Role Source deficiency and Symptoms of Macronutrients in Plants
MACRO NUTRIENTS
- Macronutrients are required by plants in large quantities therefore they are involved in major functioning in the plant body.
- Macronutrients in plants are nutrients that provide energy to the plants and are required in larger amounts to maintain their development and growth. These are the most important elements required for crops.
NITROGEN
Absorption
- Plants absorb Nitrogen in the form of Nitrates and Nitrite but sometimes plants absorb in the form of ammonium ions.
Role
- Nitrogen is one of the major constituents of proteins, nucleic acids, vitamins and hormones.
Deficiency
- Deficiency of Nitrogen in plants causes stunted growth. Inhibiting the Growth of younger leaves and shoots. plants become pale green to yellowish-green because Deficiency of nitrogen causes the inhibition of the process of chloroplast and chlorophyll synthesis.
Symptoms
- The whole plant looks pale to yellowish green. There is early senescence of older leaves.
- Increased root growth and stunted shoot growth creates low ratio of shoot and root .
PHOSPHORUS
Absorption
- Phosphorus is absorbed by the plants from soil in the form of phosphate ions in the form of hydrogen phosphate.
Role
- Phosphorus is a constituent of cell membranes, certain proteins and is required for all phosphorylation reactions and constituent of ATP.
Deficiency
- Deficiency of Phosphorus causes the poor absorption of mineral nutrients. Distorted photosynthetic system and disturbance in metabolism of antioxidants.
Symptoms
- Plants turn dark green in color. Leaves and stems may appear shorter in size.
- Older leaves are affected soon and turn into purple colour and may acquire a purplish discoloration. In severe cases leaf tips are brown and die due to the weakness..
CALCIUM
Absorption
- Plant absorbs calcium from the soil in the form of calcium ions.
Role
- During cell division, Calcium is used in the synthesis of cell wall formation of mitotic spindle.Calcium activates certain enzymes as cofactor and is involved in regulation of metabolic activities.
Deficiency
- Deficiency of calcium is seen primarily on young leaves and tissues therefore the growth is inhibited.
- Plants have a bushy appearance. The young leaves bear brown chlorotic spots. which spread to eventually unite in the center of the leaves.
- Veins are dark brown, and completely necrotic. The root tip also does not show normal and people growth in calcium deficient plants.
Symptoms
- The formation of meristematic tissue does not take place. . Typically Death of root tips may take place.
- Its deficiency also causes chlorosis and dark veins in leaves.
MAGNESIUM
Absorption
- Magnesium is absorbed by plants in the form of divalent ions.
Role
- It activates the enzymes of respiration, photosynthesis and are involved in the synthesis of DNA and RNA.
- Magnesium deficiency causes deleterious changes in phenotypic and physiological expressions.
- It disturbs the process of homeostasis.
- It also controls the transportation and interactions between the ions, and sometimes disturbs the secondary metabolism.
Symptoms
- The symptoms of Magnesium deficiency are first seen at the lower leaves.
- Symptoms are more severe on the lower leaves because magnesium is moved to the new growth.
- Deficiency symptoms consist of interveinal chlorosis leaf veins stay green while the regions between them turn yellow.
SULPHUR
Absorption
- Plants obtain sulphur in the form of sulphate.
Role
- Sulphur is present in cysteine and methionine and is the main constituent of several coenzymes, vitamins.
Deficiency
- Sulphur deficiency affects the formation of chlorophyll and protein. It delays the plant growth and development as well as maturity.
Symptoms.
- Sulphur deficiency symptoms sometimes are similar to the symptoms of nitrogen. The leaves become pale-yellow or light-green.
- The sulphur deficiency symptoms are appeared first on the younger leaves.
- In addition to this, retarded growth, immature cereals,poor nodulation in legumes and poor nitrogen-fixation are other symptoms of sulphur deficiency.
POTASSIUM
Absorption
- Plants absorb potassium in its ionic form, K+. It is the second important macronutrient after Nitrogen and called Quantity nutrients.
Role
- Potassium regulates the opening and closing of stomata,
- It activates the enzymes that are essential for production of Adenosine Triphosphate. Potassium is needed for the formation of protein and starch.
- It makes active many growth related enzymes active in plants.
Deficiency
- Deficiency of Potassium lowers the resistance powers of plants.It also affects absorption of nutrients by the roots.
Symptoms
- Symptoms of potassium deficiency are first seen on the lower portion of the plant. chlorosis also appears at the leaf followed by necrosis .
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