sweet sixteen · 2020. 3. 2. · sweet sixteen (or 13 or 14 or 18): basic plant nutrients earth...

sweet sixteen (or 13 or 14 or 18): basic plant nutrients

EARTH SYSTEMS

ACHRI/DGS/KFK/080112/V1 DRAFT COPY • ©2012 Delta Garden Study.

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Frameworks

sCIeNCeNS 1.6.5 Communicate results and conclusions from scientific inquiry. NS 1.7.5 Communicate results and conclusions from scientific inquiry.ESS 8.8.17 Identify the basic nutrients needed by plants that are present in the soils: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium.

LaNGUaGe arTsOV 1.6.1 Develop vocabulary from content area texts and personal reading. OV 1.7.1 Use vocabulary from content area texts and personal reading. OV 1.8.1 Use vocabulary from content area texts and reading/literature.

s objeCTIvesThe students will learn:

objeCTIve #1 To name the main nutrients required for plant growth and survival.

objeCTIve #2 To describe the benefits of the main nutrients in plants.

objeCTIve #3 To describe the function of fertilizer.

objeCTIve #4 To name types of fertilizers.

objeCTIve #5 To appropriately use verbal speaking skills in class discussion with the teacher and Garden Program Specialist.


EARTH SYSTEMS • Sweet Sixteen: Teachers’ Guide

Garden

soil o

ften needs to be amended (fertilized) to

compensate for a lack of primary nutrients.

overvIewFor optimal growth, plants need to absorb non-mineral nutrients from air and water and mineral nutrients from the soil. Most farm and garden soils need to be fertilized to ensure adequate amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

GardeN aCTIvITIes▲s Amending the soil with fertilizer or compost

▲s Recipes and Taste tests as time permits (refer to Delta Garden Study Recipe Book)



TIps For THE CLASS-ROOMPre-lesson preparation:

1. Determine how “The Most Important Plant Nutrients” visual will be used and prepare appropriately.

LessoN oUTLINe

activities estimated duration actual duration

in the classroom

▲s Offer the icebreaker

▲s Define minerals and explain micro and macro nutrients

5 minutes

10 minutes

in the garden ▲s Discuss plant nutrients 10 minutes

▲s Amend the soil with fertilizers as available, stressing the need to provide adequate nutrients that might be lacking

15 minutes

back in the classroom

▲s Hand out Student Workbooks, review and assign “Take it Home Activity” as homework

5 minutes

TipS fOR THE GARDENPre-lesson preparation:

1. Study the garden for possible examples of signs of nutrient deficiency and/or excess in plants. Prepare to discuss these examples with students.

2. Prepare a garden work activity amending soil, working with fertilizer, or composting.

classroommaterials needed

▲s Student Workbooks

▲s Bottle of fertilizer or empty fertilizer bag from the garden that displays weight ratio numbers (i.e., 10-24-18)

▲s Keep ”The Most Important Plant Nutrients” visual handy during class

gardenmaterials needed

▲s Garden supplies and tools appropriate for amending the soil (fertilizer, gloves, shovels, digging forks, etc.)



LessoN pLaN

I. Start in the classrooma. Icebreaker

Hold up an empty fertilizer bag and point to the numbers on the front. Ask students if they know what those numbers represent. Tell the students that you will learn what those numbers repre-sent today in the garden.

b. present main Topic▲s Define minerals and nutrients. Using visual, explain

micronutrients and macronutrients, and their relationship to feeding plants in the garden. Identify the main plant minerals and other nutrients required for optimal growth and fruit development.

II. Take class to the garden▲s Showing the list of plant nutrients on the Visual page, identify

the main plant nutrients required for optimal growth and fruit development.

meeTs objeCTIve #1

▲s Describe the benefits of the main nutrients. meeTs objeCTIve #2▲s Discuss the importance of fertilizers as a way to ensure adequate

supply of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium nutrients. Show bags or containers of different fertilizers (or pictures of bags, see Visual page) and explain what the three numbers stand for. Briefly describe how to select an appropriate fertilizer. Distinguish between synthetic and organic fertilizers.

meeTs objeCTIves #3-4

▲s Discuss signs of nutrient deficiency and excess. If available, point to real-life example in garden. Or, examine healthy plants and discuss ways to ensure sufficient nutrient supply for the remainder of the season.

meeTs objeCTIves #2–3

▲s Pick and taste available vegetables. Explain that fruit growth depends on adequate supply of all required plant nutrients.

