Criteria of Essentiality
Amon and Stout as early as 1939, suggested certain criteria that an element must fulfil in order to be classified as essential. These criteria are listed below.
- An element is essential if in its absence the plant cannot complete its life cycle and form viable seeds.
- An element is essential if it forms a part of any molecule or a constituent of the plant that in itself is essential for the plant. For example, nitrogen in protein, magnesium in chlorophyll arid iron in cytochromes.
- The element must act directly inside the plant, and not enhance or suppress the availability of some other element.