Plant nutrition basics: Identify the principal source from which plants receive mineral nutrients. Full question: Plants receive their nutrients mainly from which source in their environment? Choose the correct option.

Clarification

• Plants fix carbon from the atmosphere (CO₂) via photosynthesis, but mineral nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, micronutrients) are absorbed primarily from the soil solution through roots.

Why distractors are incorrect
Sunlight is an energy source, not a nutrient. Chlorophyll is a pigment within plants, not an external source. Direct atmospheric uptake supplies CO₂ but not the bulk of mineral nutrients.

Final Answer
Soil (soil solution via root uptake).