Macronutrients vs Micronutrients
Plants need nutrition for their growth. Plants synthesize all the compounds they need using these mineral elements and by the photosynthesis. A plant cannot complete its life cycle in the absence of these elements, which are called essential elements. Essential elements can be classified into two basic categories such as mineral elements and non-mineral elements. Non mineral elements are Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen, and there are 16 other essential mineral elements. Essential mineral elements can be categorized as macronutrients and macronutrients according to the amount of these elements in plant tissue. These essential elements have several types of roles, which are involved in forming carbon compounds, in energy storage reactions, as cofactors for enzymes, and in electron transferring. Essential elements can be mobile or immobile. Elements like N, P, and K can mobile leaf to leaf. So, if there is a deficiency of N, P, K, matured leaves show the symptoms, since elements are recycled form older leaves to younger leaves. If elements are immobile, younger leaves show the symptom of deficiency.
What are Macronutrients?
Macronutrients are elements that are needed in high amounts for the plant for the growth than micronutrient and these elements can be found in plants in high amounts. C, H, O, K, N, S, P, Ca, and Mg are considered as macronutrients. Plants find macronutrients C, H, O, from the carbohydrate which is the photosynthetic product. So, macronutrients C, H, O are not absorbed by roots. P, K, and N are considered as primary nutrients. A plant utilizes primary nutrients in high amounts than secondary nutrients and micronutrients. Secondary nutrients are Ca, Mg, and S, which are utilized by a plant in a lower amount than primary nutrients. Except C, H, O, other macronutrients are absorbed by plant roots in ionic form.
Absence of macronutrients results in nutrient deficiency, in plants, and that causes disruption of plant metabolism and function. To overcome the deficiency of primary and secondary nutrients, they should be added to the soil as fertilizers.
What are Micronutrients?
Macronutrients are elements that are needed for growth of plants in low amounts than macronutrient and these elements can be found in plants in lower amounts than macronutrients. Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Mo, B, Cl, Ni, are considered as micronutrients. Micronutrients are also absorbed by plant roots as ions from soil. Absence of micronutrients too involves in nutrient deficiency in plants resulting in the disruption of plant metabolism and function.
What is the difference between Macronutrients and Micronutrients?
• Macronutrients are elements that are needed for the growth of plants in high amounts than micronutrient and macronutrients can be found in plants, in high amounts.
• Macronutrients can be again subcategorized into two as primary nutrients and secondary nutrients according to the amount utilized by a plant.
• Macronutrients may be non-mineral or mineral elements, whereas all micronutrients are minerals.
• Some macronutrients are not absorbed by roots from soil such as C, H, O, whereas all micronutrient are absorbed by roots from the soil.
• Macronutrients have a role in forming carbon compounds, in energy storage reactions, whereas micronutrients involve in cofactors for enzymes and in electron transferring.
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