The nutrient elements listed in the previous chapter can be characterized according
to various
criteria and grouped together. Depending on the question being addressed, it can be useful to refer
to these classifications.
A very good OVERVIEW of the metabolic processes in which each nutrient element is
involved can
be obtained by determining:
- The form or forms in which the element
enters the root
- The locations to which the element
moves (and how it reaches these locations)
- What happens to each element at each
location (is it reduced?, assimilated?, oxidized?,
metabolized?)
We will not go through this process for all nutrient elements, but will limit ourselves
to a few
examples. More extensive information can be found in plant physiology textbooks.
