Plant Nutrient Deficiencies (WJEC GCSE Biology)

Plant Nutrient Deficiencies

• Photosynthesis produces glucose which can be converted into other carbon-containing molecules needed for plant growth

• To build some of these other molecules plants need a supply of chemical elements that are not present in glucose

  • E.g. proteins contain nitrogen which is not found in glucose molecules

• These elements are taken up from the soil in the form of mineral salts

• When the soil mineral content is depleted then plants can become deficient; different mineral deficiencies result in different symptoms

Plant nutrient deficiencies table

Plant nutrient deficiencies diagram

Mineral deficiencies can result in visible effects on plant growth

• When crops are repeatedly harvested from the same land, soil can become depleted; growers deal with this problem using fertilisers to replace the lost minerals and improve plant growth

• NPK fertilisers contain nitrates, phosphates and potassium, so can be used to avoid the deficiencies described above

  • N = nitrogen

  • P = phosphorus

  • K = potassium