Mineral Nutrients

1. Mineral Nutrients

2. I. Introduction A. Definition B. Evidence 1. JuliusSachs Experiment

3. Fig 37.2 Julius Sachs 1860’s

4. C. Plant Mineral Composition 1. Incorporation a. As is=Some minerals can be used as is: e.g. K+ ions for guard cell regulation b. Combined = Some minerals have to be incorporated into other compounds to be useful: e.g. Fe+ in the cytochrome complex of the light reactions c. Altered = Some mineral compounds have to be altered to be useful: NO3- must be converted to NH4+ inside the plant

5. d. Water i. 80–85 % of an herbaceous plant is water. ii. Water supplies most of the hydrogen and some oxygen incorporated into organic compounds by photosynthesis. iii. But > 90% of the water absorbed is lost by transpiration. iv. Water’s primary function is to serve as a solvent. v. Water also is involved in cell elongation and turgor pressure regulation

6. 2. Dry weight a. 95% “organic” – C, H, O from air & water, assimilated by photosynthesis b. 5% inorganic minerals

8. II. Categories A. Essential Nutrients Nutrients that are required for a plant to grow from a seed and complete its life cycle. 1. Types: a. Macronutrients Elements required by plants in relatively large amounts. i. Categories CHOPKNS Ca Mg ii. Functions

9. Information taken from Table 37.1

10. b. Micronutrients These elements are required by plants in relatively small amounts (<0.1% dry mass). i. Categories Fe, B, Cl, Mo, Cu, Mn, Ni, & Zn ii. Functions

11. Information taken from Table 37.1

12. III. Mineral Deficiencies • A. Dependent on: • 1. the role of the nutrient in the plant 2. its mobility

13. B. Immobile Nutrients 1. Once they have been incorporated into plant tissue, they remain (can’t return to phloem). 2. Boron, calcium, and iron 3. Growth = normal until the mineral is depleted from soil; new growth suffers deficiency and thus youngest tissues show symptoms first.

14. C. Mobile Nutrients 1. can be translocated by phloem to younger (actively growing) tissue. 2. Cl, Mg, N, P, K, and S 3. When mineral is depleted, nutrients translocated to younger tissue. 4. Thus older tissues show deficiency & then die What is the adaptive value of nutrient mobility?

15. D. Criteria • 1. Not common in natural populations. Why? Plants have adapted to soil components • 2. Common in crops & ornamentals. Why? Human selection for biggest, fastest plants. Need more nutrients than the soil provides. • Crop growth depletes the soil because no organic • matter return • 3. Deficiencies of N, P, and K are the most common. • 4. Shortages of micronutrients are less common and often soil type specific. • 5. Overdoses of some micronutrients can be toxic.

16. E. Symptoms 1. Chlorosis – leaves lack chlorophyll: yellow, brittle, papery. Typically lack of N or Fe. 2. Necrosis – the death of patches of tissue 3. Purpling – deficiency of N or P, causes accumulation of purple pigments 4. Stunting – lack of water, N

17. Fig 37.4

18. Soils

19. I. Soil Formation A. Forces B. Characteristics II. Soil Horizons A. Names

20. III. Orders A. Definition B. Primary

21. C. Locations

22. IV. Soil Properties A. Chemistry 1. Minerals 2. Nitrogen–fixing bacteria 3. Mycorrhizal fungi 4. Water 5. Oxygen

23. B. Composition • 1. Chemistry – determines which minerals are • present and available, thus affecting plant community • composition • 2. Physical nature – affects porosity, texture, • density of soil, which affects #1 • 3. Soil organisms – decomposition & mineral • Return. Interact with roots to make nutrients available • Nitrogen! The only mineral that the plant can ONLY • get from reactions mediated by soil organisms.

24. C. Texture 1. Soil is created by weathering of solid rock by: water freeze/thaw, leaching of acids from organic matter, carbonic acid from respiration + water. 2. Topsoil is a mixture of weathered rock particles & humus (decayed organic matter). 3. Texture: sand, silt, clay Large, spaces for water & air Small, more SA for retaining water & minerals

29. V. Topsoil A. Characteristics 1. Bacteria, fungi, insects, protists, nematodes, & Earthworms! Create channels for air & water, secrete mucus that binds soil particles 2. Humus: reservoir of nutrients from decaying plant & animal material 3. Bacterial metabolism recycles nutrients

30. B. Nutrient Availability 1. Cations in soil water adhere to clay particles (negatively charged surface) 2. Anions do not bind; thus they can leach! (NO3, HPO4, SO4) 3. Cations become available for root uptake by cation exchange – H+ displaces cations on the soil particle surface 4. H+ from carbonic acid – formed from water + CO2released from root respiration 5. Humus – negatively charged & holds water & nutrients. Thus very important in the soil!!!!!

31. Fig 37.3

32. C. Soil pH • 1. Low pH (acidic) = high H+ concentration • a. More cations released • b. Too much acid – cations leach…..mineral • deficiency • 2. High pH (basic) • a. Not enough H+ for cation release….mineral • deficiency

33. VI. Soil conservation A. Factors Affecting 1. Natural systems: decay recycles nutrients 2. Agricultural systems: crops harvested, depleting soil of nutrients & water

34. 3. Fertilizers: N:P:K • a. Synthetic: plant-available, inorganic ions. Faster • acting. • i. Problem: • ii. leaching, acidifying the soil • b. Organic: slow release by cationexchange, holds • water, thus less leaching

35. B. Phytoremediation 2. Benefits: easier to harvest the plants than to remove topsoil! 1. Use of plants to extract toxic metals from soil

39. VII. NITROGEN A. Why so important? • 1. Air is 80% Nitrogen, but….. • 2. Macronutrient that is most often limiting. • Why? Is almost always taken up as anions (NO3-) • 3. What’s it used for? • Proteins (AAs), nucleic acids, chlorophyll production

40. The Nitrogen Cycle N2 N2 fixation Denitrification Uptake Decomposition NO3 Nitrification Ammonification NH4 Organic N Leaching Immobilization

43. B. Nitrogen Cycle • 1. Steps: • a. N fixation – conversion of N2 to NH3 • b. Ammonification – conversion of NH3 or • organic N into NH4+ • c. Nitrification – conversion of NH4+ to NO3- • d. N reduction – conversion of NO3- back to • NH4+ within plant. • e. N assimilation – incorporation of NH4+into • AAs, nucleic acids, lignin, others(?) of the plant

44. All steps within the soil are mediated by bacteria!!!! Fig 37.9

45. a. Nitrogen Fixation • This process is catalyzed by the enzyme nitrogenase, • requires energy (ATP), and occurs in three ways: • i. Lightening – converts N in air to inorganic N • that falls in raindrops • ii. Non-symbiotic – certain soil bacteria • iii. Symbiotic with Legumes Legumes: peas, beans, alfalfa The legume/bacteria interaction results in the formation of nodules on roots Plant – gets ample inorganic N source Bacteria – gets ample carbon source

46. Fig 37.11

47. Fig 37.10

49. iii. Fixation in Non-legumes • Here in the NW: alder • Azolla (a fern) contains a symbiotic N fixing cyanobacteria useful in rice paddies. • Plants with symbiotic N fixers tend to be first colonizers. Why? b. Ammonification i. conversion of NH3 or organic N into NH4+

50. c. Nitrification i. Unfortunately NH4+ is a highly desirable resource for free–living bacteria, oxidizing it to NO3-. ii. Consequently the predominant form of N available to roots is NO3-. d. Nitrate Reduction i. NO3- must be reduced back to NH4+ in order to be incorporated into organics. ii. This process is energetically expensive but required.