1. Soil Nutrients and Fertilizers
Essential Standard Explain the role of nutrients and fertilizers.

2. Objective 6.01
Discuss macro and micro nutrients and the role they play in plant deficiencies.

3. Macro vs Micro Nutrients
Macro nutrients are required by the plant in relatively large amounts
Micro nutrients are required only in small amounts
minor or trace elements

4. Macro nutrients Non-mineral elements Primary Nutrients
carbon (C)
hydrogen (H)
oxygen (O)
Primary Nutrients
Nitrogen (N)
Phosphorus (P)
Potassium (K)
Secondary Nutrients
calcium (Ca)
magnesium (Mg)
sulfur (S)

5. Micro nutrients Iron (Fe) Copper (Cu) Zinc (Zn) Boron (B)
Molybdenum (Mo)
Manganese (Mn)
Chlorine (Cl)

6. Functions of Nitrogen N Promotes growth of leaves and stems
Gives dark green color and improves quality of foliage
Necessary to develop cell proteins and chlorophyll N

7. Nitrogen Deficiency symptoms sick, yellow-green color
short stems, small leaves, pale colored leaves and flowers
slow and dwarfed plant growth

8. Nitrogen deficiency

9. Functions of Phosphorus
Stimulates early formation and growth of roots
Provides for fast and vigorous growth and speeds maturity
Stimulates flowering and seed development
Necessary for the enzyme action of many plant processes

10. Phosphorus P Deficiency symptoms decrease in growth slow maturity
older leaves are purplish color P

11. Phosphorus Deficiency

12. Functions of Potassium
Used to form carbohydrates and proteins
Formation and transfer of starches, sugars and oils
Increases disease resistance, vigor and hardiness K

13. Potassium Deficiency symptoms
mottled, spotted, streaked or curled leaves
scorched, burned, dead leaf tips and margins

14. Potassium Deficiency

15. Secondary Nutrients
Calcium (Ca)
Magnesium (Mg)
Sulfur (S)

16. Functions of Calcium Ca Improves plant vigor
Influences intake and synthesis of other plant nutrients
Important part of cell walls Ca

17. Calcium Deficiency symptoms small developing leaves
wrinkled older leaves
dead stem tips

18. Calcium Deficiency

19. Functions of Magnesium
Influences the intake of other essential nutrients
Helps make fats
Assists in translocation of phosphorus and fats Mg

20. Magnesium Deficiency symptoms
Interveinal chlorosis-yellowing of leaves between green veins
leaf tips curl or cup upward
slender, weak stalks

21. Magnesium Deficiency

22. Functions of Sulfur
Promotes root growth and vigorous vegetative growth
Essential to protein formation S

23. Sulfur Deficiency symptoms
young leaves are light green with lighter color veins
yellow leaves and stunted growth

24. Sulfur Deficiency

25. Micro Nutrients Also called “trace” elements
Needed by plants in small amounts

26. Iron (Fe) Functions of Iron Deficiency symptoms
Essential for chlorophyll production
Helps carry electrons to mix oxygen with other elements
Deficiency symptoms
mottled and interveinal chlorosis in young leaves
stunted growth and slender, short stems

27. Iron Deficiency Fe

28. Copper (Cu) Functions Deficiency symptoms Helps in the use of Iron
Helps respiration
Deficiency symptoms
young leaves are small and permanently wilt
multiple buds at stem tip

29. Copper Deficiency Cu

30. Zinc (Z) Functions Deficiency symptoms plant metabolism
helps form growth hormones
reproduction
Deficiency symptoms
retarded growth between nodes (rosetted)
new leaves are thick and small
spotted between veins, discolored veins

31. Zinc Deficiency Zn

32. Boron (B) Functions Deficiency Symptoms
affects water absorption by roots
translocation of sugars
Deficiency Symptoms
short, thick stem tips
young leaves of terminal buds are light green at base
leaves become twisted and die

33. Boron Deficiency B

34. Manganese (Mn) Functions Deficiency symptoms plant metabolism
nitrogen transformation
Deficiency symptoms
interveinal chlorosis
young leaves die

