CHAPTER-12 MINERAL NUTRITION Mineral nutrition is the study of source, mode of absorption, distribution and metabolism of various inorganic substances (minerals) by plants for their growth, development, structure, physiology and reproduction. Methods to study the Mineral Requirement of Plants Hydroponics is the technique of growing plants in nutrient solution in complete absence of soil. This method is used to determine the nutrients essential for plants. In this method plant is cultured in soil-free, defined mineral solution. These methods require purified water and mineral nutrients . Essential elements are identified and their deficiency symptoms are discovered by hydroponics methods. It is also used for commercial production of vegetables, like tomato and cucumber. Essential mineral nutrients- About 65 elements are found in different plants. Following criteria is used to determine the essentiality of an element. Element must be absolutely necessary for the normal growth and re