ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER VOLUME-6 | ISSUE-5 | MAY - 2017 | ISSN No 2277 - 8179 | IF : 4.176 | IC Value : 78.

46

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

CRITICAL LEVELS OF MICRO AND SECONDARY NUTRIENTS IN SOILS AND

CROPS FOR OPTIMUM PLANT NUTRITION

Agricultural Science
Dr. T.
Dept. of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Regional Sugarcane and Rice Research
Prabhakar Station, Rudrur, Nizamabad, PJTSAU, Telangana, India
Reddy
D. Vijaya Dept. of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Regional Sugarcane and Rice Research
Lakshmi Station, Rudrur, Nizamabad, PJTSAU, Telangana, India

Dept. of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Regional Sugarcane and Rice Research
J. Kamalakar Station, Rudrur, Nizamabad, PJTSAU, Telangana, India

Ch. Sambasiva Dept. of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Regional Sugarcane and Rice Research
Rao Station, Rudrur, Nizamabad, PJTSAU, Telangana, India
ABSTRACT
Critical limits of deficiency of micronutrients in soils and plants are usually employed to advice on need of micronutrient fertilization. e aim
of good nutrition plan is to keep all nutrients at the optimum level. Below the optimum concentration, conditions start developing into
deficiency and above the optimum towards wasteful and then toxic levels. e soil critical levels established for Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, B, Mo and S were
0.6, 0.2, 4.0, 2.0, 0.5, 0.2 and 10.0 mg kg-1, respectively. Diagnosis and prevention of nutrient deficiency and toxicity requires a further knowledge
of symptomology with critical values of any particular element in plants too.
KEYWORDS:
Critical levels, Soils and plants, Secondary and micronutrients

Introduction micronutrient pool that represents the native level of plant usable
Green revolution has greatly increased the crop production in India, pool, it is more often the basis to decide the occurrence of deficiency
but continuous cultivation of high yielding crop varieties have led to or sufficiency status.
depletion of native micronutrient soil fertility and now most of the
soils are showing sign of fatigue for sustaining higher crop Table: 1 Total and available micronutrient contents of the benc
production. World over micronutrients gaining much importance hmark soils of India
not only for their role in sustaining higher crop yields but such Micronutrie Total Available content
increased nutritional deficiency in soil and seed is more affecting nts content (mg (mg kg-1)
plant, animal and human health. Deficiency of Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, B, Mo kg-1)
and S has been noticed in 48, 12, 4, 5, 33, 13 and 41 % of soils of India,
Range Mean Range Mean
respectively. Zinc deficiency in soils is further expected to increase
from 49 to 63 % by the year 2025 as most of the marginal soils are Zn 20 - 97 55 0.12 – 2.80 0.54
being brought under cultivation. Besides this, hidden hunger of Fe 13000 - 33000 3.40 – 68.1 20.5
micronutrients is widely noticed leading to even entire failure of 80000
crops and reduced content of micronutrients in plant parts (Singh Mn 38 – 1941 537 4.00 – 102.0 26.0
and Bahera, 2007). Efforts are on to improve the soil micronutrient Cu 11 – 141 41 0.15 – 5.33 1.7
fertility for achieving higher crop yields, nutritional security and B 2.8 – 630 - 0.04 – 7.40 1.7
ensuring quality produce rich in micronutrients. Mo Traces – 12.3 - Traces – 2.80 -
Historically, no special efforts were made to supply secondary and Rattan et al., 1999
micronutrients since these got added through other nutrient sources
either as adjacent radicals or as contaminants or supplied through Critical limits of micro and secondary nutrients in soils
organic manures. With intensification of agriculture, usage of
straight fertilizers and rising crop requirements due to increasing Elucidation of critical levels of micronutrients delineating the
productivity levels, have heightened the secondary and micron deficiency, optimum and toxic range is very important with respect
utrient demand in soil fertility management and are increasingly to fertilizers application. e critical levels vary with the soil fertility
becoming major constraint to achieve increased agricultural states and the crop and the cultivator levels. Diagnosis and
production including cereal and oil seed crops (Joshi et al., 2000). prevention of nutrient deficiency and toxicity requires a further
knowledge of symptomology with critical values of any particular
e total and available micronutrient contents of Indian soils given element in plants too (Mishra and Sharma, 1991).
by Rattan et al. (1999) are presented in table 1. Observed variability in
the total micronutrient contents of Indian soils is a mirror of the Critical levels of micronutrients in soils greatly accepted in India are
diversity of the parent materials (Rocks and Minerals) from which given in Table 2. Katyal and Rattan (2003) established critical levels
these have originated. e available nutrient content at a given time f o r m i c ro n u tr i e n t s i n s o i l s w h i c h i s h e l p f u l i n g iv i n g
is only a very small fraction of the total amount present. Katyal (2001) recommendations to farmers for different crops. e soil critical
concluded that the total content of micronutrients is a poor established for Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, B, Mo and S were 0.6, 0.2, 4.0, 2.0, 0.5, 0.2
predictor of their supplying power to the plants. Its soil available and 10.0 mg kg-1, respectively.

