Question

What is meant by essentiality of plant nutrients? What is the difference between an essential element and a beneficial element? Describe the steps you would go through in order to determine the essentiality or non-essentiality of an element for a higher plant.

Can a plant nutritionist contribute to preventing malnutrition in human beings? Explain this statement with examples.                                   

Answer 1

PLANT NUTRIENTS

                 The need of nutrients for plants is as same as, need for nutrients for animals too. Nutrients helps plants to grow ,repair, and make energy for sustainment. The mineral nutrient elements plays essential roles such as metabolism , regulation of osmolarity between cells, maintaining needfull production of plant hormones for co-ordinated regulation, for healthier food production .etc..Plant productivity depends on the efficient discharges of these functions. So we can understand the essentiality of plant nutrients in the plant and for healthy sustainment of our ecosystem.

• Difference between an essential element and a beneficial element

                   

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS		BENEFICIAL ELEMENTS
Compulsory for normal growth		Not compulsory for normal growth
Element can't be replaced by another element		Element can be replaced or can be eliminated for plant nutrition.
Hold a major role in plant growth and found in every plants		Can promote plant growth at smaller levels and found in trace quantities in plants
Elements are required by every plants in the biosphere		Element is not required for every plants
Has a great role in functioning metabolism in the plant cells		Doesn't hold a good role in functioning of metabolism.
Examples; Phosphurus Potassium Calcium Sulphur Iron .etc....		Examples Silicon Cobalt Gold Selenium Strontium

                The criteria /steps for essentiality of an element are

• The element must be absolutely necessary for supporting normal growth and reproduction. In the absence of the element the plants do not complete their life cycle or sets of seeds.
• The requirement of element must be specific and can't be replaced by oyher elements.
• The element must directly involve in metabolism of the plant.

                               The rise in noncommunicable chronic diseases associated with changing diet and lifestyles throughout the world is a major challenge for society. It is possible that certain dietary components within plants have roles both in reducing the incidence and progression of these diseases, with the help of , health promoting phytochemicals and plant-based foods with studying the importance of nutrients in these plants

                             Enhancing the nutritional quality , on plant based approaches to the allevuating micronutrient deficiencies have been widely advocated by so many international agencies.

                               A further example is to include

• Aubergine,okra,peas,beans,oats.etc, are kind of soluble fibre helping in lower glycaemic index, beneficial for prevention of cardiovascular system and are good for type 2 diabetes.