Plant Nutrient Deficiencies
- Photosynthesis produces glucose which can be converted into other carbon-containing molecules needed for plant growth
- To build some of these other molecules plants need a supply of chemical elements that are not present in glucose
- E.g. proteins contain nitrogen which is not found in glucose molecules
- These elements are taken up from the soil in the form of mineral salts
- When the soil mineral content is depleted then plants can become deficient; different mineral deficiencies result in different symptoms
Plant nutrient deficiencies table
| Minerals | Needed for: | Deficiency symptoms |
| Nitrates | Building plant proteins needed for growth | Reduced growth |
| Phosphates | Producing DNA and cell membranes during cell division | Reduced growth in root tips |
| Potassium | Producing the enzymes involved in photosynthesis and respiration | Yellow leaves |
Plant nutrient deficiencies diagram
Mineral deficiencies can result in visible effects on plant growth
- When crops are repeatedly harvested from the same land, soil can become depleted; growers deal with this problem using fertilisers to replace the lost minerals and improve plant growth
- NPK fertilisers contain nitrates, phosphates and potassium, so can be used to avoid the deficiencies described above
- N = nitrogen
- P = phosphorus
- K = potassium