594 International Journal of Scientific Research

VOLUME-6 | ISSUE-5 | MAY - 2017 ISSN No 2277 - 8179 | IF : 4.176 | IC Value : 78.46

Table: 2 Critical levels of deficiency of micronutrients in soils Tandon, 1993

usually adopted in India for delineation purposes
ere is an optimum concentration level at which each nutrients is
Nutrient Extractant Critical level
neither deficient, nor wasteful, nor toxic. e aim of good nutrition
(mg kg-1)
plan is to keep all nutrients at the optimum level. Below the optimum
Zn DTPA 0.4-1.2 (0.6) concentration, conditions start developing into deficiency and above
Fe DTPA 2.5-4.5 the optimum towards wasteful and then toxic levels. As the supply of
Ammonium acetate 2.0 nutrient increases, so does plant growth till the nutrient
Cu DTPA or Ammonium acetate 0.2 concentration reaches an optimum level, beyond which no useful
Mn DTPA 2.0 purpose is served. On the contrary, higher concentrations can lead to
B Hot water 0.5 toxicity and can even kill the plant.
Mo Ammonium oxalate 0.2
Critical levels of micronutrients in plants greatly accepted in India
S 0.15 % CaCl2 2H2O 10
are given in Table 5. e critical levels may differ not only for soils and
Katyal and Rattan, 2003; Tandon, 1999 crops species but also for different varieties of a given crop (Sharma,
1996). Higher concentrations can lead to toxicity and can even kill the
Based on several field and green house experiments, Singh (1998) plant. Special care has to be taken with the application of B, Cu and
established relationship between crop yield response and available Mo for which the difference between deficiency and toxicity level is
micronutrient content in soil. Critical levels for Zn, Cu, Fe and B has narrow. Some toxic levels are reported by Jones (1992) for Cu (over 20
been established which were given in Table 3. ppm), B (over 200 ppm), Zn (over 400 ppm) and Mn (over 500 ppm) in
mature leaf tissues.
Table 3: Critical concentration of available micronutrients and
sulphur for soils Table 5: Critical levels of deficiency of micronutrients in plants
Nutrient DTPA extractable micronutrient content (mg kg-1) usually adopted in India for delineation purposes
Very low Low Marginal Adequate Nutrient Critical level in plant dry matter
Sulphur <5.00 5.00-10.00 10.0-15.0 >15.00 (mg kg-1 dry matter)
Zn <0.30 0.30-0.75 0.60-1.50 >1.50 Zn 10-20
Cu <0.10 0.10-0.20 0.20-0.40 >0.40 Fe 50 (25-80)
Fe <2.50 2.50-4.50 4.50-7.50 >7.50 Cu 4 (3-10)
Mn <1.00 1.00-2.00 2.00-4.00 >4.00 Mn 20 (10-30)
B <0.25 0.25-0.50 0.50-0.75 >0.75 B 20
Mo <0.05 0.05-0.10 0.10-0.20 >0.20 Mo 0.1
Singh (1998) Katyal and Rattan, 2003; Tandon, 1999

