2.

Soil Plant relations

This Topic will Cover
(a) Support & Nutrients
(b) Nutrient and water relations
2 Lectures
• Soils have unique relation with plant, which make soil as medium
for plant growth.
• The supports provided by soil to the plants include
1. Physical support to the plant
2. Reservoir of nutrient elements
3. Reservoir of water/ water retention
4. Aeration/ root respiration
5. Temperature moderation
6. Protection from toxins
1. Physical support to the plant
• physical support & anchorage to the root system so that
the plant doesn’t fall down.
• Roots penetrate the soil & spread vertically & horizontally,
holding the plant upright & extracting nutrients & water.
• Loose soil serves best med. for root penetration &
assimilates water & nutrients.
2. Reservoir of nutrient elements
• Soil is the storehouse of the plant nutrients
• C, H, O, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S need in the largest qnt. macro-
nutrients.
• C, H & O constitute 95-99% of plant-structural elements.
• N, P, K requires in relatively larger qnt i.e. primary nutrient.
• Ca, Mg & S are secondary nutrients.
Table: Essential plant nutrients & their forms absorbed by plants.
Element Form absorbed Conc. In Otm.Soil Primary Source
Plant pH range
Structural component
Carbon(C) CO2 45% - Carbon dioxide in air
Hydrogen (H) H2o 6% - Water
Oxygen (O) CO2 , O2, H2o 43% - Water , air
Macronutrients-Primary nuttrients
Nitrogen (N) NO3-, NH4+ 1-6% 6-8 OM, atmosphere
Phosphorus (P) H2PO4-, HPO42- 0.05-1.0% 6.5-7.5 & Soil minerals , OM
8.5-10
Potassium (K) K+ 0.3-6% 6-10 Soil minerals
Macronutrients-Secondary nutrients
Calcium (Ca) Ca2+ 0.1-3% 7-10 Soil minerals,
limestone
Magnesium(Mg) Mg2+ 0.05-1.5% 7-10 Soil minerals,
limestone
Sulfur (S) So42- 0.05-1.5% 6-10 OM, rain water
 Table: Essential plant nutrients & their forms absorbed by plants.
Element Form Conc. In Plant Otm.Soil Primary Source
absorbed pH range
Micronutrients
Iron (Fe) Fe2+, Fe3+ 100-1000 ppm <6 Soil minerals
Zinc (Zn) Zn2+ 5-1000 ppm 5-7 Soil minerals, OM
Manganese (Mn) Mn2+ 5-500 ppm < 6.5 Soil minerals
Copper(Cu) Cu2+ 2-75 ppm 5-7 Soil minerals , OM
Boron (B) H3Bo3 2-75 ppm 5-7 OM , tourmaline
Molybdenum (Mo) MoO42- 0.01-10 ppm 7-10 Soil minerals, OM
Chlorine (Cl) Cl- 0.05-3% - Rain water
To demonstrate that this classification is more responsive to soil ability to supply nutrients than
plant requirements, it should be noted that plant requirements for Ca, a secondary nutrient
element, is greater than for P. Calcium is found as a principle exchangeable cation in most soils
and an important soluble cation in the soil solution. Phosphorus, on the other hand, is only
slightly soluble in most soils, and many soils (particularly acid soils and alkaline soils) have the
potential for causing phosphorus deficiencies.
Nitrogen may be taken up by plants as either an anion NO3- (nitrate) or a cation
NH4+ (ammonium). (Plant preferences for nitrate or ammonium are species-specific and are
usually related to the natural environment of the species, with plants adapted to bogs, marshes,
cold, or acid conditions often preferring ammonium-N, and most other dryland species
What is the difference between Macronutrients and Micronutrients?
1. Macronutrients are elements that are needed for the growth of plants in
high amounts (>0.1%) than micronutrient and macronutrients can be
found in plants, in high amounts.
2. Macronutrients can be again subcategorized into two as primary
nutrients and secondary nutrients according to the amount utilized by a
plant. (Primary macronutrients are often most limiting for crop
production; where as secondary macronutrients are rarely
limiting)
3. Macronutrients may be non-mineral (C,H, O )or mineral elements,
whereas all micronutrients are minerals.
4. Some macronutrients are not absorbed by roots from soil such as
C, H, O, whereas all micronutrient are absorbed by roots from the soil.
5. Macronutrients have a role in forming carbon compounds, in energy
storage reactions, whereas micronutrients involve in cofactors for
enzymes and in electron transferring

Read more: http://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-

macronutrients-and-vs-micronutrients/#ixzz2LjyEp7ag
• Those nutrient elements required in smaller amounts are
micro-nutrients/trace elements: Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Mo, B and Cl
• Macronutrients needed in the amt >50 ppm in plant whereas
micronutrients are needed in smaller amount (< 50ppm).
• Each nutrient has its own cycle in the soil.
• Plant nutrients come from weathering of soil minerals/OM
• Soil minerals & humus can chemically retain nutrients in
available form or are fixed very tightly-unavailable
3. Reservoir of water
• Soils also hold water in the pores that the plants can use.
• All soil pores are filled with water just after a rain or irrigation.
• Water flows through these zigzag/twisted pore space
between soil particles.
• This zigzag movement of water in soil pore also termed as
turtiosity.
• Soil water is retained in soil pores through two forces i.e.
adhesion & surface tension of water in pores.
• The adhesion is attraction of water with soil particle.
• Soil water acts as solvents. as it dissolves soil minerals

4. Facilitates soil aeration

• If soil pores don’t contain water, they contain air.
• Soil air is similar to the air we breathe, except it is usually
more humid & higher in CO2.
• Plant roots need oxygen & if the soil is water logged for too
long, most plants will suffer from O2 deficiency.
• Thus, the balance between the amount of air & the
amount of water in the soil is essential to plant health.
• During field capacity, about 50% of pores filled with air & 50%
is filled with water-ideal moisture condition for crop growth.
5. Temperature moderation
• Soil moderates temp. fluctuations.
• The insulating properties of soil protect the deeper portion
of root system from the extremes of hot and cold that
often occur at the soil surface.

6. Protection from toxins

• There are many potential sources of phytotoxic substances
in soils.
• These toxins may result from human activity (synthetic
fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides, herbicides etc.), or they
may be secreted by plant roots, by MOs, or by natural
chemical reactions.
• A good soil protects the plants from toxic conc. of such by
ventilating gases, decomposing or adsorbing organic
toxins, or by suppressing toxin producing organisms.
5. What service do plants provsides to soil???
• OM
• Inhabitants for the soil organisms
• Root exudates
• Soil formation processes
• Any others?...................
i. Roots bind soil particles…….prevents soil erosion
ii. Nitrogen fixation
iii. Makes soil porous
iv. Provides OM-source of plant nutrients
v. Recycles plant nutrients
vi. Weathering of rocks and minerals