P.

Jeya Sheril Esther

XI

1
 This is to certify that P. Jeya Sheril Esther of
class XI of Good Shepherd Model School has
successfully carried out the project entitled
“To Study Deficiency Symptoms of Various
Essentials Elements and Minerals”
under the supervision of Biology teacher for the
academic year 2019-2020.
All the works related to this project is done by
the candidate herself. The approach towards the
subject has been sincere and scientific.
Date:
_______________ ________________
Signature of Biology Signature of External
. Teacher Examiner

_______________ _______________
Signature of Principal School Stamp

2
 I humbly consider a privilege and honor to
express my heartiest and profound gratitude to our
Principal mam for her valuable suggestion and
assistance.
I wish to express my deepest feelings of
gratitude to Mrs.--------------, our Biology teacher
for her erudite involvement and sustained guidance
which has been pivotal in my project work.
This project would be incomplete without
thanking my entire classmates who always lent a
helping hand and showed true spirit of unity and
friendship.
I also owe sense of gratitude to my parents for
encouragement and support throughout the project.
I would also like to extend my heartfelt gratitude
to the authors and publishers of the books and
managements of the websites, for having provided us
with us valuable information.

3
S.No. Title Page No

1 Introduction 5

2 Criteria for Essentiality 6

3 Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms 7

4 Hidden Hunger 9

5 Visual Symptoms 10

6 Precautions while Interpreting 15

7 Experiment 16

8 Conclusion 21

9 Bibliography 21

4
 Plant nutrition is the study of the chemical
elements and compounds necessary for plant
growth, plant metabolism and their external supply.
In 1972,
 in its absence the plant is unable to complete a
normal life cycle.
 or that the element is part of some essential
plant constituent or metabolite.
This is in accordance with Justus von Liebig's law of
the minimum. The essential plant nutrients include
carbon, oxygen and hydrogen which are absorbed
from the air, whereas other nutrients including
nitrogen are typically obtained from the soil.
There are seventeen most important nutrients for
plants. Plants must obtain the following mineral
nutrients from their growing medium:
The Macronutrients: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P),
Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca), Sulfur (S),Magnesium
(Mg), Carbon (C), Oxygen (O), Hydrogen (H).
5
The Micronutrients (Trace Minerals): Iron (Fe),
Boron (B), Chlorine (Cl), Manganese (Mn), Zinc
(Zn), Copper (Cu), Molybdenum (Mo), Nickel (Ni).
These elements stay beneath soil as salts, so plants
consume these elements as ions. Mineral deficiency
in soils greatly affects the growth of plants. Plants
growing in soils with mineral deficiencies grow
poorly. Observing plant growth can also indicate
the mineral in which the soil is deficient. The
appearance of the plants shows various symptoms
of disorders based upon the mineral deficiency. The
symptoms are so consistent that a person can
predict the deficiency in the soil by examining the
plants.

The criteria for essentiality of an element are

given below:
(a) The element must be absolutely necessary for
supporting normal growth and reproduction. In the
absence of the element the plants do not complete
their life cycle or set the seeds.

6
 (b) The requirement of the element must be
specific and not replaceable by another element. In
other words, deficiency of any one element cannot
be met by supplying some other element.
(c) The element must be directly involved in the
metabolism of the plant.

Growing plants act as integrators of all growth

factors and are the products in which the grower is
Interested. Therefore, careful inspection of the
growing plant can help identify a specific nutrient
stress. If a plant is lacking in a particular nutrient,
characteristic symptoms may appear. Deficiency of a
nutrient does not directly produce symptoms
Rather, the normal plant processes are thrown out
of balance, with an accumulation of certain
intermediate organic compounds and a shortage of
others. This leads to the abnormal conditions
recognized as symptoms. Visual evaluation of
nutrient stress should be used only as a supplement
7
to other diagnostic techniques (i.e., soil and plant
analysis). Nutrient deficiency symptoms may be
classified as follows:
 Complete crop failure at the seedling stage.
 Severe stunting of plants.
 Specific leaf symptoms appearing at varying
times during the season.
 Internal abnormalities such as clogged
conductive tissues.
 Delayed or abnormal maturity.
 Obvious yield differences, with or without leaf
symptoms.
 Poor quality of crops, including differences in
protein, oil, or starch content, and storage
quality.
Each symptom must be related to some function of
the nutrient in the plant. A given nutrient may
have several functions, which makes it difficult to
explain the physiological reason for a particular
deficiency symptom.

