Elements that are used in large quantities in plants are the macro nutrients and those which are essential but are used in small amounts are the micros.
Nutrients that are mobile in the plants will not show symptoms of deficiencies in the new leaves, whereas immobile nutrients will not be transferred to new leaves when deficiencies occur.
Nutrients that are mobile in the soil will be leached out by rain or excess irrigation and will need to be replenished. Areas of the globe that experience greater than 40 inches of rain per year will tend to have soils with depleted mobile nutrients.
NO3- is nitrogen in the form of nitrate and NH4+ is nitrogen in the form of ammonium.
| Nutrient | Macro/micro | Uptake form | Mobility in Plant | Mobility in Soil |
Carbon | Macro | CO2, H2CO3 |
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Hydrogen | Macro | H+, OH–, H2O |
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Oxygen | Macro | O2 |
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Nitrogen | Macro | NO3–, NH4+ | Mobile | Mobile as NO3–, immobile as NH4+ |
Phosphorus | Macro | HPO42-, H2PO4– | Somewhat mobile | Immobile |
Potassium | Macro | K+ | Very mobile | Somewhat mobile |
Calcium | Macro | Ca2+ | Immobile | Somewhat mobile |
Magnesium | Macro | Mg2+ | Somewhat mobile | Immobile |
Sulfur | Macro | SO4– | Mobile | Mobile |
Boron | Micro | H3BO3, BO3– | Immobile | Very mobile |
Copper | Micro | Cu2+ | Immobile | Immobile |
Iron | Micro | Fe2+, Fe3+ | Immobile | Immobile |
Manganese | Micro | Mn2+ | Immobile | Mobile* |
Zinc | Micro | Zn2+ | Immobile | Immobile |
Molybdenum | Micro | MoO4– | Immobile | Somewhat mobile |
Chlorine | Micro | Cl– | Mobile | Mobile |
Cobalt | Micro | Co2+ | Immobile | Somewhat mobile |
Nickel | Micro | Ni2+ | Mobile | Somewhat mobile |
This table is courtesy Cornell University.
*Elemental manganese is mobile, however it easily forms immobile compounds in the soil
