Mobile Nutrients

What Are Mobile Nutrients

The growth and development of plants highly depends on nutrients acquired from the soil, air, or through fertilizers. Nutrients are essential for the growth of a plant, and they differ in their ability to move within the plant. The demand of nutrients keeps changing throughout the life of the plant. It generally increases during vegetative growth, and decreases during reproductive development. When inside the plant, nutrients are transported to the locations where they are necessary, generally to the points of growth. Once nutrients are absorbed by the plant, some elements can be mobile while others can be immobile. Nutrient mobility influences redistribution of nutrients and the fertilization of crops.Mobile nutrients can leave their original location and move to areas where the requirement is more, and immobile elements normally get locked in place and stay there. If one knows how nutrients move within the plants, then it can become a lot easier in diagnosing deficiency symptoms. The deficiency symptoms of mobile nutrients can be first seen in the older leaves as the nutrients are transported to new growth from there. Immobile nutrient deficiencies can be first seen in the new growth as the plant cannot take ample amount of nutrients to transport them to the new shoots.

What Are The Mobile Nutrients

There are eighteen elements, found in the nature, which can be considered necessary for plant growth and nutrition. Each of these elements has their own functions in the plant, and differs in characteristics and in the level in which they are required. Three out of these eighteen elements are non-minerals and the rest are minerals. The non-mineral elements are carbon (C), hydrogen (H)and oxygen(O). These elements are used within the physical plant structure, and are obtained from the environment (from carbon dioxide, CO₂) and water (H₂O). They form the basis for carbohydrates such as sugars and starch and acts as the source of energy for the plant.The minerals can be further classified into primary and secondary macronutrients and micronutrients. Plants need macronutrients in comparatively large amounts and micronutrients are required in smaller amounts. The requirement of nutrients increases as the plant grows.If nutrients are deficient or present in excess amounts, then plant will be damaged by slowing down or constraining the growth. Most of the time deficiencies can be identified by observing plants.

Primary Macronutrients

Primary macronutrients comprise of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K), which contributes to nutrient content of plants, function of plant enzymes and biomechanical processes. If macronutrient are present in deficit amounts it will result in reduced plant growth and yield. These three elements are considered most important nutrients that are absorbed from fertilizers.Secondary macronutrients comprise of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sulfur (S).

Primary Micronutrients

Micronutrients, even though used in very small quantities, are also essential for plant growth and survival. These include boron (B), copper (Cu),iron (Fe), molybdenum (Mo), zinc (Zn), chlorine (Cl), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co) and nickel (Ni).

Mobility in plants- In the plant, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassiumand magnesium are very mobile. Suplhur, copper, iron, molybdenum, zinc, and manganese are moderately mobile. Calcium and boron are immobile nutrients.

Mobility in soil- In soil, nitrogen as nitrate, sulfur as sulfate, and boron are very mobile. Potassium, calcium, molybdenum and magnesium are moderately mobile. Organic nitrogen, phosphorous, copper, iron, zinc and manganese are immobile nutrients.