8
Hidden hunger refers to a situation in which a
crop needs more of a given nutrient yet has
shown no deficiency symptoms. The nutrient
content is above the deficiency symptom zone
but still considerably needed for optimum crop
production. With most nutrients on most crops,
significant responses can be obtained even
though no recognizable symptoms have
appeared. Hidden hunger is a term used to
describe a plant that shows no obvious
symptoms, yet the nutrient content is not
sufficient to give the top profitable yield.

Element Visual symptoms

Nitrogen
Deficiency Light green leaf and plant colour with the
older leaves turning yellow, leaves that will
eventually turn brown and die.
9
Excess Plants will be dark green in colour and new
growth will be succulent; susceptible if
subjected to disease and insect infestation.
Phosphorus
Deficiency Plant growth will be slow and stunted, and
the older leaves will have a purple
coloration, particularly on the underside.
Excess Phosphorus excess will not have a direct
effect on the plant but may show visual
deficiencies of Zn, Fe, and Mn.
Potassium
Deficiency On the older leaves, the edges will look
burned, a symptom known as scorch. Plants
will easily lodge and be sensitive to disease
infestation.
Excess Plants will exhibit typical Mg, and possibly
Ca deficiency symptoms due to a cation
imbalance
Calcium
Deficiency The growing tips of roots and leaves will
turn brown and die. The edges of the leaves
will look ragged as the edges of emerging
leaves stick together.

10
Excess Plants may exhibit typical Mg deficiency
symptoms, and when in high excess, K
deficiency may also occur.

Magnesium
Deficiency Older leaves will be yellow in colour with
interveinal chlorosis (yellowing between the
veins) symptoms.
Excess Results in a cation imbalance showing signs
of either a Ca or K deficiency.
Sulphur
Deficiency A general overall light green colour of the
entire plant with the older leaves being light
green to yellow in colour as the deficiency
intensifies.
Excess A premature senescence of leaves may
occur.
Boron
Deficiency Abnormal development of the growing
points (meristematic tissue) with the apical
growing points eventually becoming stunted
and dying.

11
Excess Leaf tips and margins will turn brown and
die.

Chlorine
Deficiency
Younger leaves will be chlorotic and plants
will easily wilt. For wheat, a plant disease
will infest the plant when Cl is deficient.
Excess Premature yellowing of the lower leaves
with burning of the leaf margins and tips.
Leaf abscission will occur and plants will
easily wilt.
Copper
Deficiency Plant growth will be slow and plants stunted
with distortion of the young leaves and
death of the growing point.
Excess An Fe deficiency may be induced with very
slow growth. Roots may be stunted.
Iron
Deficiency Interveinal chlorosis will occur on the
emerging and young leaves with eventual
bleaching of the new growth.
Excess A bronzing of leaves with tiny brown spots
on the leaves, a typical symptom frequently
occurring with rice.

12
Manganese
Deficiency
Interveinal chlorosis of young leaves while
the leaves and plants remain generally
green in colour.
Excess Older leaves will show brown spots
surrounded by a chlorotic zone and circle.

Molybdenum
Deficiency Symptoms will frequently appear similar to
N deficiency. In some instances, leaf
margins are rolled and growth and flower
formation are restricted.

Zinc
Deficiency Upper leaves will show interveinal chlorosis
with an eventual whiting of the affected
leaves.
Excess An Fe deficiency will develop.

