybdenum.

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Nutrients seldom found deficient in Oklahoma
crops.

• Magnesium.
• Sulfur.
• Iron.
• Zinc.
• Boron.
• Chlorine.

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Magnesium and Sulfur deficiencies.

• Occur on deep, sandy, low organic matter soils in
  high rainfall regions with high yielding forage
  production.
• Storage capacity for Mg and S is low.
• Large annual removal of nutrients.

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Magnesium Deficiency in Alfalfa.
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Sulfur Deficiency in Corn.
Overall light green color, worse on new leaves
during rapid growth.
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Sulfur Deficiency in Wheat.
Overall light green color, worse on new leaves
during rapid growth.
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Magnesium and Sulfur additions.

• Lime, especially dolomitic, adds Mg.
• Rainfall adds 6 lb/acre/yr of S.
• Like 120 lb of N (crop needs 1 lb S for every 20
  lb N).

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Iron deficiencies.

• Limited to high pH soils and sensitive crops.
• West-central and western Oklahoma.
• Grain sorghum, sorghum sudan, and wheat (also pin
  oak, blueberries and azaleas).
• Crop symptoms are chlorosis between veins of
  newest leaves.

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Iron Deficiency in Corn.
Note yellowing (chlorosis) between veins.
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Iron Deficiency in Peanuts
Note yellowing (chlorosis) between veins of
newest leaves.
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Correcting and Minimizing Iron Deficiency in
Crops.

• Select tolerant varieties and crops.
• Incorporate several tons of rotted organic matter
  per acre of affected soil.
• Use a foliar spray of 1 Fe as iron sulfate.
• Usually will require repeat spraying and will not
  be economical.

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Zinc deficiencies.

• Usually found in high pH, low organic matter
  soils, and sensitive crops.
• Pecans, corn, soybeans and cotton.
• Crop symptoms are shortened internodes and bronze
  coloring.

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Zinc Deficiency in Cotton (Mississippi)
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Zinc Deficiency in Corn (Kansas).
Note short internodes (stunted plants).
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Correcting Zinc Deficiency in Crops.

• Broadcast and incorporate 6 to 10 lb of Zn as
  zinc sulfate preplant.
• This rate should eliminate the deficiency for 3
  to 4 years as compared to 1 to 2 lb applied
  annually.
• Foliar apply low rate to pecans annually.

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Boron Deficiencies.

• Occasionally found in peanuts grown in sandy, low
  organic matter soils.
• Responsible for hollow heart.

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Correcting Boron Deficiency in Crops.

• Apply ½ to 1 lb B according to soil test.
• May be applied as addition to N-P-K blend or
  foliar spray in-season.
• Excessive rates may kill crop.
• Applications may be needed each year.

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Chlorine Deficiency.

• Occasionally found in wheat grown in sandy, low
  organic matter soils.

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Chlorine Deficiencies.

• Symptoms are yellow blotches on mature leaves.

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Chlorine Deficiencies.

• Limited to areas where potassium (K) fertilizer
  is not used.
• K fertilizer is usually potassium chloride.
• Soil test Cl is lt 20 lb/acre in top 2 feet.

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Nutrients often Deficient in Oklahoma crops.

• Nitrogen (N).
• Legumes like soybeans and alfalfa get their N
  from microorganisms (rhizobium) that fix N from
  the atmosphere.
• Phosphorus (P).
• Potassium (K).

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Nitrogen Deficiency.

• Shows up as chlorosis (yellowing) at the tip of
  the oldest leaf.
• Progresses toward the base of the leaf along the
  midrib (corn).
• Chlorosis continues to the next oldest leaf,
  after the oldest leaf becomes almost completely
  chlorotic, if deficiency continues.

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Nitrogen Deficiency in Corn.
chlorosis (yellowing) at the tip of the oldest
leaf.
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Nitrogen Deficiency in Corn.
Chlorosis continues to the next oldest leaf
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Potassium Deficiency.

• Common in crops grown in weathered soils
  developed under high rainfall.
• Symptoms are chlorosis at the tip of the oldest
  leaf (like N), that progresses toward the base
  along the leaf margins.

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Potassium Deficiency.

• Common in crops grown in weathered soils
  developed under high rainfall.

K Usually adequate
K Usually deficient
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Potassium Deficiency.

• Chlorosis at the tip of the oldest leaf
  progressing toward the base along the leaf
  margins (corn, alfalfa).

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Phosphorus Deficiency.

• Deficiency in Oklahoma cultivated soils is
  related to historical use of P-fertilizers.
• P builds up in soils when high-P, low-N
  fertilizers are the only input.
• 10-20-10 and 18-46-0.
• Deficiency symptoms are purple coloring and some
  yellow on lower (oldest) leaves.

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Phosphorus Deficiency.
purple coloring and sometimes yellow on lower
(oldest) leaves.