Question

It is very easy to establish the essentials of micronutrients because they are required only in trace quantities.
A. True
B. False

Answer 1

Hint: As the macronutrients are required in large amounts, it is very easy to establish the essence of this type of nutrients.

Complete answer:
- Any of the minerals found in the soil can reach the plant via the roots. In fact, more than 60 of the 105 elements discovered so far have been found in different plants. Some plant species are collecting selenium, several are gold, and certain plants developing near nuclear test sites are picking up radioactive strontium. There are techniques that can detect minerals even at a very low concentration.
- Only a few elements have been found to be completely necessary for plant growth and metabolism on the basis of the essentiality requirements of the material. These components are further classified into two large groups on the basis of their quantitative criteria. There are: macronutrients and micronutrients.
- In general, macronutrients are found in vast quantities in plant tissues. Macronutrients include hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, phosphorus, nitrogen, sulphur, potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
- Of these, carbon, hydrogen and oxygen are primarily derived from carbon dioxide and water, while the others are consumed from the soil as mineral nutrients.
- Micronutrients or trace elements are required in very small quantities. Therefore, it is very difficult to establish the essentials of micronutrients because they are required only in trace quantities. Micronutrients contain chlorine, iron, copper, molybdenum, manganese, zinc, boron, and nickel.

Thus, the correct answer is option B. i.e., False.

Note: Most of the mineral elements present in soil and plants can absorb these minerals through their roots according to their requirement. But, some elements are absorbed by plants because they are present in excess amounts.