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RHS L2 R2102 > Plant Nutrition > Flashcards

Plant Nutrition Flashcards

1
Q

Describe a range of nutrients required for plant growth

A

MAJOR - required by the plant in a large amounts:

Nitrogen
Phosphorus
Potassium
Calcium
Magnesium

MINOR - required by the plant in much smaller amounts. Also known as trace amounts:
Iron

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2
Q

Role of Magnesium and signs of deficiency

A

ROLE OF MAGNESIUM:

  • Required for photosynthesis as central component of chlorophyll
  • Activates certain enzymes
  • Involved in the movement of phosphorus in the plant

SIGNS OF DEFICIENCY:

  • Intervein chlorosis on older leaves first
  • Leaf tips curl upwards
  • Early leaf fall
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3
Q

Role of Nitrogen and signs of deficiency

A

ROLE OF NITROGEN:

  • Shoot and leafy growth
  • Constituent of chlorophyll, proteins, hormones and nucleic acid

SIGNS OF DEFICIENCY:

  • Slow spindly growth
  • Chlorosis - general yellowing of oldest leaves first
  • Reduced growth rate and stunting
  • Small flowers and fruit
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4
Q

Role of Calcium and signs of deficiency

A

ROLE OF CALCIUM:

  • Required for activity in meristems particularly in root tips
  • Constituent of cell walls middle lamella as calcium pectate, binding cells together

SIGNS OF DEFICIENCY:

  • Weakened cell walls mean inward curling in young pale leaves
  • Tissues die
  • Cupping and burning of leaf tips with blackening of young leaves. E.g. Blossom end rot in tomatoes and bitter pit in apples
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5
Q

Role of Phosphorus and signs of deficiency

A

ROLE OF PHOSPHORUS:

  • Essential in seeds for germination
  • Promotes root growth
  • Required for photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation, crop growth, produce quality and root development
  • Component of molecules involved in energy transfer in cells (ATP) and genetic material (DNA)

SIGNS OF DEFICIENCY:

  • Poor seedling growth
  • Poor root growth
  • Purpling/blueing of older leaves
  • Delayed and small fruit growth
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6
Q

Role of Potassium and signs of deficiency

A

ROLE OF POTASSIUM:

  • Promotes flowering and fruiting
  • Regulate functioning of stomatal guard cells
  • Essential for photosynthesis
  • Importance in disease resistance
  • Increases hardiness against cold and drought
  • Increases scent

SIGNS OF DEFICIENCY:

  • Poor quality fruit and seeds
  • Leaf scorch
  • Leaves bronze and curl inwards and downwards
  • Necrosis: dead patches on leaves, particularly the margins of older leaves
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7
Q

Role of Iron and signs of deficiency

A

ROLE OF IRON:
- Required in chloroplasts as part of photosynthesis

SIGNS OF DEFICIENCY:

  • Yellowing between veins of younger leaves then to older leaves
  • Failure to flower and fruit
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8
Q

Describe what is meant by the pH terms

A

Definition of pH:

  • Expresses the amount of acidity or alkalinity in the soil in terms of hydrogen ions concentration
  • a measurement of the balance between acidity and alkalinity with a growing media

Scale: 0-14
Below 7 is acidic
7 is neutral
Above 7 alkaline

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9
Q

What is pH range found in garden soils

A

Approximately 4-8

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10
Q

Why is 6.5 the most suitable pH for a wide range of plants in the British Isles

A

This range provides the the plant with the maximum availability of the most nutrients

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11
Q

What is the standard way to raise pH?

A

Adding lime
To surface of the soil in the form of calcium carbonate (ground limestone) in autumn
Do not manure at same time

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12
Q

What are the effects of soil pH on soil structure and nutrient availability?

A 
SOIL STRUCTURE:
Soil organisms:
- worms prefer neutral to slightly limy 
- bacteria are more plentiful in neutral soils
- fungi prefer acidic to neutral soils

Crumb Formation:
- Lime causes flocculation (grouping together of clay particles) thus improving structure - crumb formation

NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY:

  • In highly acidic soil, aluminum and manganese can become more available and more toxic to a plant while calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium are less available to the plant.
  • In highly alkaline soil, phosphorus and most micronutrients (trace elements) become less available.
  • Lime-induced chlorosis, or leaf yellowing, is caused by strongly alkaline soil, which can make iron or manganese unavailable to plants.
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13
Q

What is flocculation?

