Nutrient Deficiency Stress and Relation with Plant Growth and Development
Saghir Abbas, Amna Amna Amna, Muhammad Tariq Javed, Qasim Ali, Muhammad Atif Azeem, Shafaqat Ali
Abstract
Plants require a wide range of essential nutrients to grow. Nutrient uptake for healthy plant growth and development can either be in large quantities (macronutrient) or smaller quantities (micronutrient), but its absorption, from the soil by the roots, depends on soil texture, availability, and soil pH. It is known today that plants are exposed to different types of biotic and abiotic stresses which disturbs the uptake of essential nutrients through roots and its acropetal distribution. Deficiency of these essential nutrients can hamper smooth functioning of plant lifecycle as the important morpho-physiological functions of the plant body make nutrients indispensable. Especially needed during the plant’s functioning, such as stem elongation, photosynthesis, and protein production, deficiency will lead to stunted growth and potential toxicity in plant body with visual symptoms like chlorosis, interveinal chlorosis, purplish-red colouring, and necrosis. Nutrients are also classified as either mobile [i.e., N, P, K, Cl, Mg, and Mo] or immobile [B, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, S and Zn]. Usually, the shortage of mobile nutrients cause visual symptoms of nutrient deficiencies to first appear in the older or lower leaves, and the effects can be either localized or generalized. Immobile nutrient deficiency symptoms will initially occur in the younger or upper leaves and be localized due to their varied roles in the plant. This chapter summarizes the uptake mechanism of macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients, as well as the plasma-membrane located transporter proteins, the phenomenon of long-distance transport and compartmentalization in plants, and the antagonistic relationship between mobile and immobile nutrients. Illustration of the known mechanisms that cause nutrient deficiency as well as their effect on plant’s developmental processes at both cellular and aggregate plant level will also be within the scope of this chapter for discussion.