Mineral Nutrition Question 11
11. Which one of the following is not an essential mineral element for plants while the remaining three are?
(a) Iron
(b) Manganese
(c) Cadmium
(d) Phosphorus
Show Answer
Answer : c
Hints & Solution
(c) Cadmium is not an essential element for plants. Phosphorus is a macronutrient and iron and manganese are micronutrients for plants. Among all the heavy metals, cadmium is considered to be the one that is most toxic for plants. Hence, cadmium concentrations in the plants can be measured by the effects it has on plant growth. It inhibits the photosynthetic rate and production of chlorophyll and its activity.
