The Soil Plant System in Relation to Inorganic Nutrition

Contents: I. Introduction. II. Soil-plant relationships in iron uptake. 1. Dynamics of the Soil-Plant System. 2. Characterization of the Soil System. 3. The Plant System. 4. The Soil-Plant Continuum. III : Supplying Nutrients to Plants: 5. Plant Nutrient Removals and Mobility. 6. Determination of Soil Nutrient Supply. 7. Principles of Fertilizer Application. IV : Epilogue. References. Author Index. Subject Index. The Book It is rather an attempt to view the dynamics of the process of ion uptake in relation to those physical and chemical processes that must be considered both in understanding any observation made on the soil-plant system and in predicting the results of any stress placed on the system; such stress might, for example, be the removal of nutrients by the plant or the addition of nutrients by fertilization. The emphasis throughout is on an understanding of both problems and the considerations necessary to solve them rather than on the solution of any individual problem. Nevertheless, this is not presented as a literature review or recording of facts, but rather as an over-all view as seen by the authors; finite conclusions are generally drawn. Nevertheless, it should be pointed out that much of the understanding and principles developed both on the more fundamental and the applied aspects have involved isotope applications. This is particularly evident in the subject matter coverage of solid-phase-soil-solution relationships, movement of ions to the roots, into the roots (active or passive), and translocation to the shoot, the mobility of nutrients, laboratory, greenhouse, and field evaluation of soil nutrient supply and when, where, and what kind of fertilizer to apply. (jacket). …