Week 4: Essential mineral elements, role and deficiency symptoms of macronutrients.

The elements which are required for the normal and healthy life of a plant are called essential elements.

Only sixteen elements which are divided into two categories. Viz

  1. Macronutrients (major elements)
  2. Micronutrients (trace elements)

Macronutrients include N, P, Ca, K, O, C, F, S and Mg.

Micronutrients include Fe, Mn, B, Cu, Zn, Mo and Cl.

For example N function is, it is part of protein, chlorophyll, nucleic acid while its deficiency syndromes are stunted growth, leaf chlorosis, leaf sheading, poor flowering and fruits.