The basic requirements of all the plants are
macromolecules, such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats,
minerals, and water. These elements help in the growth and
development of plants. This article discusses the various methods involved in
the growth and development of the plants and the conditions that aid in
monitoring the necessity of these methods.
Methods to analyze the mineral requirements of plants
A well-known botanist in 1860 called Julius Von Sachs
could demonstrate that plants can be grown in a well-defined nutritious
environment in the absence of the soil. This technique of growing plants in a
nutrient solution is called “Hydroponics”. From then onwards various methods
were developed and improved to find out the essential mineral nutrients for the
plant growth. All these methods focused basically on growing the plants in a
defined mineral solution in the complete absence of soil. Mineral nutrient
salts and purified water were essential for running these methods.
Series of experiments were conducted in which plant roots
were immersed in the nutrient solution. Each of the
elements was added and removed alternately to check the necessity of
that particular element in the growth of the plant. Gradually, a mineral
solution that is appropriate for the optimal plant growth was designed and
developed. The essential elements for the plant were recognized by this method.
Hydroponics is a technique that is used commercially in the production of
vegetables, like lettuce, tomato, and seedless cucumber. It has also been found that
nutrient solutions have to be aerated to support optimal growth of the plant.
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