III. Take class back to classroom▲s Hand out the Student Workbook as reference material and class

assignment. Review take it home activities and encourage students to do them.

meeTs objeCTIve #5



sUpporTING INFormaTIoN For TeaChers

baCkGroUNd

Most farming and garden soils need to be amended to ensure adequate amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and to a lesser extent, calcium and magnesium. Soil tests performed with home soil kits or at soil testing laboratories measure the nutrient content and offer fertilizer recommendations. However, the plants themselves provide clues as well.

Fertilizers can be applied in synthetic or organic form bought in bags at garden centers and retail stores.

how to interpret fertilizer labels:

Fertilizer bags are labeled with three numbers, N-P-K, which give the percentage by weight of nitrogen, phosphate (P2O5) and potash (K2O). To simplify the matter, the letters are said to represent nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. For example, a 100 pound bag of fertilizer labeled 10-10-10 contains 10 pounds of nitrogen, 10 pounds of phosphate and 10 pounds of potash. The actual phosphorus and potassium content is slightly lower. The remaining 70 pounds is a medium or carrier, which is important to ensure an even application of the fertilizer without burning plants.

Complete fertilizers contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, although they don’t have to be in equal proportions. Examples are 16-16-16 and 20-10-5. An incomplete fertilizer will be missing one or even two of the major components, such as urea (46-0-0) or triple super phosphate (0-45-0). Incomplete fertilizers can be blended to make a complete fertilizer.

Organic fertilizers contain nutrients from the remains of once-living organisms. Urea is a synthetic organic fertilizer, an organic substance manufactured from inorganic materials. Blood meal and fish emulsion are organic fertilizers. Most organic fertilizers are higher in one of the three major elements and lower in the other two; many are low in all three. In addition, organic fertilizers tend to release nutrients over a long

period of time, they don’t provide “boosts.” So they may not provide the plants with what they need when they need it. Since organic fertilizers depend on soil organisms to break them down, they are only effective when soil conditions are optimal for soil organisms, moist and warm.

some popular organic fertilizers include:▲s Cottonseed meal, with some nitrogen

and smaller amounts of phosphorus and potash. It is frequently used for fertilizing acid-loving plants such as azaleas, rhododendrons and camellias.

▲s Blood meal, the dried, powdered blood collected from cattle slaughterhouses. It is very rich in nitrogen and must be applied sparingly to avoid burning the plants.

▲s Fish emulsion, partially decomposed blend of finely pulverized fish. It is high in nitrogen and contains several trace elements.

▲s Manure contains all three major nutrients, but only in small amounts. The fresher the manure, the more nutrients it contains.

▲s Sewer sludge, a recycled product of municipal sewage treatment. It contains some nitrogen and phosphate, but also may contain heavy metals, which makes its use controversial, particularly around food crops.

▲s Wood ashes, high in potassium, but harmful to new growth, so it should be applied when the plants are dormant, i.e., in early spring, late fall or winter.

▲s Greensand, mined in places that used to be the bottom of ancient oceans. It is high in potassium and many trace minerals.

▲s Granite dust, rock powder high in potassium.

Most organic fertilizers are more beneficial as soil conditioners, rather than sources of nutrients.

Whether synthetic or organic, fertilizers are most effective when used in moderation. Too much or too little will harm the plant.



when to use which type of fertilizer:

If soil tests or other indicators point to a need for nitrogen, a fertilizer with a high first number (in relation to the other two) should be applied. Nitrogen is essential for vigorous growth and dark green leaves. It is therefore particularly important for dark, leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce and cabbage. However, too much can result in an abundance of green growth without blossoms or fruit. A tall, robust tomato plant with lots of leaves but no flowers and fruit could indicate an excess of nitrogen.

