Minor elements: Plant require minor elements Iron, maganese, copper, zinc, molybdenum and boron

1. Plant Nutrition: Minor elements
Dhole N. A.
Department of Botany,
Digambarrao Bindu ACS College, Bhokar

2. Minor elements:
1. Iron
2. Maganese
3. Copper
4. Zinc
5. Molybdenum
6. Boron
Minor elements:
B, Cu, Zn, Mn,
Mo, Fe

3. Minor elements-
1. Iron:
Source: It is present in soil in the form of its oxides giving red or brown color to the soil.
Function: It plays a role a catalyst and electron carrier in respiration. Iron is a constituent of
cytochromes, ferrodoxin, catalase, peroxidase, flurochrome, hematin etc. It also acts as
activator of nitrate reductase and aconitase.
Deficiency symptoms:
• Inter-veinal white chlorosis occurs. Young leaves are most severely affected.
• Principal vein may become green
• Chlorosis may produce a mottled patterns or the leaf may show complete bleaching or
often become necrotic.
• In extreme conditions scorching of leaf margins and tip may occur.

4. Iron: Chlorosis may produce a mottled patterns or the leaf may show complete
bleaching or often become necrotic

5. 2. Manganese:
Source: It is present in the oxide forms of manganese in soil but the more highly oxidised forms
(Manganese dioxide) are of very low availability to plants.
Function: It acts as activator of some enzymes such as oxidases, peroxidases, dehydrogenases,
kinases, decarboxylases etc. and essential for formation of chlorophyll. It also decreases the solubility
of iron by oxidation. Hence in certain cases abundance of manganese leads to iron deficiency in
plants.
Deficiency symptoms:
• Chlorosis of leaves is one of the most common symptoms of manganese deficiency.
• Dead tissue spots are found scattered over the leaf.
• Mostly the deficiency symptoms develop in older leaves.
• Severely affected tissue turn brown, the brown areas may twist spirally.
• The root system is often poorly developed and badly affected . Plant may die.
• Grain formation is also reduced and heads may be blind.

6. Manganese: Dead tissue spots are found scattered over the leaf and
twist spirally

7. 3. Copper:
Source: Copper is found in very small quantity in soil.
Function: It is important cofactor and act as catalyst and regulator for most of the enzymes it is
constituents of ascorbic acid oxidase, tyrosinase, phenol oxidase, plastocyanin etc. and is essential for
photosynthesis and respiration. It also has role in carbohydrate and nitrogen balance.
Deficiency symptoms:
• Both vegetative and reproductive growth are reduced.
• Wilting of terminal shoots occurs which is followed by frequent death.
• Leaf color is faded due to reduction of carotene and other pigments.
• The leaves show burning of margins or chlorosis or resetting and multiple bud formation and
gumming may also occur.
• The younger leaves show marginal chlorosis (yellowish grey), of the tips. The disease is known as
yellow tip or reclamation disease.
• Grain formation is more severely affected than vegetative growth.

8. Copper: The leaves show burning of margins or chlorosis

9. 4. Zinc:
Source: It is found in very small quantities in soil.
Function: It is a component of enzymes like carbonic anhydrogenase, alcohol
dehydrogenase, lactic dehydrogenase, glutamic dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase,
carboxypeptidase. It has been found essential for carbon dioxide evolution and utilization,
carbohydrate and phosphrous metabolism and synthesis of RNA and auxins.
Deficiency symptoms:
• Leaves shows chlorosis or necrosis and become leathery.
• Plants show rosetting and premature shedding.
• Whitish chlorotic streaks between the veins are found in older leaves.
• Leaf margin become twisted.
• Seed production and fruit size is greatly reduced.

10. Zinc: Leaves shows chlorosis or necrosis

11. 5. Molybdenum:
Source: It is found in very small amount in soil.
Function: It is an important constituent of nitrate reductase system. It also act as activator
of some dehydrogenases and phosphatases and as cofactors in synthesis of ascorbic acid. It
is found necessary to the nodule formation of legumes for the fixation of atmospheric
nitrogen.
Deficiency symptoms:
• In tomato, chlorosis appears in the form of mottling in the older leaves.
• Leaves often show light yellow chlorosis and leaf blade and fail to expand
• Deficiency symptoms develop from younger leaves in certain cases while from older
leaves in other cases.
• In acute deficiency cases, necrosis of the tissue occurs.
• In oats, failure of grain formation occurs.

12. Molybdenum: chlorosis appears, necrosis of the tissue occurs.

13. 6. Boron:
Source: Boron occurs in rocks and marine sediments. It is absorbed in the form of borate ions.
Function: It is necessary for translocation of sugars and is involved in reproduction and germination
of pollens. It is concered with water reactions in cells and regulates the intake of water into the cell. It
also acts as a regulator of potassium ratios and it may be concerned with nitrogen metabolism
Deficiency symptoms:
• Plants dwarf, stunted with apical meristem blacken and die.
• Terminal leaves become necrotic and shed prematurely.
• Leaves show white stripe, burning, splitted midrib, reduced growth and distortion like curling.
• Stem shows die back of apex, abnormal tillering and various forms of deformities such as curling
and brittle lesions etc.
• Flowers are produced in lesser number and sterile or lacking
• Fruits deformed and useless or lacking.

14. Boron: Plants dwarf, stunted with apical meristem blacken and die

15. Thank you