A

Grouping together of individual clay particles making soil less dense

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14
Q

Materials used to influence soil pH?

A

Sulphur - lowers
Lime - raises
Organic materials

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15
Q

Benefits and limitations of each material used to influence pH

A

LIME BENEFITS

  • Raises pH
  • Provides calcium
  • Encourages worm population
  • Discourages some diseases such as clubroot in brassicas
  • Makes clay soils workable by flocculation
  • Can make other nutrients available

LIME LIMITATIONS:

  • Sandy soil will revert back to being more acidic quickly
  • Lime may burn foliage

SULPHUR BENEFITS:

  • Lowers pH
  • Cheap

SULPHUR LIMITATIONS:
- Can take weeks to take effect and can be months in winter

ORGANIC MATERIALS BENEFITS:

  • Improves soil structure
  • effective over a long period

ORGANIC MATERIALS LIMITATIONS:

  • Slow effect
  • May have P&D
  • Bulky
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16
Q

Name 3 Calcifuges

A

Lime hating plants - need acidic soil:

  • Rhododendron ponticum
  • Camelia japonica
  • Pieris japonica
  • Vaccinium corymbosum
17
Q

Name 3 plants suitable for neutral pH

A
  • Malus domestica
  • Cucumis sativus
  • Daucus carota
18
Q

Name 3 Calcicoles

A

Lime loving plants - need alkaline soil

  • Clematis montana
  • Agapanthus africanus
  • Fagus sylvatica
  • Syringa vulgaris
19
Q

What is meant by fertiliser?

A

Concentrated source of nutrients added to growing media

20
Q

Which nutrient is most likely leached from soil and therefore needed to be replace

A

Calcium. Free draining sands in areas of high rainfall will lose their Calcium ions rapidly and such soils will easily become acidic

21
Q

Characteristics of organic and inorganic sources of nutrients

A

Organic nutrients (=carbon containing)

  • Derived from living organisms
  • Often consist of waste products
  • Usually contain trace elements
  • Can be some variability

Inorganic nutrients

  • From non living materials
  • Most artificially made
  • Some, like ground rock, are suitable in an organic system
22
Q

What is meant by “Soluble Fertiliser” and give example

A
  • Dissolve immediately with water

Example: Ammonium sulphate

23
Q

What is meant by “Slow Release Fertiliser” and give example

A
  • Don’t dissolve immediately with water but provide nutrients in soluble form over a long period of time.
    Example: Bone meal
24
Q

What is meant by “Straight Fertilisers” and give example

A
  • Supplies one major nutrient

Example: Ammonium sulphate (N)

25
Q

What is meant by “Compound Fertiliser” and give example

A
  • Supplies 2 or more nutrients

Example: Growmore 7:7:7 NPK

26
Q

What is meant by “Controlled Release Fertiliser” and give example

A
  • Fertilisers held within a permeable resin coating which is released at a rate dependent on moisture and temperature
    EXAMPLE: Osmocote
27
Q

What is meant by “Base Dressing” and when would you apply it?

A

MEANING:

  • Fertiliser added to an incorporated into a growing medium prior to planting.
  • They are frequently used to supply nutrients over a long period so are often compound and slow release

APPLIED:
- Domestic Gardens dug in before sowing/planting

28
Q

What is meant by “Top Dressing” and when would you apply it?

A

MEANING:

  • Added to surface of soil/compost, possibly working in gently
  • They can be quick or slow release
  • Used to maintain nutrient levels in permanent/long term plantings and rely on irrigation/rain to deliver nutrients to the roots

APPLIED:
- When nutrients are needed after plants are established e.g lawns in autumn

29
Q

What is meant by “Liquid Feed” and when would you apply it?

A

MEANING:

  • Fertilisers dissolved and watered onto soils
  • Top dressings where dry fertilisers would be less appropriate

APPLIED:

  • Hanging baskets pot plants
  • Houseplants where nutrients are required quickly
30
Q

What is meant by “Foliar Feed” and when would you apply it?

