This document summarizes the major plant nutrients and their functions and deficiency symptoms. It discusses the essential major elements of nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. For each element it provides the source in soil or plants, their functions in plant growth and development, and visual deficiency symptoms like chlorosis, necrosis, stunted growth, and color changes in leaves.

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

2. Nutrition for
growth &
development
Plant
Essential
elements
Non-essential
elements
C, H, O, N, S,
P, K, Ca, Mg,
Fe, Mn, Zn, B,
Cu, Mo
Other than
essential
elements
Major elements:
C, H, O, S, N, P,
K, Ca, Mg
Minor elements:
B, Cu, Zn, Mn,
Mo, Fe

3. Major elements-
Nitrogen:
Source: Soil, bacteria, blue green algae
Function: Required for Protein, nucleic acid & chlorophyll synthesis
Deficiency symptoms:
• Chlorophyll content reduced, pale yellow & fall down
• Flowering & fruiting reduced
• Protein & starch content decreased,
• stunted growth, lateral bud remain dormant
• In tomato leaf, veins turns purple or red due to development of anthocyanin
pigment.

4. Nitrogen: Vein purple colored, chlorophyll pigment reduced

5. Sulphur:
Source: Plants, sulphates in soil
Function: Cysteine & Methionine, Protein synthesis, increase nodule formation in
leguminous plants
Deficiency symptoms:
• Chlorosis specially on young leaves which turns to yellow, orange, red or purple.
• Necrosis of young leaf tips & margin
• Apical growth inhibited, shorter internodes, premature development of lateral buds
• Leaf fall rapidly, fruit formation also suppressed
• In tobacco, tomato & tea, the leaf tip bent downwards. The leaf margin & tip roll
inwards.

6. Sulphur: Yellow leaf, leaf roll inwards

7. Phosphorus:
Source: Soil, rock, plant absorbs in the form of soluble phosphates
Function: It require in plasma membrane, nucleic acid, many coenzymes, ATP &
phosphorylated organic products. It promote root growth & fruit ripening
Deficiency symptoms:
• Young plant remain stunted, dark blue green or purple colored leaves
• Tillering of crop plant is reduced
• Premature leaf fall take place
• Growth is retarded, dead patches appear on leaf, petiole and fruits
• Cambial activity is checked
• Thickening of tracheidial is reduced and Phloem differentiation is found
incomplete.

8. • Phosphorus: Dark blue green or purple (Tomato)

9. Calcium:
Source: Soil minerals, stone or chalk, rock have large amount of carbonate of lime
Function: Major constituent of plant as calcium pectate of middle lamella of cell
wall. Activator of ATPase, some kinase, phospholipid, succinate dehydrogenase,
Carbohydrate metabolism, formation of membrane
Deficiency symptoms:
• The deficiency clear appear on young leaves, growing points of stem and root.
• Margin of the leaf appear irregular in the form or show brown spotting.
• Thin chlorotic marginal band develop.
• The young leaves may be curled backward or forward or rolled
• Roots poorly developed, lacks fibers and may appears gelatinous.
• In tomato, growing points are often killed.

10. Calcium: Chlorosis and young leaves curled

11. Potassium:
Source: Soil minerals, in the form such as potash, felspar, mica, gluconite etc. weathering
of these form produce soluble potassium for plants.
Function: It is concerned with the formation of carbohydrates, nucleic acid, proteins
synthesis, photosynthesis, transpiration regulation, enzyme action, translocations of solutes
etc.
Deficiency symptoms:
• Shoot may die, eventually plant may die.
• There may be little or no flowering
• Chlorosis occur at interveinal regions
• The color of the leaf may be dull or blue green
• Plant may become stunted growth with many fillers
• Reduced internodes of the stem and reduced production of grains
• Thin shoot develop and reduced shoot growth

12. • Potassium: Necrotic spots, chlorosis

13. Magnesium:
Source: Soil. (Heavy use of potassium may reduce absorption)
Function: It is a constitute of chlorophyll and essential for formation of pigment. It
acts as phosphorus carrier in the plant. Essential for synthesis of fat and metabolism
of carbohydrates and phosphorus.
Deficiency symptoms:
• Symptoms develops on the older leaves and proceed systematically towards the
younger leaves.
• Molted chlorosis occurs
• Leaves sometime show necrotic spots.
• Stem become yellowish - green, often hard and woody.
• Carotene is reduced

14. • Magnesium: chlorosis and necrotic spots

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