Understanding Mineral Nutrition in Plants: A Simple Guide for Students
Understanding Mineral Nutrition in Plants: A Simple Guide for Students Mineral nutrition is a crucial aspect of plant biology, essential for growth, development, and reproduction. Every plant requires both macronutrients and micronutrients, absorbed from soil, water, or air, to perform basic physiological functions. In this guide, we’ll break down the methods used to study mineral requirements in plants, from ash analysis to hydroponic cultures, and understand the criteria for essential elements. Why Do Plants Need Minerals? Plants, like all living organisms, need energy and nutrients for survival. While they produce carbohydrates via photosynthesis, minerals are absorbed from the soil and serve as building blocks for proteins, enzymes, nucleic acids, and other vital compounds. Minerals are needed in specific quantities. Macronutrients like nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) are required in large amounts, whereas micronutrients such as zinc (Zn), boron (B), and m...