ABSTRACT
Non-mineral plant nutrient elements are obtained by cotton from air and water. They are carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O). All three of these elements are used to make sugars and cellulose.
Primary fertilizer nutrient elements are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Cotton must obtain these elements from the soil. As the soil becomes depleted of N, P and K, fertilizers must be used to supply the crop with these nutrients. Generally, these are the first nutrients to be exhausted from the soil. Cotton uses N to make proteins. Phosphorus is used by cotton to manufacture genetic materials like RNA and DNA and energy compounds like ATP and ADP. Potassium is used in the cotton plant to regulate water movement.
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