Before revision: Nutrients + Plant nutrients, their chemical symbols, and the ionic forms common in soils and available for plant uptake Element Symbol Ion or molecule Carbon C CO2 (mostly through leaves) Hydrogen H H+, H2O (water) Oxygen O O2−, OH−, , , CO2 Phosphorus P , (phosphates) Potassium K K+ Nitrogen N , (ammonium, nitrate) Sulfur S Calcium Ca Ca2+ Iron Fe Fe2+, Fe3+ (ferrous, ferric) Magnesium Mg Mg2+ Boron B H3BO3, , Manganese Mn Mn2+ Copper Cu Cu2+ Zinc Zn Zn2+ Molybdenum Mo (molybdate) Chlorine Cl Cl− (chloride) Adequate plant growth and reproduction hinge on the availability of seventeen essential elements or nutrients .
After revision: Nutrients + Plant nutrients, their chemical symbols, and the ionic forms common in soils and available for plant uptake Element Symbol Ion or molecule Carbon C CO2 (mostly through leaves) Hydrogen H H+, H2O (water) Oxygen O O2−, OH−, , , CO2 Phosphorus P , (phosphates) Potassium K K+ Nitrogen N , (ammonium, nitrate) Sulfur S Calcium Ca Ca2+ Iron Fe Fe2+, Fe3+ (ferrous, ferric) Magnesium Mg Mg2+ Boron B H3BO3, , Manganese Mn Mn2+ Copper Cu Cu2+ Zinc Zn Zn2+ Molybdenum Mo (molybdate) Chlorine Cl Cl− (chloride) Seventeen elements or nutrients .