General Overview of Nutrition for Field and Container Crops

Plants require 17 different essential elements for growth. These 17 essential elements include carbon (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulfur (S), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), boron (B), chlorine (Cl), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn). These 17 essential elements (also called nutrients) are often split into 3 groups (Figure 1). The first group is the macronutrients that plants can obtain from water and/or air: carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O). The soil does not need to provide these nutrients; thus C, H, and O fertilizers are not marketed for agronomic, horticultural, or home and garden use. The other 14 essential elements are split into the remaining 2 groups: soil-derived macronutrients and soil-derived micronutrients. This split is based on the actual amount of nutrient required by the plant for adequate growth. The soil-derived macronutrients are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulfur (S), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg). The oilderived micronutrients are boron (B), chlorine (Cl), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn).

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Author(s): Robert L. Mahler

Publication: National Nursery Proceedings - 2003

Event: Western Forest and Conservation Nursery Association Meeting
2003 - Coeur d"Alene, ID