Crop Plant Nutrition
Crop Plant Nutrition
Crop Plant Nutrition
Plant nutrient elements are those nutrients which are required by the plant in more or less amount
for their normal growth and development.
Plant analysis shows presence of about 90 (or more) elements though only 17 of which are known
to be essential for plants.
An element will be considered essential when the three following criteria are satisfied / Arnon
(1954) has defined following criteria for essentiality of any nutrient:
i. The plant cannot grow or complete its life cycle in absence of the element;
ii. The element is very specific and cannot be replaced by another element;
iii. The element plays a direct role in plant metabolism.
Based on those criteria the following elements are known to be essential for the higher plants
C, H, O N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S
Fe, Mn, B, Mo, Cu, Zn, Cl and Co (someone tell)
Based on the relative requirement by plants, the essential plant nutrients are classified as:
A. Major or macronutrients: are those essential elements which required by the plants
in relatively large amounts (as compared to other element). Those nutrients which are
required by plants in concentrations exceeding 1000 ppm are termed as major or
macronutrients.
These are further classified into two categories as:
a. Primary nutrients: C, H, O, N, P, K are the primary elements which are essential
from seed germination and primary growth.
b. Secondary nutrients: They are secondary in the sense that they are needed only when
the plants have started growing (secondary growth) or they have grown for some period.
They are Ca, Mg and sulphur (S).
B. Minor or micro nutrients or trace elements: are those essential elements which
required by the plants in relatively small amount (as compared to other element). The
elements which are required by plants in concentration less than 100 ppm are put in this
category. They are: Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo, B, Cl (and Co.)
But regarding the essentiality, both of these groups are equally important. This
group is on the basis of the amount taken up by the plant.
Beneficial elements: They are beneficial for some specific plants not for all. e.g. Na, Si
(for rice).
Macro nutrient Micro nutrient
1. Deficiency symptoms are found in the older 1. Deficiency symptoms are found in the
leaves younger leaves
2. Plants absorb large amount 2. plants absorb small amounts
3. Comparatively high doses do not produce 3. High doses are toxic to plant
any adverse effect on plant
4. Deficiency comparatively high in soil 4. Deficiency comparatively low in soil
Essential plant nutrients, available forms and their sources are as follows:
i. Nitrogen promotes vegetative growth, and improves the quality of produce including fodder,
leafy vegetables and food crops.
ii. It increases the tillering of cereals crops.
iii. N increases the protein content of some food and feed crops.
iv. It increases the size of leaf and fruits
v. N increases the crop yield.
vi. Nitrogen is essential to cell division, expansion, and therefore growth.
vii. It produces longer cells with thinner cell walls which is particularly important for vegetables
crops.
i. Excessive nitrogen prolongs vegetative growth resulting in delay in the maturity and fruiting
of some crops.
ii. Excessive nitrogen encourages the production of soft, succulent tissue which is susceptible to
lodging, mechanical injury and the attack of diseases with the consequence of a decrease in
the crop yield and quality.
iii. In case of cereal crops, the straw becomes weak and the crop very often lodges and straw and
grain ratio is increased.
iv. Excess nitrogen deteriorates the quality of some crops such as potato, barley and sugarcane.
It delayed reproductive growth and may adversely affect fruit and grain quality
Phosphorus
Function
i. P aids in laying down reproductive primordial in plants and thus promotes flowering
and fruiting.
ii. It enhances the development of reproductive parts.
iii. P is essential to seed maturation and is found in large amounts in seed and fruit.
iv. P stimulates root development and growth in the seedling stage and thereby it helps to
establish the seedlings quickly.
v. P imparts greater strength to cereal culm and prevents lodging.
vi. P increases the disease resistance capacity of plants.
vii. P has a special action on leguminous crops. It induces nodule formation of this crop
and rhizobial activity. Thus it helps in fixing more of atmospheric nitrogen in root
nodules.
viii. P makes the plant drought resistant and winter hardy.
Deficiency symptom
i. Root and shoot growth is restricted and plants become thin and spindly.
ii. Makes the colour of leaves, stems and branches purple.
iii. Leaves may shed prematurely and flowering and fruiting may be delayed
considerably.
iv. Stunted growth even under abundant supply of nitrogen and potash, premature
ripening of crop.
v. The tillering of cereal crops decreases and as such yield also becomes slow.
vi. Decrease the number of flower and fruit.
vii. Reduces the size of seed and grain with the consequence of poor yield.
viii. Promotes premature dropping.
