SAC 301 - Manures, Fertilizers and Soil Fertility Management (2+1) - Lecture notes
Lecture 2 - Roles, deficiencies and toxicity symptoms of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium and
their corrective measures
NITROGEN
Key element in plant growth, vitally important plant nutrient.
Star input and kingpin for crop production.
Most critical plant nutrient and very often causes deficiency
Plant absorb N as NH4+ & NO3-.
In soil – 0.02 to 2.5%
In Indian soils – 0.03 to 0.06%
In plant – 1 to 5 %
Functions:
Synthesis of nucleoproteins / nucleic acids – DNA & RNA – basis of life in cells.
DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid-duplicates the genetic information in the chromosomes of
the parent cell to the daughter cell.
RNA: Ribonucleic acid – executes the instructions coded within the DNA molecules.
Synthesis of proteins- provide the framework for chloroplast, mitochondria, protoplasm,
enzymes and other structures in which most biochemical reactions occur.
Synthesis of chlorophyll molecules – N is the integrated part of chlorophyll, the primary
absorber of light energy needed for photosynthesis.
Synthesis of non –protein nitrogenous compounds like alkaloids of many plants.
Ex: nicotine, caffeine etc.
Essential for carbohydrate utilization within plants and stimulates root growth as well as uptake
of other nutrients.
Encourages vegetative growth (shoots & tissues) plumpness of cereal grains.
Promotes turgidity (succulent) and gives deep/dark green colour to leaves. Succulence in leaves
desirable for lettuce & radish.
Deficiencies
Affected plants have erect stems with fully suppresses lateral buds, stunted and spindly growth.
Restricted foliage
Yellowing of leaf: the loss of protein N from chloroplasts in older leaves produces yellowing or
chlorosis. Chlorosis appears on lower leaves; upper leaves remain green (due to mobility of N).
Under severe deficiency, lower leaves turn brown and die. Complete chlorosis leads to pre-
matured falling of leaves.
Necrosis begins at the leaf tip and progresses along the midrib until the entire leaf is dead.
Cereals produce less no. of tillers and the stems become dry, fibrous bronzed. Heads remain very
small, flowering is reduced, grains are poorly developed and yield is drastically reduced
Scorching appearance in leaves.
Stunted growth
If excess
Causes excessive vegetative growth and leads to lodging.
Leaves have abnormal / very dark green colour.
Excessive succulence makes a plant more susceptible to pests and diseases.
Delays maturity.
SAC 301 - Manures, Fertilizers and Soil Fertility Management (2+1) - Lecture notes
Corrective measures
Use of organic manures:
FYM, compost (bulky), Green manures, Green leaf manures, oil cakes (conc.) etc.
Application of fertilizers:
NH2 form- CaCN2 (22%), CO(NH2)2 (46%)
NH4 – (NH4)2SO4 (20.5%), HH4Cl (26%)
NO3 – NaNO3 (16%), KNO3 (13%), CaNO3 (15%).
NH4 & NO3 – NH4NO3 (35%), CAN (25%) (50:50).
SAC 301 - Manures, Fertilizers and Soil Fertility Management (2+1) - Lecture notes
PHOSPHORUS
Next to N, P and K are most critical essential elements in influencing plant growth and crop
production.
Does not occur as abundantly in soils as N and K.
Total P in surface soil – 0.005 – 0.15 %
In plant – 0.1 – 0.4 %
Total P has little or no relationship to available P to plants.
P supply is low and not readily available.
P nutrition is complex and complicated system.
Called as baffling element.
Plant absorb P as H2PO4- and HPO42-, H2PO4 is abundant
Functions
Component of ADP and ATP - responsible for energy transformations in plants. PO4 compounds
act as “energy currency” – energy storage and transfer – carriers of energy for many reactions in
plant system.
Essential component of DNA (the seat of genetic inheritance) and various forms of RNA (needed
for protein synthesis)
Phospholipids such as lecithin and cephalin form the structural frame work of protoplasm – as a
part of chloroplast.
Important structural component of wide variety of bio-chemicals viz, co-enzymes,
phosphoproteins and sugar phosphates.
