CHAPTER 3

FORMS OF SOIL N,P,K AND OTHER

ELEMENTS

NUTRIENT UPTAKE OF CROPS AND

FACTORS INFLUENCING IT

Prof. K. SRDI
NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT
 FORMS OF SOIL NUTRIENTS

Nutrients exist in numerous different forms
(called as nutrient pools in the soil.

These pools range from soluble to insoluble forms:

soluble (= readily available ions in the soil solution),

weakly bound (= adsorbed, easily exchangeable ions,

also referred as available)

strongly bound (= insoluble, precipitated compunds)

IMPORTANT
Readiliy available and weakly bound forms are in
rapid equilibrium, insoluble/precipitated forms
become available only over long time periods
Conceptual diagram of major nutrient pools and pathways in soil

Available nutrients = can be taken up directly
by roots

ions of readily water-soluble, inorganic compunds in the
soil solution

easily exchangeable by roots, as cations (K+ and NH4+ ) and
anions (H2PO4-, NO3-)

adsorbed (weakly bound) forms:
anions (e.g. phoshates, sulphates, nitrate) by organic
colloid surfaces
cations (e.g. K+ and NH4+ ) adsorbed by clay minerals
such as illites, montmorillonites, smectites etc.
 Sources of available soil nutrients:

A.) natural sources

Weathering of soil minerals

Decomposition of plant residues, animal remains

and soil microbes

N fixation by symbiotic and other soil

microorganisms (e.g. Rhisobium spp.)

Deposition of nutrient-rich sediment from erosion

and flooding

Atmospheric origin:

Lightning discharges
Acid rain at industrial regions
Atmospheric deposition/dry
 B.) Sources under agricultural conditions

Application of mineral fertilizers

Application of manures, composts, sewage sludge
and other organic amendments /wastes/

Application of industrial byproducts

Application of ground rock powders, rock phosphate,
basalt etc.

Non-available nutrients = insoluble, strongly

bound, fixed or precipitated forms

Often called as the nutrient budget of the soil

Strongly fixed cations (K+, NH4+, Mg2+, Ca2+) in
interlayer sites of clay minerals

Structural ions of soil minerals

Nutrients taken up by soil microorganisms
FACTORS INFLUENCING NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY AND UPTAKE FROM
SOILS
 MECHANISMS OF ION TRANSPORT TO PLANT ROOTS

3 Mechanisms are known in which nutrients reach the root surface:

- Root interception physical contact resulted by root growth
- Mass flow transport to the root as a result of transpiration
- Diffusion movement resulted by differences in concentration

- Rates of Root interception, Mass Flow and Diffusion in Ion Transport to Corn
Roots (Havlin et al. 2005)

Nutrient Root Mass Flow Diffusion

interception movement
Pecentages in Supply
Nitrogen N 1 99 0
Phosphorus P 2 4 94

Potassium K 2 20 78
Calcium Ca 12 88 0
Magnesium Mg 27 73 0

Sulphur S 4 94 2
 Nutrient uptake by plants (crops)

- Nutrient uptake by roots dominant in nutrition

- Nutrient uptake by leaves additional in nutrition
Nutrient absorption by roots is a process of ion exchange at the surface

Ion uptake of plant is characterized by the following:

1. Selectivity certain ions (elements) are taken up preferentially
2. Accumulation concentration of elements in the plant cell sap can be
much higher than in the external solution
3. Genotype there are considerable differences among plant species in
ion uptake characteristics
 passive part 1
Ion uptake
active part 2

1. Movement of low-molecular-weight solutes (e.g. mostly ions,

organic (amino) acids, sugars) from the external
solution into the cell walls of roots
this process is driven by diffusion or mass flow

2. Ion uptake is the movement of ions from the soil

solution into the plant root against a concentration
gradient. This is followed by the solute transport across membranes.
 The carrier and ion pump systems

Carriers are the specific molecules to carry on ions across the cell
membrane.
Identification of carriers has not been completely determined yet.

This process can be characterized by the following:

- The ion is attached to a carrier

- The combined unit is transported from the root surface into the root
- The ion deposited inside the root with the carrier moving back across
the cell membrane to repeat the process with another ion.

Another concept
- An ion pumps that assist in the transport of ions across the cell
membrane.

