Macronutrient

An element which is vital for plant growth in relatively large quantities. There are nine plant macronutrients. The first three are Carbon, Oxygen and Hydrogen, and these are easily obtained from air and water; whilst the other six macronutrients are Calcium, Magnesium, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium and Sulphur; these are obtained from the soil solution. These are also sometimes referred to as Major Nutrients.