soil nutrients
Plant food underground
Soil nutrients are chemical elements and compounds in the ground that plants absorb through their roots to grow.
The primary ones—nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium—appear on fertilizer labels as N-P-K ratios.
Secondary nutrients include calcium, magnesium, and sulfur, while trace elements like iron and zinc are needed in smaller amounts.
Farmers test for soil nutrients to determine what amendments their land requires: The soil nutrients were depleted after years of intensive farming.
- potassiumNineteenth element, symbol K
- bone mealCrushed skeletal fertilizer
- blood mealDried, powdered animal protein
- boronFifth element, symbol B
- nitrogenElement seven, colorless gas
compost · calcium · iron · phosphorus · manganese · nitrification · slow release · zinc · micronutrients · mineralization · pH balance · sulfur · molybdenum · manure · cobalt · nickel · chlorine · earthworms
- Growing Conditionssunlight, moisture, drainage, climate, shade
- Soiltopsoil, subsoil, dirt, loam, earth
- Biological Transportdiffusion, osmosis, carrier proteins, endocytosis, exocytosis
- soil biologydecomposers, mycorrhizae, nitrogen fixation, decomposition, beneficial bacteria
- swidden farmingslash and burn, slash-and-burn, shifting cultivation, swidden, ray
soil nutrientsheavy metals
Dense metallic environmental contaminants
salt buildup · toxic runoff · industrial pollutants · lead contamination · arsenic
soil nutrientsnutrient depletion
Loss of essential substances
nutrient deficiency · barren soil · depleted soil · mineral deficiency · desertification