Important
Energy is required for both systems to work, wich is derived from root
respiration.
respiration.
 Factors influencing crop nutrition

Internal factors External faxtors

Genetic factors Environmental factors

Nutrition characteristics - climatic and weather conditions

of species and varieties
- Morphological characteristics - water supply
- shoot: root ratios - air (components)
- - root development - light conditions (radicance)
soil properties
- Nutrient requirement, dynamics - nutrient supply
- Temperature requirement - soil atmosphere, moisture
requirement water: air ratio
- pH tolerance, salt tolerance - soil pH, texture
- soil organic matter
- microorganisms
 pH TOLERANCE OF SEVERAL CROPS

Acidic Tolerant
Optimum pH range pH range is relatively SENSITIVE
is narrow wide
Rye Wheat Barley, Alfalfa
Potato (sweet and Corn, Sugarbeet,
white) Barley (several Sweetclover
varieties)
Tobacco, Peas Beans
Cotton Soybeans
Rice, Sunflower Cabbage
Canola Lettuce Cucumber
Strawberries Tomatoes Onions
Buckwheat Lentil, Radish Carrots
Source: Brady, 1990)
 Optimum pH ranges of different crops
(Havlin et al. 2005)

CROPS pH RANGES
4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.5
Alfalfa
Apples
Barley
Cabbage
Corn
Onions
Peas
Potatoes,
Sweet
Potatoes,
White
Sorghum
Soybeans
Wheat
 RELATIVE YIELD OF CROPS AS AFFECTED BY SOIL pH
(in percentages of maximum yield)

pH
CROP 4.7 5.0 5.7 6.8 7.5
Sweet 0 2 49 89 100
clover
Barley 0 23 80 95 100
Alfalfa 2 9 42 100 100
Red clover 12 21 53 98 100
Corn 34 73 83 100 85
Soybean 65 79 80 100 93
Wheat 68 76 89 100 99
Oats 77 93 99 98 100
Source: Field Experiment Station, Ohio, USA 1983
 RELATIVE SALT TOLERANCE OF CROPS

Tolerant Moderately Moderately Sensitive

tolerant sensitive
Barley Barley, forage Alfalfa Apple
Cotton Broccoli Broad bean Apricot
Wheat grass, Sorghum Cabbage Bean
tall Sudan grass Corn Carrot
Bermuda grass Wheat Cowpea Celery
Sugar beet Cucumber Grapefruit
Lettuce Lemon
Pea Onion
Peanut Orange
Rice, paddy Peach
Soybean Potato
Sugarcane Strawberry
Tomato

Brady N. (1990)
 Principal soil conditions resulting Mineral Stresses
on Plants (Epstein & Bloom, 2005)
Mineral Stress Characteristics
Salinity High salt concentrations, mostly
sodium (Na)
Sodicity Excess (more than 10 %)
percentage of Na in the cation
exchange sites
Heavy metal and Al toxicities Common in acid soils, due to the
increased solubility of these metals
Micronutrient deficiencies Common in calcareous soils, due
to the low solubility level of these
elements (insoluble, precipitated
forms)
Low Ca/Mg ratios Serpentine soils with Ca/Mg ratio
1:1 or lower (optimum is 2:1 to 3:1)
Low soil fertility Low levels of available nutrients,
mostly N and P
 Soil Conditions Resulting Shortages of Available Nutrients and
Inducing Nutrient Deficiencies for Crop Plants

Nutrient Soil Conditions resulting Shortages in availability - inducing deficiency

Excess leaching with heavy rainfall low organic matter content of soils,
N
burning the crop residue
P Acidic, organic, leached, and calcareous soils, high rate of liming
Sandy, organic, leached, and eroded soils, high liming application,
K
intensive cropping system
Ca Acidic, alkali, or sodic soils
Mg Similar to calcium
Low organic matter content of soils, use of N and P fertilizers containing
S
no sulfur, burning the crop residue
Fe Calcareous soils, soils high in P, Mn, Cu or Zn, high rate of liming
Highly leached acidic soils, calcareous soils, high levels of Ca, mg, and
Zn
P in the soils
Mn Calcareous silt and clay, high organic matter, calcareous soils
B Sandy soils, naturally acidic leached soils, alkaline soils with free lime
Mo Highly podzolized soils, well-drained calcareous soils
Source: Fageria et al., 1991.
AVAILABILITY RANGES OF NUTRIENT ELEMENTS DEPENDING ON
SOIL pH
 Maximum availability for the majority of
nutrients: at pH = 6.5 i.e. under slightly
acidic conditions
 Availability of metal cations (mostly
microelements) increases with acidity,
with the exception of Molybdenum.