Phosphorus aids in the development of strong roots, which is important for overall plant vigor, good production of flowers and fruits and resistance to diseases. Vegetable and fruit production is increased if plants get enough phosphorus. A fertilizer with a high middle number (compared to the other two numbers) is appropriate whenever a new garden is started. A 0-4-0 fertilizer would be a good example.

Plant weaklings might lack potassium. While not overtly sick-looking, plants low in potassium often appear spindly and weak, attract more pests and disease than usual and bear puny, flavorless fruits. A lack of potassium compromises the plant’s ability to complete photosynthesis, so they don’t metabolize their food effectively. This happens relatively often with plants that grow in sandy soil, where potassium is more easily leached out by rain and irrigation. A fertilizer with a high third number would be the appropriate choice.

.

soUrCes

The ABCs of Ecology, An Educator’s Guide to Learning Outsideby Ecology Education, Inc., 2006

United states department of agriculture, Natural resources Conservation servicehttp://soils.usda.gov/education/resources/lessons/profile/

Master Gardener Arkansas HandbookUniversity of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, 2000

basic plant and soil Nutrientshttp://www.landscape-and-garden.com/ garden-soil/basic-nutrients.aspx

plant Nutrientshttp://www.ncagr.gov/cyber/kidsworld/plant/nutrient.htm

The basics of plant Nutritionhttp;//www.hydro-orchids.com/ lc-Nutrition-Basics.html



The Most Important Plant NutrientsI. Macronutrients from air and water (non-

mineral)1. Hydrogen

2. Oxygen

3. Carbon

II. Primary macronutrients from the soil (mineral)

1. Nitrogen

2. Phosphorus

3. Potassium

III. Secondary macronutrients from the soil (mineral)

1. Calcium

2. Magnesium

3. Sulfur

IV. Micronutrients (mineral)1. Boron (B)

2. Copper (Cu)

3. Chlorine (Cl)

4. Iron (Fe)

5. Manganese (Mn)

6. Zinc (Zn)

7. Nickel (Ni)

sweet sixteen (or 13 or 14 or 18): basic plant nutrients

EARTH SYSTEMS


Man

ure

phot

o by

Jeff

Vanu

ga, U

SDA

Nat

ural

Res

ourc

es C

onse

rvat

ion

Serv

ice

study guide for studentsFor optimal growth, plants need many different nutrients, chemical elements absorbed from the air, water and soil. How many differs from textbook to textbook. Some mention 12, others as many as 18, others a number in between. The inconsistencies exist because of some disagreement about which minerals are considered essential, and which ones merely beneficial. Regardless of the final number: these nutrients fall into two main groups: non-mineral nutrients and mineral nutrients.

Non-mineral nutrients, such as hydrogen and oxygen we know in gas form (oxygen in the air) or liquid form (hydrogen and oxygen in water).

Mineral nutrients are solids formed naturally from elements. You’ll find that these nutrients are commonly identified by their symbols used in the periodic table. Minerals can be made of only one element, such as gold or silver, or minerals can be compounds of one or more elements. For example, potash found in fertilizer is a compound of potassium and oxygen. (Remember from the lesson Everything Matters Part 2: a compound is a pure substance produced when two or more elements combine whose properties are different from the elements from which it is formed.) Minerals are also inorganic, which means that they did not form from anything that was once alive. For example, pearls, bone, and coal are not minerals because they originally formed from oysters, animals, and plants.

You might know minerals best as aggregates of rocks. In the lesson What Lies Beneath Part 2 we discovered that aggregates, like soil aggregates, are groups of particles that bind to each other. When minerals bind together in aggregates, they form rocks which you might find in the soil. As water or other processes break down rocks, they add their mineral nutrients into the soil where plants can access it through their roots.

Plants will show you if they have too much or too little of certain nutrients. Farmers and gardeners need to take appropriate action, such as watering more or less, providing more shade or less, or amending the soil by adding fertilizer.

Here is an overview of plant nutrients, their nutritional importance and signs of deficiency and excess.

Continued next page


Page 2 EARTH SYSTEMS • Sweet Sixteen: Study Guide

macronutrients

Macronutrients are non-minerals and minerals that organisms, such as humans and plants, need in large amounts. The tables below describe some important macronutrients for plants.

