Plant Nutrients by Function
What does the plant use P for?
100 Bonus: Is it mobile or immobile?
It is the P in ATP as well phospholipids.
100 Bonus: Mobile
The lack of this nutrient causes cell death and marginal necrosis on the youngest growth, oftentimes enveloping the whole grow point.
100 Bonus: Is it mobile or immobile?
200 Bonus: What condition causes this symptom despite adequate nutrient levels in the water?
Calcium
100 Bonus: Immobile
200 Bonus: Low VPD/transpiration
Describe the difference between hypoxia and anoxia.
Hypoxia is a decreased level of oxygen and anoxia is the total absence of oxygen.
Peat is created by countless layers of moss that have grown over each other. The moss doesn't rot and turn into soil due to what chemical factor?
Bonus 100: Describe the differences between a peat bog, a fen, and a swamp.
Peat is preserved in a bog due to low pH that inhibits decay.
This element is vital for plant enzymes and especially for the synthesis of glucosinolates, which give brassicas their distinct flavor.
100 Bonus: Is it mobile or immobile?
Sulfur
100 Bonus: Immobile
What functions do plants need Mg for?
100 Bonus: Is it mobile or immobile?
200 Bonus: What other nutrient can Mg compete with for uptake into the plant?
Primarily creating chlorophyll
100 Bonus: mobile
200 Bonus: Calcium
The lack of this nutrient causes severe but uniform interveinal chlorosis on the young growth. Resulting in a lime green or yellow leaf with dark green veins. This is accompanied by stunting.
100 Bonus: Is it mobile or immobile?
Iron
100 Bonus: immobile
Why do plants need oxygen in the roots?
Plants need oxygen to metabolize sugars created in photosynthesis, this includes cells in the roots of the plant. Without fuel for the root cells, no nutrients would be taken up.
The structure of layered moss allows void spaces in the media that can help hold water. What are these voids called?
Macropores and micropores
In legumes, Rhizobia bacteria can be enveloped by root hairs and eventually form nodules. The Rhizobia metabolize forms of this element and transform it into what compound?
100 Bonus: Rhizobia must be in an anoxic environment to form symbiosis with the plants, which means that what element must be absent?
Nitrogen and Ammonia
100 Bonus: Oxygen. Nitrogenase cannot function in the presence of oxygen.
What function does Mo serve within the plant?
400 Bonus: Is it mobile or immobile?
Molybdenum is used in creating enzymes for ammonia metabolism and phosphorus metabolism.
400 Bonus: immobile in soil/water and slightly mobile in plants
A lack of this nutrient is characterized by purpling around the margins of the oldest leaves.
100 Bonus: Is it mobile or immobile?
Phosphorus
100 Bonus: Mobile
Microbes break down carbon based molecules and utilize oxygen and what element to survive. If your media has an imbalance of carbon, oxygen, and this element, it can lead to out of control oxygen consumption and an anaerobic root zone.
Bonus 100: Name a carbon based compound that makes up plant cell walls.
Nitrogen
The C/N ratio is key in both compost and in soilless media.
Bonus 100: Cellulose
What would the disadvantage be to having a media that has a majority micropores and holds onto water and does not dry out?
Low dissolved oxygen/anaerobic roots, low nutrient refresh, less root growth, and increased disease.
Heavy metal accumulation in the roots can decrease iron uptake by the plant. These metals include Cr, Mn, Rh, Cd, As, Zn, and Pb. Which of the listed metals are necessary for plant growth?
300 Bonus: Of the metals you picked for your answer, are they mobile or immobile?
Manganese and Zinc
300 Bonus: Both are immobile
What function does the element abbreviated as Br serve within the plant?
100 Bonus: Is it mobile or immobile?
Bromine serves no necessary purpose within the plant and will compete with chloride ions, which are necessary.
100 Bonus: Mobile
The lack of this nutrient causes marginal necrosis at the youngest growth, club root, necrotic pith, and or split stems since it is one of the two mineral nutrients that create strong cell walls.
100 Bonus: Is it mobile or immobile?
Boron
100 Bonus: Immobile
The rate that oxygen dissolves in water is 104 times less than that of air.
While in the bog, conditions stop peat moss from decaying completely. When that material is taken out of the bog, processed, and made into plugs those conditions change. What is the category of fungus that can grow on our plugs with the goal of breaking down organic material?
Saprotroph or Necrotroph
During high salinity events Na ions can compete with what element for uptake in the plant?
100 Bonus: Is it mobile or immobile?
200 Bonus: Is Na a necessary nutrient?
K: Potassium
100 Bonus: Potassium is mobile
200 Bonus: Sodium is sometimes beneficial but never necessary.
Ca, K, and Na are used by the plant to change pressure in which cells for what structure of the plant leaves?
Guard cells of the stomata
The lack of this non-mineral nutrient will cause stunting, slowed growth, and lack of sugars within the plant.
Carbon
True or False: Similar to animals, plants can use xylem and phloem to move oxygen into different tissues of the plant.
False: Plants have no way to move oxygen internally.
Peat fungus populations are divided into two groups, cosmopolitan and endemic. Endemic fungus is adapted to only live in peat bogs. Cosmopolitan fungus are found in soils worldwide and attempt to colonize peat bogs. Name two ways that those cosmopolitan fungal spores are transported into the peat bogs.
Wind, rain, transported by humans/machines/animals, plant debris, floods, and erosion.
Plants use which mineral micronutrient to make enzymes that help in oxidative stress prevention, chlorophyll creation, and lignin production? It has the slowest uptake of all the micronutrients.
400 Bonus: Is it mobile or immobile?
Copper
400 Bonus: Immobile in soil/water but partially mobile in the plant.