Biosphere Contents

1. Organic Matter

Macronutrients and micronutrients are essential for plant growth

List of plant macronutrients and micronutrients

Elements such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which are required in large amounts by plants, are termed macronutrients. They are typically released in only small amounts by the weathering of rocks. An exception is nitrogen, which is largely made available to plants by the action of microorganisms. Trace elements found in much smaller quantities (chlorine, iron, manganese, zinc, boron, copper and molybdenum) are often required by plants as micronutrients. Although essential to the successful growth of plants, they need to be present only in very small quantities. Plant tissue often contains 1000 times more nitrogen than zinc, for example.

For many elements, there is both a minimum amount of the element that a plant requires as a nutrient, and a maximum concentration that it can tolerate. These maximum and minimum amounts vary from species to species. Some plants can tolerate saline environments and are more tolerant of the chloride ion than other species, for example.

What are macronutrients and micronutrients?