Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Establishing the essentiality of plant nutrients involved contributions from several historical scientists who isolated and proved the functional necessity of specific elements.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
- Phosphorus (A): Carl Sprengel (1839) is recognized for demonstrating the essentiality of phosphorus for plant growth. This matches (II).
- Nitrogen (B): Theodore de Saussure (1804) demonstrated that plants absorb nitrogen from the soil rather than directly from the atmosphere, establishing its role as an essential soil-derived nutrient. This matches (I).
- Boron (C): Katherine Warington (1923) demonstrated that boron is essential for the growth of broad bean plants, establishing its role as an essential micronutrient. This matches (IV).
- Manganese (D): J.S. McHargue (1922) established the essentiality of manganese for plant growth. This matches (III).
Step 3: Final Answer:
The correct matching sequence is (A)-(II), (B)-(I), (C)-(IV), (D)-(III).