35. Manganese Deficiency Mn

36. Molybdenum (Mo) Functions Deficiency symptoms plant development
reproduction
Deficiency symptoms
stunted growth
yellow leaves, upward curling leaves, leaf margins burn

37. Molybdenum Deficiency

38. Chlorine (Cl) Functions Deficiency symptoms
essential to some plant processes
acts in enzyme systems
Deficiency symptoms
usually more problems with too much chlorine or toxicity than with deficiency

39. Chlorine Deficiency Cl

40. Fertilizers

41. Objective 6.02
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various fertilizers.

42. Types of Fertilizers Complete Incomplete Organic Inorganic Soluble
Insoluble

43. Complete vs. Incomplete
Complete has all three primary nutrients-nitrogen phosphorous & potassium
Examples: , ,
Incomplete DOES NOT have all three primary nutrients
Examples: , ,

44. Organic Fertilizers
Comes from plant or animal matter and contains carbon compounds
Examples: urea, sludge and animal tankage

45. Advantages of Organic Slow release of nutrients
Not easily leached from the soil
Add organic components to growing media

46. Disadvantages of Organic
Hard to get
Not sterile
Low nutrient content
Expensive

47. Inorganic Fertilizers
Comes from sources other than animals or plants
Chemical products

48. Advantages of Inorganic
Can make the desired ratio of nutrients
easy to get
lower cost

49. Disadvantages of Inorganic
No organic material
possible chemical building up in growing media

50. Soluble Fertilizer
Dissolve in water and are applied as a liquid solution
Fertigation
fertilizing through irrigation water
big advantage

51. Insoluble Fertilizer
Includes granular and slow release applied to the growing media

52. Granular vs. Slow Release
relatively inexpensive
easy to find
Slow Release
more expensive because it is coated
more uniform release of nutrients over time period

53. 20-10-20 Fertilizer Analysis N P K
Fertilizer analysis expresses weight as a percent of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium N P K

54. Fertilizer Analysis For Example
A 100 pound bag of fertilizer has an analysis of How many pounds of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are in the bag?
Nitrogen: 100lbs X 15%=15lbs
Phosphorus: 100lbs X 5%=5lbs
Potassium: 100lbs X 15%=15lbs

55. Fertilizer Ratios
A fertilizer with a analysis would have a 1:1:1 ratio
A fertilizer with a analysis would have a 3:1:2 ratio
What would be the ratio for a fertilizer with an analysis of ?
4:2:3

56. Application Procedures
Banding
Sidedressing
Topdressing
Perforating
Broadcasting
Foliar spraying
Fertigation

57. Banding
Placing a band of fertilizer about two inches to the sides and about two inches below seed depth.
DO NOT place below the seeds because fertilizer will burn the roots.

58. Sidedressing
Placing a band of fertilizer near the soil surface and to the sides after seedlings emerge from the soil.

59. Topdressing
Mixing fertilizer uniformly into the top one to two inches of growing media around the plant.

60. Perforating
Placing fertilizer in 12”-18” holes drilled 18” to 24” around the canopy drip line of fruit trees. Cover the holes and fertilizer slowly dissolves.

61. Broadcasting
Spreading fertilizer to cover the entire production area

62. Foliar Spraying
Spraying micronutrients in a solution directly on plant leaves.
Quickly corrects nutrient deficiencies
Fertilizer concentration should not be too high or leaf burning will occur.

63. Fertigation
Incorporating water-soluble fertilizer into the irrigation system of greenhouse and nursery crops.
Concentrated solutions usually pass through proportioners or injectors to dilute to the correct ratio.
Venturi-type
Positive-displacement

64. Venturi-type Simple and inexpensive less accurate
depends on water pressure in the hose and in the smaller tube to proportion
Example: Hozon

65. Positive-displacement
More expensive
very accurate
physically inject and mix specific amounts of concentrated solution and water
Examples: commander proportioners, and Smith injectors

66. Rules for applying fertilizers
Method used should be practical, effective and cost efficient
Method used affects nutrient availability for plant use
Fertilizer must be dissolved and reach plant roots