13
Precautions in interpreting nutrient deficiency
symptoms include the following:

1. The visual symptom may be caused by more than

one nutrient. For example, N-deficiency symptoms
may be identified, although S may also be deficient
and its symptoms may not be readily apparent. B
deficiency is accompanied by a red coloration of
the leaves near the growing point when the plant
is well supplied with K. on the other hand, when
the K content is low, yellowing of alfalfa leaves
occurs.
2. Deficiencies are actually relative, and a
deficiency of one nutrient may be related to an
excessive quantity of another. For example, Mn
deficiency may be induced by adding large
quantities of Fe, provided that soil Mn is
marginally deficient. Also, at a low level of P
supply, the plant may not require as much N
compared to normal or adequate P. In other words,
once the first limiting factor is eliminated, the
14
 second limiting factor will appear It is often
difficult to distinguish among the deficiency
symptoms in the field, as disease or insect damage
can resemble certain micronutrients deficiencies.
For example, leaf hopper damage can be confused
with deficiency in alfalfa.
A visual symptom may be caused by more than
one factor. For example, sugars in corn combine
with flavones to form anthocyanins and their
accumulation may be caused by an insufficient
supply of P, low soil temperature, insect damage to
the roots, or N deficiency.

To study essentiality of mineral and deficiency

symptoms of essential minerals on plant
growth.

15
 Culture solutions
 Gram or maize seeds
 Sterilized broad mouthed bottles
 Potassium nitrate (𝑲𝑵𝑶𝟑 )
 Calcium nitrate 𝑪𝒂(𝑵𝑶𝟑 )𝟐
 Iron phosphate (𝑭𝒆𝑷𝑶𝟒 )
 Mono potassium phosphate(𝑲𝑯𝟐 𝑷𝑶𝟒 )
 Magnesium Sulfate (𝑴𝒈𝑺𝑶𝟒 )
 Iron Chloride (𝑭𝒆𝑪𝒍𝟐 )
 Distilled Water
 Weighing balance
 Beaker

Any mineral deficiency will result in poor plant

growth. It may be difficult for inexperienced
botanists/ horticulturists to appreciate the
subtle differences between one kind of poor
growth and the next. Overall productivity is a

16
simple measure of growth. You could also
measure the total height of a plant leaf or stem,
and note the colour, and the pattern of loss of
colour. Several deficiencies result in death of
leaf tissue – so you may also notice different
patterns of damage to the leaves. It is worth
identifying veins and leaf margins and noting
any changes in those areas.

 Prepare Knop’s culture solution in following

way and fill one bottle with this solution:
NORMAL -N -Ca -Fe -Cl
SOLUTION SOLUTION SOLUTION SOLUTION SOLUTION
POTASSIUM - 1g 1g 1g
NITRATE
CALCIUM 0.5 g - 0.5 g 0.5 g
PHOSPHATE
MAGNESIUM 0.5 g 0.5 g 0.5 g 0.5 g
SULPHATE
CALCIUM 0.25 g - 0.25 g 0.25 g
SULPHATE
SODIUM 0.25 g 0.25 g 0.25 g 0.25 g
CHLORIDE
FERROUS 0.10 g 0.10 g - 0.10 g
SULPHATE

17
 Prepare other solutions deficient in one of the
salts of knop’s culture solution.
 Fill these solutions in separate sterilized
bottles and cover them with spilt cork lid.
 Grow few Maize/gram seeds in a Petri dish
containing moist blotting paper to 4-5 leaf
stage.
 Put one seedling of same size and number of
leaves in each bottle through split cork.
Provide normal light, temperature and oxygen
to each and allow them to grow.
 Record your observation for each seedling
daily and note down the deficiency.

Seedling in the bottle with complete knop’s

culture solution will show maximum growth
and health. In other seedlings some deficiency
symptoms will be seen like chlorosis, necrosis,
sterility, stunted growth.

18
1. Bottle A shows normal seedling growth
2. Bottle B seedling shows deficiency
symptoms for nitrogen like chlorosis
starting from older leaves, stunted growth.
3. Bottle C seedling shows deficiency
symptoms for calcium like stunted growth of
seedling, necrosis and curling of leaves.
4. Bottle D seedling show deficiency
symptoms for iron like interveinal chlorosis
and reduced growth.
5. Bottle E seedling shows deficiency
symptoms for chlorine i.e., leaf wilting,
chlorosis and necrosis: swollen root tips.

19
 Essential elements are necessary for healthy
growth and development of plants. In deficiency
of an essential element, plants fail to show
normal growth.

This project would be nearly incomplete if I have not

used the information given in the following
websites. I would like to thank the uploader of the
information in these websites.
 If considered, I have used everything that Google
shows me…
 Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia
 Lab Manual for Class XI

20