How Nutrient Uptake by Plants Depends on Soil PH?

Plants can take up nutrients from the soil through their root system. A ph that is too low makes it difficult for plants to uptake nutrients, whereas a high ph makes it difficult for plants to remove toxins from the soil. Soil PH is a complex indicator indicating how much and what nutrients plants have available for uptake.

What is SOIL-APPLIED NUTRITION?

Plants absorb nutrients when they are in a water solution. Soil-applied nutrients are moved into the root during water uptake and distributed in the tree along with water.

Fertilized soil has an equal and uniform distribution of nutrients in all parts of the plant. Fertilizers such as granular fertilizer, controlled-release fertilizer, and fertigation are all soil-applied fertilization methods.

Granular Fertilizers:

A granular fertilizer is broadcast over the entire area of planting. The granules are then broken down by rainfall or irrigation into smaller pieces that plants can take up through their roots. This method works well for smaller plants where you want to apply a single type of fertilizer rather than multiple types of fertilizer at once (which would require spreading). However, it is not ideal for large areas because it can result in uneven application across your lawn or garden patch.

Controlled-Release Fertilizers:

Controlled-release fertilizers have similar release rates to granular fertilizers but also contain micronutrients that help plants absorb more nutrients over time.

SOIL PH AND NUTRIENT INTERACTIONS

 Soil pH is a measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. Soil pH affects the availability of nutrients to plants and can also affect the structure and composition of soils.

At high soil pH, most of the micronutrients bind to the soil and become unavailable for plant uptake.

At very low pH, most of the macro-and secondary nutrients become unavailable for plant uptake. Maintaining even a slight range in soil pH will help ensure adequate nutrient uptake by plants.

The goal is to have the proper soil pH range for nutrient uptake. The preferred range for soil pH in Florida citrus production with HLB-affected trees is 5.8 – 6.5

Why Is Soil pH Important? 

Soil pH is a measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of soil. It is measured on a scale from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral (neither acidic nor alkaline) and 14 being highly acidic or alkaline.

All the essential nutrients or micronutrients are unavailable to plants in every pH range. Few are available in acidic conditions, while others are present in alkaline conditions, which favor plant growth, but an excess amount of these nutrients can affect plant growth. 

Maintaining a proper pH also leads to good soil health and production. Keeping the soil pH can also decrease the number of weeds and increase microbial activity.  

Not maintaining proper pH can also decrease the beneficial bacteria like rhizobium that are helpful in nitrogen fixation.

Ways To Maintain Proper pH of soil.

Farmers can correct acidic soils by adding liming materials, like limestone and quicklime. Liming materials neutralizes soil acidity, decreasing the toxicity of aluminum, manganese, and calcium deficiency. Alkaline soils can be corrected by adding gypsum to the soil, adding organic amendments like rice husk, compost, or growing green manure crops.

Proper water and soil management techniques can increase the decomposition of organic matter and even allow us to grow acid-tolerant crops like potatoes, tomatoes, and carrots. We can also use chemicals that help create a balanced pH level in the soil.

To ensure that the plants are receiving all the nutrients they need and avoiding toxicity or deficiency symptoms, always check the pH of your soil.

Final Note

It is crucial to check the pH of the soil before and after watering the plants. It is also essential to check the pH of the fertilizer, too. If you are unsure about your soil pH, you can use a hand-held meter to test it at home. Also, you must know what kind of plants you have on your land and how much nutrients they need.