Deficiency symptom
Toxicity
Chemical name, chemical formula and nutrient content of commonly used fertilizers
Nitrogenous fertilizer
Sl. Chemical name Chemical %N
No. formula
1 Urea CO(NH2)2 46
2 Anhydrous ammonia Liquid NH3 82
3 Ammonium sulphate (NH4)2SO4 21
4 Ammonium nitrate NH4NO3 33
5 Sodium nitrate NaNO3 16
6 Ammonium chloride NH4 Cl 26
7 Mono ammonium NH4H2PO4 11
phosphate
8 Di ammonium phosphate (NH4)2HPO4 21
9 Potassium nitrate KNO3 13
10 Calcium nitrate CaNO3 15.5
Phosphatic fertilizer
Sl. No. Chemical name Chemical formula %P2O5 %P
1 Triple super phosphate (TSP) Ca(H2PO4)2 48 21.12
2 Super phosphate or Ca(H2PO4)2 16 7.04
single super phosphate (SSP)
3 Mono ammonium phosphate NH4H2PO4 48 21.12
4 Di ammonium phosphate (NH4)2HPO4 54 23.76
5 Phosphoric acid H3 PO4 55 24.2
Potassic fertilizer
Sl. No. Chemical name Chemical %K2O %K
formula
1 Muriate of potash (MP) KCl 60 49.8
2 Potassium sulphate K2SO4 50 41.5
3 Potassium nitrate KNO3 44 36.52
Other fertilizers
Sl. No. Chemical name Chemical Nutrient
formula
1 Gypsum CaSO4.H2O Ca (33%), S
(18%)
2 Magnesium sulphate MgSO4.H2O S (13%), Ca
(9.5%)
3 Zinc sulphate ZnSO4.H2O Zn (36%), S
(18%)
4 Zinc oxide ZnO Zn (78%)
5 Boric acid H3BO3 B (17%)
6 Borax Na2B4O7.10H2O B (10.5%)
Commonly used manures in Bangladesh and their nutrient content
Sl. No. Manure N (%) P (%) K (%)
1 Compost (general) 0.4-0.8 0.3-0.6 0.7-1.0
2 Compost (town) 1-2 1 1.5
3 Compost (water 2-3 1-2 3-4
hyacinth)
4 Cowdung 0.5-1.5 0.4-0.8 0.5-1.9
5 Urine (Cow) 1 Trace (less than 1.35
0.05)
6 Farmyard Manure 0.5-1.5 0.4-0.8 0.5-1.9
(FYM)
7 Poultry Manure 1.6 1.5 0.85
8 Mustard oil cake 5.1-5.2 1.8-1.9 1.1-1.3
9 Groundnut oil cake 7-7.2 1.4-1.6 1.3-1.4
10 Sesame oil cake 6.2-6.3 2-2.1 1.2-1.3
11 Dried blood 10-12 1-1.5 0.6-0.8
12 Fish meal 4-10 3-4 0.5-1.5
13 Bone meal 4 9 -
14 Ash - - 2.3-1.2
15 Dhaincha (GM) 0.62 0.02 0.3
16 Sunnhemp (GM) 0.75 0.12 0.51
17 Cowpea (GM) 0.71 0.15 0.58
18 Black gram (GM) 0.85 0.18 0.53
19 Mung bean (GM) 0.72 0.18 0.53
20 Rice straw 0.52 0.52 1.61
21 Wheat straw 0.63 0.46 0.86
22 Sugarcane leaves 1.29 0.52 0.86
23 Weed 0.8 0.3 0.2
1. Broadcasting
Application of fertilizer on the surface of land through broadcasting as evenly as possible.
Even and uniform spreading of dry solid fertilizers by hand or spreader over the entire
field before or after sowing of the crop is termed as broadcasting. Well decomposed
FYM, compost, oil cake, bone meal, urea, superphosphate and lime are applied by this
method.
The Broadcasting method can be divided into
i. Broadcasting during land preparation: Generally applied before planting or
sowing and followed for most of the crops.
ii. Top dressing: Spreading of fertilizer in standing crops without considering the
crop rows is termed as top dressing. Generally nitrogenous fertilizers are applied
at different stages of the growth of standing crops. The number of top dressing
depends upon the nature of the crop.
iii. Side dressing: Application of fertilizer in the rows is known as side dressing. eg.
