Soil Chemistry and Fertility
30 | Unit 2.2
j) Others
Other micronutrients that may be of importance are:
i. Silicon
Silicon gives plants mechanical strength and may help minimize water loss and
increase disease resistance
ii. Vanadium
Vanadium is not used directly by plants but seems to be required by soil organisms,
which, in turn, benefit the plants
iii. Selenium, iodine and chromium
these elements are important to human and animal health. If they are present in the
soil they can be taken up by plants and become available to plant consumers.
Students’ Lecture Outline