The Phytotrophologie, of Greek phyton plant, Trophologie nourishing teachings, thus plant nourishing teachings or briefly: Plant nutrition treats the nutrition of the cultivated plants as subsection of agricultural chemistry. The interdisciplinary Forschungsgebiet develops from questions of the Bodenkunde, botanischen bases and applied topics for the yield and quality increase in agriculture, horticulture, forestry and nutrition science.

Aspects and classification of the Phytotrophologie

• plant-physiological questions - plant nutrition as supply of materials for growth;
• ecological topics - nutrition of the plant regarding location and environment;
• agronomische questions - yield quantity, quality as goal size of plant growth;

While the plant physiology dedicates itself to nourishing questions as botanisches subsection independently of the substrate, in the plant nutrition the straight influence of the substrate on growth is investigated. The ecology is occupied (also) with the plants at the location - the plant nutrition with the yield of cultivated plants at the location; the Bodenkunde regards the soil and its characteristics - the plant nutrition the soil as location of the plants.

Agriculture and crop farming profit to the chemical aspects of the fertilization from the investigated connections. Here it was historically for a long time disputed whether the plants nourish themselves of humus (humus theory), or whether mineral feeding elements for the plant nutrition are decisive. With the discovery of the main nutrients and further essential trace nutrients this question could be clarified by vegetation attempts scientifically.

Historical development

• Humus theory of Aristoteles, (approx. 350 v.Chr.) - humus as nutrient;
• Palissy, (1563) - influence of salt and ash;
• van Helmont, (1620) - vegetation attempt with water as nutrient;
• John Woodward, (1699) - "dirty" casting water is better, than clean water;
• Carl_Wilhelm_Scheele, (1770) - plants produce CO2;
• Joseph_Priestley, (1775) - plants separate CO2;
• Ingen Housz, (1779) - influence of light for gas metabolisms;
• Nicolas_Theodore_de_Saussure, (1804) - quantitative clearing-up of photosynthesis;
• Jean Baptiste Boussingault, (1836-1839) accurate nutrient attempts;
• Carl parish, (1825-1835) fundamentals of the mineral material theory;
• Justus of Liebig, (1840) break-through of agricultural chemistry;

Plant growth and yield

Biomass production for food and vegetable raw materials results to physical, chemical or biotischer nature from growth on the basis of the photosynthesis and further growth factors -. Yield factors are climatic and soil factors, availability of water, of nutrients, presence of toxic materials, pH value of the substrate, organic substances.

The quantitative connections are determined in vegetation attempts and by means of analytic methods. The results are represented in the form of statistic statements and/or as yield law. An example for this is represented the liebigsche minimum law, in the picture of the minimum ton or the optimum law and further results to growth factors.

To be examined and optimized also the yield possibilities in connection of fertilization, irrigation, resistance of the plants by nourishing factors, yield quality, food quality - for example protein content in wheat or nitrate content in sheet vegetables.

See also

• Fertilization
• Soil fertility
• Nutrient (plant)
• Stickstoffkreislauf

Literature

• Arnold Finck, Kiel 1976: Plant nutrition in references, ISBN 3-554-80197-6

Articles in category "Plant nutrition"

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