Sugarcane, maize, jute, tea etc. But when the crop rows are taken into account and
the material is dropped on the ground surface near the crop rows then it is called
as side dressing.
Disadvantages
i) It requires more time
ii) Labour cost is high
iii) Large area cannot be covered
iv) It is not possible for narrow spacing plants.
3. Spraying
Use of liquid fertilizers is not very common practice in Bangladesh but in advanced
countries this is the most common method. It is the most suitable method under dry land
agriculture and in the areas which are prone to erosion problems.
Urea and micro nutrient fertilizer solution are generally sprayed on the soil or leaves
i) Spraying of fertilizer along with pesticides
ii) Used soluble fertilizers eg. Urea.
Advantages of spraying method
i) Fertilizer is applied almost with pesticides
ii) It can be applied after appearing deficiency symptoms
iii) More appropriate for micro nutrients
iv) Plants can absorb the nutrients even in conditions of insufficient moisture.
Disadvantages
i) Fertilizers which are insoluble in water may not be applied
ii) If concentration is high leaf injury may occur
iii) It is not applicable in rainy conditions.
iv) Machinery is required.
4. Injection: Generally anhydrous ammonia, liquid ammonia are injected into the soil (5-
10 cm depth).
Advantages
i) Less wastage of nitrogenous fertilizer
ii) As the fertilizer in the form of solution is applied near the root zone, so the
efficiency of uptake is increased.
Disadvantages
i) Special machinery is needed for application
ii) Sometimes ammonia damages roots.
5. Miscellaneous
i) Nailing the fruit tress such as micro nutrient
ii) Application with irrigation water
Nanofertilization
Nanofertilizer and Nanotechnology
The word “Nano” means one-billionth, so nanotechnology refers to materials that
are measured in a billionth of a meter (nm). A nanometer is so small that the
width of a human hair is 80,000 nanometers. The field of nanotechnology has
resulted from advances in chemistry, physics, pharmaceuticals, engineering, and
biology. The size of a nanomaterial is typically about 1 to 100 nanometers. They
can be naturally occurring or engineered. Due to their extremely minute size, they
have many unique properties that are now being explored for new opportunities in
agriculture.
Objectives
Nanofertilizers are being studied as a way to increase nutrient efficiency and
improve plant nutrition, compared with traditional fertilizers. A nanofertilizer is
any product that is made with nanoparticles or uses nanotechnology to improve
nutrient efficiency
Types
Three classes of nanofertilizers have been proposed:
1. nanoscale fertilizer (nanoparticles which contain nutrients),
2. nanoscale additives (traditional fertilizers with nanoscale additives), and
3. nanoscale coating (traditional fertilizers coated or loaded with nanoparticles)
Slow release: the nanocapsule slowly releases nutrients over a specified period of
time.
Quick release: the nanoparticle shell breaks upon contact with a surface (such as
striking a leaf).
Specific release: the shell breaks open when it encounters a specific chemical or
enzyme.
Moisture release: the nanoparticle degrades and releases nutrients in the presence
of water.
Heat release: the nanoparticle releases nutrients when the temperature exceeds a
set point.
pH release: the nanoparticle only degrades in specified acid or alkaline conditions.
Ultrasound release: the nanoparticle is ruptured by an external ultrasound
frequency.
Magnetic release: a magnetic nanoparticle ruptures when exposed to a magnetic
field.
Many of these nanotechnologies are still in the early development stage for both
medical and agricultural uses. However, the next time you hear about
nanofertilizers, you will have a better idea of where this field is headed.
Soil productivity refers to the ability of a soil to produce crops. Productivity is a broader
term that includes fertility as one of the important factors which contribute towards crop
yield. This is not a soil property alone but function of several factors like management
practices, irrigation, drainage, plant protection measures, climate etc. This is measured in
terms of harvests or crop yield in relation to production factors for a specific kind of soil.
A soil may be fertile but may not be productive. As for example, saline soil may have all
the essential elements for plant growth but cannot be fertile because of excess Na-salts,
which disturb the balance with other nutrient ions like Ca2+, Mg2+, K+ etc. But a
productive soil is, of course, a fertile soil.
Thus soil fertility represents the status of available plant nutrients in soil while soil
productivity indicates the resultant effect of various factors influencing crop production,
both within and beyond the soil.