The minerals that are required in0.2 to 0.4 % of dry weight of the plants are:
Answers
The basic needs of all living organisms are essentially the same. They
require macromolecules, such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats, and
water and minerals for their growth and development.
This chapter focusses mainly on inorganic plant nutrition, wherein
you will study the methods to identify elements essential to growth and
development of plants and the criteria for establishing the essentiality.
You will also study the role of the essential elements, their major deficiency
symptoms and the mechanism of absorption of these essential elements.
The chapter also introduces you briefly to the significance and the
mechanism of biological nitrogen fixation.
12.1 METHODS TO STUDY THE MINERAL REQUIREMENTS OF PLANTS
In 1860, Julius von Sachs, a prominent German botanist, demonstrated,
for the first time, that plants could be grown to maturity in a defined
nutrient solution in complete absence of soil. This technique of growing
plants in a nutrient solution is known as hydroponics. Since then, a
number of improvised methods have been employed to try and determine
the mineral nutrients essential for plants. The essence of all these methods
involves the culture of plants in a soil-free, defined mineral solution. These
methods require purified water and mineral nutrient salts. Can you
explain why is this so essential?
After a series of experiments in which the roots of the plants were
immersed in nutrient solutions and wherein an element was added /
substituted / removed or given in varied concentration, a mineral solution
MINERAL NUTRITION