A

MEAINING:

  • Fertilisers used to correct imbalances/deficiencies rapidly so could be straight (Epson salts to supply magnesium) or compound (Seaweed to act as a tonic)
  • Liquid feed diluted sufficiently so can be watered onto leaves without damaging/scorching
  • Immediate uptake

APPLIED:

  • Routine
  • First thing in morning
31
Q

Comparison of organic matter to fertilisers

A

OM bulky F concentrated
OM low nutrient content F high
OM imprecise control F precise control
OM slow effect F quick effect except slow release
OM effective over long period F effect may be quickly lost
OM improves soil structure F no impact on soil structure
OM will contain pests and diseases F no pests and diseases

32
Q

Describe construction of a compost heap

A

AEROBIC (Hot heap)
- Material added all at once

ANAEROBIC (Cold heap)
- Material added gradually as it becomes available

ESTABLISHMENT

  • Position in a sheltered area away from wind, orientated away from heat e.g. south and west
  • To be constructed on bare soil, wooden sides, cover to keep excessive rain off, compost heap to be minimum size of 1m3, material to be layered inside the compost heap.
  • Make rodent proof
  • Easy access
  • Consider visual concerns

CHOICE OF MATERIAL:
- Green material (nitrogen rich):
Suitable materials include vegetable peelings, shredded prunings, herbaceous material, newsprint, tea leaves, animal manure
Avoid: perennial weeds/seeds/diseased/cooked material/coloured magazines/toxic manures
- Woody material can be shredded first for quicker breakdown.
Suitable materials: plant stems, woody twigs, straw, newspaper, corrugated cardboard.
Avoid any material treated with herbicides or that is affected by pests and diseases.

RATIO:
- Mixture of soft green: sappy, nitrogen rich and brown: woody, carbon rich material
Ratio: 2 thirds brown 1 third green
- No material of the same type should be added in a layer of more than 15cm.

AERATION:

  • Air should be allowed through the base and the sides of the heap
  • Turn regularly to allow air to penetrate and to give micro organisms the oxygen they need to break down the material
  • Air is introduced by turning the heap. After 4 turnings heap is left to mature
  • Anaerobic requires no turning other making sure materials around the edge are mixed into the middle

MOISTURE CONTENT:

  • The plant material within the bin should always be moist and so the bins should be watered in dry conditions. Water can be applied with a can or hose
  • Do not allow to become waterlogged

LIME:
- Depending on the ingredients lime may need to be added especially with an anaerobic heap where a lower pH may be generated

pH:
- Brandling worms are likely to be present and would appreciate a higher pH from liming

TEMPERATURE:
- A minimum of 65 degress is required to kill a range of weed seeds and fungal spores

INSULATION:

  • Insulate both heaps
  • Anaerobic - plastic cone popular

ACCELERATORS:

  • Compost activators are not usually required if there is a good balance of material volumes
  • To aid breakdown processes tiger or brandling worms can be added
  • Powders/granules can be used

VOLUME:
- Fo aerobic a minimum of cubic metre

DEVELOPMENT:

  • Start the filling of each bin with a woody layer as this will improve the bins’ drainage and aeration potential
  • Add as much material as possible in any one go thoroughly mixing the green and brown materials
  • Turn the compost heap regularly by turning the outer edges into the centre to ensure that all the material can become hot
  • Once the material has rotted down to form a dark, crumbly texture the compost is ready to use
33
Q

Name 2 organic fertilisers

A 
Seaweed
Liquid comfrey
Nettle feed
Poultry manure pellets
Fish blood and bone 
Bonemeal
34
Q

Name 2 inorganic fertilisers

A

Miracle-Gro
Sulphate of Potash
Growmore
Sulphate of Ammonia

35
Q

Describe the influence of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus on plant growth and development

A

Nitrogen: Leafy growth, needed in proteins, DNA, chlorophyll
Potassium: Fruit and flower growth, hardiness, stomatal opening
Phosphorus: Root growth. ATP (respiration)

36
Q

State the benefits and limitations of nutrient sources

A

BENEFITS (Organic):

  • They are oftne waste materials
  • Good range of nurients including trace elements
  • Most will deliver nutrients gradually

LIMITATIONS (Organic):

  • Sometimes the content is variable
  • There is possible contamination e.g. slaughterhouse products
  • Availability can fluctuate

BENEFITS (Non-organic):

  • Often cheap
  • Can be made easy to apply in regular shaped granules
  • Specialist such as controlled release

LIMITATIONS (Non-organic):

  • A lot of energy can be used in their manufacture
  • Control release has a plastic polymer covering which releases the nutrients when the moisture and temperature levels are correct for the target plant to be in active growth. Can cause problems in very warm Springs resulting in quicker release than intended or in colder late Springs causing a delay.
  • Trace elements are frequently excluded
  • Quick release can cause pollution problems

RHS L2 R2102 (2 decks)

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