(trace element) Any chemical element required by a plant in very small quantities for successful growth. Micronutrients thus do not fulfil major nutritional requirements but act as enzyme * cofactors or as essential components of pigments, enzymes, etc. They include many heavy metals, such as * copper , * zinc , * molybdenum , * manganese , and cobalt. * Boron is also required in trace amounts and it is possible that sodium, chlorine, vanadium, and * silicon may be necessary to some plants. Specific * deficiency diseases may arise if a particular micronutrient is unavailable. Compare macronutrient. |
