Optimal crop growth requires macronutrients, micronutrient and secondary plant nutrients in addition to air, water and sunlight. Basic nutrient requirements for health crops include carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, boron, chlorine, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and zinc. These nutrients combine to make the perfect environment for plant growth. When any of them are missing in the plant’s makeup, the crop will suffer from yellowing, stunted growth, deformed appearance, or event tainted taste. Nutrient deficiencies can be hard to diagnose as they might not appear in the physical attributes of the plant, require testing to truly ascertain. Due to differences in the soil makeup in the field, nutrient deficiencies might not even be uniform from crop to crop, making testing tricky to implement.