The non-mineral nutrients in this table are obtained from the air and water, so there is little that farmers and gardeners can do to control how much a plant can use of the nutrients..

non-mineral macronutrientsElement/Symbol Importance Signs of Deficiency Signs of Excess H2O Availability

Carbon (C) Photosynthesis None known None known Low

Hydrogen (H) Photosynthesis Wilting Too much water Good

Oxygen (O) Photosynthesis White areas in veins, high nitrates

None known Slow movement of water

The following are the most important mineral nutrients obtained from the soil. These elements are lacking to some degree in most soils or they get depleted during the growing season and need to be replenished by adding fertilizer or specific organic matter.

mineral macronutrientsElement/Symbol Importance Signs of Deficiency Signs of Excess H2O Availability

Nitrogen (N) Vigorous leafy growth and dark green color

Light green leaves, stunted growth

Fruit loss or lack of fruit or buds

Low

Phosphorus (P) Plant cell division, root growth and flower and seed production, disease resistance

Red or purple leaves, small fruit

Typically no visual signs

Good

Potassium (K) Disease resistance, root growth, making of chlorophyll

susceptibility to diseases, thin skin, small fruits,

Coarse, odd-colored fruit,

Slow movement of water

micronutrients

Finally, plants need some other nutrients in only small quantities; these elements are called micronutrients. They are usually available in sufficient quantities in the soil. Some farmers and gardeners disagree over exactly which nutrients are needed by plants.

▲s Boron (B)▲s Copper (Cu)▲s Chlorine (Cl)▲s Iron (Fe)▲s Manganese (Mn)▲s Molybdenum (Mo)▲s Zinc (Zn)▲s Nickel (Ni)

inorganic not alive and none of its components have ever been alive

mineral a solid naturally formed from inorganic elements, often found in the form of rocks

nutrients the substance in food that produces energy and materials for life activities

organic anything that is or has ever been alive


sweet sixteenEARTH SYSTEMS

Aclass

assignment

ESS 8.8.17 Identify the basic nutrients needed by plants that are present in the soils: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium.

1. describe three characteristics of minerals:

1. ___________________________

2. ___________________________

3. ___________________________

2. Name the three most important minerals obtained from the soil.

1. ___________________________

2. ___________________________

3. ___________________________

Take it HomeUnlike plants, people can

move around. Make it a point to move around tonight. Run, jog, walk, bike or

play outside.



Aclass

assignment

answer key

1. describe three characteristics of minerals: Answers will vary but may include; naturally formed, inorganic, made of single elements or compounds.

2. explain the difference between micronutrients and macronutrients. List three examples of each. Answers may vary but could include: Micronutrients are needed in small amounts. Macronutrients are needed in large amounts.

Examples of micronutrients:

s Copper

s Iron

s Zinc



B-Cclass

assignment

ESS 8.8.17 Identify the basic nutrients needed by plants that are present in the soils: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium.

1. describe three characteristics of minerals:

1. ___________________________

2. ___________________________

3. ___________________________

2. Name the three most important minerals obtained from the soil.

1. ___________________________

2. ___________________________

3. ___________________________

3. provide the chemical symbol next to the element: ��Calcium

��Magnesium

��Chlorine

��Iron

��Carbon

��Hydrogen

��Oxygen

��Nitrogen

��Phosphorus

��Potassium

Take it HomeUnlike plants, people can

move around. Make it a point to move around tonight. Run, jog, walk, bike or

play outside.



B-Cclass

assignment

answer key

1. describe three characteristics of minerals: Answers will vary but may include; naturally formed, inorganic, made of single elements or compounds.

2. explain the difference between micronutrients and macronutrients. List three examples of each. Answers may vary but could include: Micronutrients are needed in small amounts. Macronutrients are needed in large amounts.

Examples of micronutrients:

s Copper

s Iron

s Zinc

3. provide the chemical symbol next to the element:Ca Calcium

Mg Magnesium

Cl Chlorine

Fe Iron

C Carbon

H Hydrogen

O Oxygen

N Nitrogen

P Phosphorus

K Potassium

sweet sixteen · 2020. 3. 2. · sweet sixteen (or 13 or 14 or 18): basic plant nutrients earth...

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