Associates with root growth, root proliferation and good root development (particularly lateral
and fibrous roots).
Essential for crop maturation- timely and uniform ripening, flowering, fruiting and seed
formation.
Controls CHO synthesis, Glycolysis and TCA cycle, since it is an integral part of no. of enzymes
influencing these processes.
Gives strength to straw of cereal crops- prevent lodging.
Improves the crop quality – in forages, fruits and vegetables.
Also has an important effect on N fixation
Deficiencies
P is mobile in plants – symptoms in older leaves – bluish green to purple (purple discoloration),
then turned to reddish brown leaves.
Symptom first occurs on the tips or on the margins
Affected leaves shed prematurely
Marginal scorching.
Poor root development.
Retards overall crop growth.
Corrective measures
Addition of organic manures – Bone meal, Basic slag etc- on decomposition release P.
Microbial synthesis also adds P.
Application of commercial fertilizers – Rock phosphate, super, DAP and complexes.
Organic P constitute 20-90% of total P.
High organic P with peaty soils and low with mineral soils.
SAC 301 - Manures, Fertilizers and Soil Fertility Management (2+1) - Lecture notes
SAC 301 - Manures, Fertilizers and Soil Fertility Management (2+1) - Lecture notes
POTASSIUM
Third fertilizer element
Absorbed by plants in larger amounts than any other nutrients except N.
Present relatively larger qualities in most soils.
In soil – 0.5 – 2.5 %
In plant – 1 – 4 %
K absorbed as K+ in large amounts.
Only element absorbed from germination to harvest.
K exists as K+ ion in plant system, extremely mobile and never be a constituent of plant.
Functions
Enzyme activation: an activator of enzymes, involved in many important plant physiological
processes like CHO & protein metabolism.
More than 80 plant enzymes require K.
Starch synthetase – enzyme involved in conversion of soluble sugars to starch, which is a
vital step in grain- filling process.
Nitrogenase enzyme responsible for reducing atmospheric N to NH3 in the cells of
Rhizobium bacteria.
Water relations: controls the osmotic pressure of the cell and provides much of the osmotic pull
that draws water into plant roots.
Regulates stomatal opening and reduces transpiration loss.
Plants that are deficient in K are less able to withstand water stress, because of their
inability to make full use of available water.
Maintenance of plant turgor – essential for photosynthetic & metabolic processes.
Chlorophyll synthesis is catalysed by K. Also needed for CHO, protein and lipid synthesis.
Increases crop resistance to pests and diseases by encouraging strong root and stem systems.
Also prevent lodging by excessive N.
Referred as quality nutrient, since it has impact on size, shape, colour, taste and self-life of crop
produces.
Acts as carrier of Fe and influence oxidation – reduction reaction in cell sap.
Deficiency symptoms
Since K is mobile in plants, symptoms usually appear first in lower leaves, progressing towards
the top as the severity increases.
Also occur in young leaves at the top of high- yielding, fast- maturing crops like cotton and
wheat.
Weakening of straw in grain crops, causes lodging and stalk breakage.
Increase the degree of crop damage by bacterial and fungal diseases, insect and mite infestation
and nematode and virus infection.
Deficiency results in decrease in the total and reducing sugars.
Accumulation of diamine putriscine is a characteristic feature of K deficient plants. It produces
water imbalance in plants – result in decreased level of photosynthesis.
Specific Symptoms
White spots on the leaf edges in Alfalfa.
Chlorosis and necrosis of the leaf edges in corn and grasses.
Marginal leaf scorching, wrinkled upper surface of leaves and mal- formation are some of the
other symptoms
SAC 301 - Manures, Fertilizers and Soil Fertility Management (2+1) - Lecture notes
Serious yield reduction may occur without showing deficiency symptoms – called “hidden
hunger”.
Corrective measures
Application of organic manures
Flue dust (3-18%), wood ash (5-25%), sea weed (poor man’s manure), etc…
Commercial fertilizers.
KCl (60%), K2SO4 (50%), KNO3 (44%) and complexes
