The rapid increase in population pressurized the food security concerns, and these may be solved by using sustainable crop production. Sustainable crop production requires 18 essential elements known as nutrients. Plant growth and development for more yield require nutrients, which can be categorized into three groups, i.e. basic, macro and micronutrients, according to crop demand. These nutrients are carbon (C), hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sulphur (S), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), chlorine (Cl), molybdenum (Mo), manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co) and Boron (B). These are the keys to crop production and the sustainability of soil systems to maintain the ecosystem. Many of them are required for normal biochemical processes and to improve the crop defense against diseases and pests, and finally, they play a key in completing the plant life cycle. More gain in crop production without suitable application of nutrients to the soil body leads to many problems in the soil system, and low fertility is one of them. More production or Intensive cultivation deteriorates the soil health; that's why the balanced application of nutrients must be in consideration to attain maximum production to feed the population. This review refines the knowledge of readers about the role, importance, deficiency, application and toxicity of nutrients for crop production.

Keywords: Food security, sustainable production, biochemical processes, defence, production