This file consists of forms, occurance, functions and deficiency of copper and chlorine in plants

1. Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS)
Prithu Technical College
Deukhuri, Dang
SSC-121 Essential Nutrients : Forms, Occurance, Functions and Deficiency Symptoms
Essential Elements: Forms, Occurance,
Functions and Deficiency Symptoms
Krishna Aryal
Asst. Professor (Soil Science)
Krish.aryal2014@gmail.com
1

2. Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS)
Prithu Technical College
Deukhuri, Dang
SSC-121 Essential Nutrients : Forms, Occurance, Functions and Deficiency Symptoms 2
Forms and occurrence
• It is absorbed by plant in cupric ion (Cu2+ ).
• Its normal conc. in plant tissue varies from 5 to 20 ppm.
• Copper salts &complexes are also absorbed through leaves.
Copper

3. Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS)
Prithu Technical College
Deukhuri, Dang
SSC-121 Essential Nutrients : Forms, Occurance, Functions and Deficiency Symptoms 3
Copper content of soil
• Cu2+ is present in very small amt. in the soil; cultivated soil contains 1-40
ppm (average 9 ppm).
• It exists in form as: soil solution; adsorbed form; Cu precipitated &
organically complexed.
• Cu is also present as oxides, carbonates, silicates, sulphates
(predominant minerals in the earth crust) & chlorides.
• Also exist in the lattice structure of the primary & secondary minerals.

4. Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS)
Prithu Technical College
Deukhuri, Dang
SSC-121 Essential Nutrients : Forms, Occurance, Functions and Deficiency Symptoms 4
Functions of Copper in plants
• Almost similar to that of Fe.
• It acts as electron carriers in enzymes which bring about oxidation-
reduction reaction in plants.
• Component of large number of proteins and enzymes like plastocyanin,
superoxide dismutase(SOD), Diamine oxidase, polyphenol oxidase,
Ascorbate oxidase.
• Helps in utilization of iron in chlorophyll synthesis.
• Influence on cell wall permeability and nitrate reduction.

5. Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS)
Prithu Technical College
Deukhuri, Dang
SSC-121 Essential Nutrients : Forms, Occurance, Functions and Deficiency Symptoms 5
• Play a role in the biosynthesis & activity of ethylene in ripening fruit.
• Promote the formation of vitamin-A in plants.
• Important in imparting disease resistance.
• Enhances fertility of male flowers.
• Influence on pollen formation & fertilization.

6. Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS)
Prithu Technical College
Deukhuri, Dang
SSC-121 Essential Nutrients : Forms, Occurance, Functions and Deficiency Symptoms 6
Deficiency symptoms of copper in
plants
• As copper is immobile in the plant, its
deficiency is manifested on young
leaves.
• Narrow, twisted leaves and pale white
tips. interveinal chlorotic mottling of
leaves
• Chlorosis in younger leaves, stunted
growth, delayed maturity, lodging & in
some cases melanosis (wheat) (brown
discoloration).

7. Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS)
Prithu Technical College
Deukhuri, Dang
SSC-121 Essential Nutrients : Forms, Occurance, Functions and Deficiency Symptoms 7
• Poor pigmentation of fruit.
• Cu-deficient plants are prone to disease
severity, specially to ergot (a fungus causing
reduced yield & grain quality)
• In advance stage of Cu def., shoot apex dies
back, auxiliary buds shed & dwarf,
multistemmed trees from without a main leader.
• Pollen sterility ; reduced fruit set and number of
flowers.
• Empty glumes in wheat.

8. Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS)
Prithu Technical College
Deukhuri, Dang
SSC-121 Essential Nutrients : Forms, Occurance, Functions and Deficiency Symptoms 8
Forms and occurrence
• It is absorbed by plants as the chloride (Cl-) ions through both roots &
aerial parts.
• Normal range of Cl- accumulation in plants is from 0.2 - 2 % in the dry
matter but level may go as high as 10%.
Cl content in soil
• present primarily in igneous and metamorphic rocks.
• It exists in the soil solution as Cl- derived from NaCl, Ca Cl2 and Mg Cl2.
• Concentration in soil is about 50 ppm.
Chlorine

9. Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS)
Prithu Technical College
Deukhuri, Dang
SSC-121 Essential Nutrients : Forms, Occurance, Functions and Deficiency Symptoms 9
Functions of Chlorine in plants
• Involved in oxygen evolution in primary photosynthetic reaction.
• The counter ion during rapid K fluxes, thus contributing to turgor of leaves
& other plant parts; It is an active osmotic agent.
• Role in stomata regulation (opening & closing).
• Required for growth & sugar synthesis in sugar beets.
• Involved in photochemical reaction in photosynthesis.
• Creates disease resistant by increase osmotic pressure in cell sap.
• Need for depression of root rot infection in wheat & stalk rot in corn.

10. Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS)
Prithu Technical College
Deukhuri, Dang
SSC-121 Essential Nutrients : Forms, Occurance, Functions and Deficiency Symptoms 10
Deficiency symptoms of chlorine in plants
• Chlorosis of the younger leaves
• Loss of leaf turgor & partial wilting of the
plants
• Necrosis, leaf bronzing, reduction in root
growth, failure to fruit and stunted growth.

11. Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS)
Prithu Technical College
Deukhuri, Dang
SSC-121 Essential Nutrients : Forms, Occurance, Functions and Deficiency Symptoms 11
Toxicity symptoms of chlorine
• Leaves of solanaceous crops (tobacco & potatoes) become thickened &
tend to roll when the crops accumulate excessive amounts of chlorine.
• Smoking quality of tobacco & storage quality of potato tubers are
adversely affected by the surplus uptake of chlorine.

12. Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS)
Prithu Technical College
Deukhuri, Dang
SSC-121 Essential Nutrients : Forms, Occurance, Functions and Deficiency Symptoms 12
Beneficial Nutrients
Cobalt
• It is essential for MOs. fixing atm N.
• The normal conc. of Co in dry matter of plant ranges from 0.2-0.5 ppm.
• Cobalt is required for
• The growth of symbiotic MOs such as Rhizobia, free living Nfixing
bacteria & blue-green algae.
• Leghaemoglobin metabolism.
• Activation of enolase, succinic acid kinase.
• Structural component of vit. B12
• Important in growth, transpiration & phosynthesis.

13. Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS)
Prithu Technical College
Deukhuri, Dang
SSC-121 Essential Nutrients : Forms, Occurance, Functions and Deficiency Symptoms 13
Sodium
• Can substitute for K as a osmoticum
• It is essential for plants that can grow in salty & alkaline soils (halophytes) which
accumulate salt in vacuoles to maintain turgor and growth.
• Crops that require Na for optimum growth are celery, spinach, sugar beet, turnip,
cabbage, mustard, radish, rapeseed etc.
• Na is absorbed by plants as Na+ ion, its conc. varies from 0.01-10% in leaf tissue dry
matter.
• It is essential for C4 dicarboxylic photosynthetic pathway.
• Stomatal opening; Regulation of nitrate reductase.
• Activation of number of enzymes (carboxylase).

14. Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS)
Prithu Technical College
Deukhuri, Dang
SSC-121 Essential Nutrients : Forms, Occurance, Functions and Deficiency Symptoms 14
Silicon
• Increases tissue tolerance to high level of Mn (in rice)
• Cereals & grasses contain 0.2-2% silicon in the DM while dicot may
accumulate only 1/10th of this concentration or less.
• Silicon is essential for plants such as rice, grasses, sugarcane, cucumber,
lettuce.
• It is constituent of cell wall.

15. Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS)
Prithu Technical College
Deukhuri, Dang
SSC-121 Essential Nutrients : Forms, Occurance, Functions and Deficiency Symptoms 15
Vanadium (Va)
• It is essential for growth of MOs, animals & higher plants,
• It helps in oxidation-reduction reactions.
• It is beneficial for asparagus, rice, lettuce, barley etc.
• Its requirement is < 2 ppm & plant contains <1 ppm.
• Can sustitute for Mo in bacteria
Aluminum (Al)
• Small amt stimulate growth of Rhododendron & some other acid loving
plants
• Tea grows best in the soil soluble Al in the soil; beneficial to ferns.

16. Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS)
Prithu Technical College
Deukhuri, Dang
SSC-121 Essential Nutrients : Forms, Occurance, Functions and Deficiency Symptoms 16
Selenium (Se)
• Se has beneficial effect on grasses at low conc.
Fluorine (F)
• F helps in seed germination of barley & its growth.
Nickel (Ni)
• It is beneficial for potato, grapes.
• Small amount are found in tomato, cucumber, corn, carrot & peanut.

17. Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS)
Prithu Technical College
Deukhuri, Dang
SSC-121 Essential Nutrients : Forms, Occurance, Functions and Deficiency Symptoms 17