Explain with examples: macronutrients, micronutrients, beneficial nutrients, toxic elements and essential elements.
Explain with examples: macronutrients, micronutrients, beneficial nutrients, toxic elements and essential elements.

Solution: Macronutrients are nutrients found in plant tissues at concentrations of more than 10 mole kg-1 of dry matter. Plant growth necessitates a huge amount of them. Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Sulphur, Potassium, Calcium, and Magnesium are examples of chemical elements.

Micronutrients are trace elements in plants that are present in less than 10mmole kg-1 of dry matter. Manganese, copper, zinc, boron, and nickel are some examples.

Beneficial elements – In addition to the 17 essential nutrients, higher plants require some beneficial elements as well as micro and macronutrients. For example- Sodium, silicon, cobalt, and selenium.

Toxic elements are only needed in very small amounts. Plant illnesses are caused by a lack of certain nutrients, and excesses of these nutrients are hazardous to plants. Sodium, potassium, and magnesium, for example.

Essential elements are elements that directly interfere with a plant’s metabolism, generating a specific deficiency symptom if they are not accessible from an external source.