How do plants get nutrients?

Plants require sixteen essential nutrients from nature for their growth and development. All these nutrients are obtained from air, water, and soil. Soil is the major source of nutrients. Thirteen of these nutrients are available from soil. The remaining three nutrients (carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen) are obtained from air and water.

Plants require sixteen essential nutrients from nature for their growth and development. All these nutrients are obtained from air, water, and soil. Soil is the major source of nutrients. Thirteen of these nutrients are available from soil. The remaining three nutrients (carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen) are obtained from air and water.

Nutrients are supplied to plants by air, water and soil. There are sixteen nutrients which are essential for plants. Air supplies carbon and oxygen, hydrogen comes from water and soil supplies the other thirteen nutrients, six are required in large quantities and are therefore called macro nutrients. The other seven nutrients are used by plants in small quantities and are therefore called micro-nutrients.

A nutrient is a substance of chemical nature. It is needed by organisms for the purpose of carrying out activities of life. Green plants capture solar energy using chlorophyll in their leaves. Photosynthesis is the chemical process by which producers capture light energy from the sun and absorb nutrients and water through their roots. Therefore, plants need to get fluids and nutrients from the ground up through their stems to different parts that are above ground level.

The chemical equation is:

6CO₂ + 6H₂O + light energy

            ↓

C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂

[ carbon dioxide +water +sunlight yields sugar (food) and oxygen]

Nutrients act as second energy source for plants growth. They obtain these 16 essential macronutrients and micronutrients from air, water, and soil. Hydrogen, oxygen and carbon are consumed from air and water. Major portion of nutrients come from soil.