e amount of nutrient extracted under a set of conditions is termed REFERENCES

as available nutrient or also the soil test value. Singh (1998) 1. Jones, J.B. (1992) Plant Analysis Handbook. A Practical Sample Preparation, Analysis
and Interpretation Guide. Micro-Macro Publishing Inc. USA.
categorized soil as (i) low, medium or high in available nutrient 2. Jones, J.B. (1992) Plant Analysis Handbook. A Practical Sample Preparation, Analysis
content (ii) deficient, marginal or sufficient and (iii) above or below and Interpretation Guide. Micro-Macro Publishing Inc. USA.
the critical level of availability. e main point is that soils which test 3. Katyal, J.C. (2001) Fertilizer use situation in India. Journal of Indian Society of Soil
Science. 49: 570–592.
low, deficient, or below the critical level, will usually need a nutrient 4. Katyal, J.C. and Rattan, R.K. (2003) Secondary and micronutrients: Research gaps and
application to support satisfactory crop yields. If the critical level is future needs. Fertilizer News. 48(4): 9-14.
well founded and adequately validated, the probability of crop 5. Misra, A. and Sharma, S. (1991) Zn Concentration for Essential Oil Yield and Menthol
Concentration of Japanese Mint. Fertilizer Research. 29: 261-265.
response to the application of a nutrient should be high when values 6. Rattan, R.K, Saharan, Neelam and Datta, S.P. (1999) Micronutrient depletion in Indian
are below the critical level and low above the critical level. Most of the soils extent, causes and remedies. Fertiliser News. 44(2):43-50.
critical levels reported in India have not been adequately field tested 7. Sharma, C.P. (Ed.) (1996) Deficiency Symptoms and Critical Concentration of
Micronutrients in Crop Plants. Bulletin, Botany Dept, Lucknow University, Lucknow.
and this continues to be one of the weak spots as far as practical Pp. 110.
application of these values is concerned. 8. Singh, M.V. and Bahera S.K. (2007) Issues and Srategies deficiencies in developing
customized fertilizers for enhancing crop production, In: Proceeding national
seminar on customized fertilizer. IISS, Bhopal.
Critical limits of micro and secondary nutrients in plants 9. Singh, M.V. (1998) 28th progress report of AICRP on Micro and Secondary Nutrients
A given critical limit is quite often employed for a wide variety of soils and Pollutent Elements in Soil and Plants. IISS, Bhopal, Pp. 102.
and crops, even though it is known that these critical limits may differ 10. Tandon, H.L.S. (1993) Micronutrients soils, crops and fertilisers. A Source Book-cum-
Directory. 2nd Edition, FDCO, New Delhi, Pp. 177.
not only for soils and crop species but also for different varieties of a 11. Tandon, H.L.S. (1999) Methods of analysis of soils, plants, waters and fertilizers. FDCO,
given crop. Commonly found concentrations of micronutrients in New Delhi, Pp. 143.
plant tissue are provided in Table 4.

Table 4: General micronutrient concentrations in plant dry

matter
Micronutrient Concentration Remarks
dry matter basis
Boron 2 – 100 ppm Usually 20 ppm, much higher
in dicots (legumes) than in
monocots (cereals etc)
Copper 5 – 20 ppm Usually, less than 5 – 20 ppm
Iron 50 – 150 ppm Usually 100 ppm
Molybdenum 0.1 – 2 ppm Uaually below 1 ppm
Zinc 20 – 100 ppm Usually 20 – 50 ppm
Chlorine 0.2 – 2 % Much above the actual
required

International Journal of Scientific Research 595