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Nutrient Information
Nitrogen
- Mobile in Soil - Mobile in Plant
- Nitrogen deficiencies often appear first in older leaves, and will be visible as a light green overall appearance.
- Nitrogen excess turns foliage very dark green and can make plants susceptible to drought, disease and insect predation.
- Nitrogen is crucial to photosynthesis and reproductive function.
- Nitrogen makes proteins and is essential to new cell growth and is mainly utilised for leaf and stem growth, as well as overall plant size.
- Nitrogenous Fertiliser can make available Copper 'disappear'
Phosphorus
- Mobile in Plant – Immobile in Soil
- Phosphorus deficiency will cause plants to have reduced growth and spindly appearance
- Phosphorus deficiency is most common when pH is above 7 or below 5.5.
- Phosphorus will bind with soil very easily and this can cause excess phosphorus.
- Excess phosphorus can create deficiencies of zinc and iron.
- Plants use phosphorus for photosynthesis, respiration, storing carbohydrates, cell division, energy transport (ATP, ADP).
- Phosphoric Acid can make Zinc 'disappear' from the Soil
Potassium
- Potassium deficiencies show first in older leaves, In vegetative stage, plants develop slowly and are stunted
- Excess potassium interferes with calcium and magnesium uptake
- Potassium is essential in function and formation of enzymes and proteins
- Regulates opening/closing of Stomata
- Potassium Fertiliser causes available Boron to disappear
- Potassium causes a decline in Sodium content
Calcium
- Immobile in Plants – Immobile in Soil
- Calcium moves slowly within plants and concentrated in roots and older growth. Results in young growth showing deficiency signs first.
- If too much calcium is present early in a plant's life cycle, growth is stunted.
- In other phases of growth excess calcium interferes with magnesium and potassium uptake.
- Adequate calcium helps plants resist fungal infections
- Calcium plays a vital role in cell and root replication
Magnesium
- Mobile in Plants – Immobile in Soil
- Low Magnesium can result in defective bud production and inadequate bud development
- Excess magnesium interferes with calcium and potassium uptake
- Plants use magnesium to produce chlorophyll; regulate enzymes for transport of nutrients and carbohydrates in the plant; cell replication; seed production
- Flowering and fruiting plants use increasing amounts of magnesium as they grow towards maturation and harvest
Sulphur
- Reasonably mobile in Plants – Immobile in Soil
- overdose of sulphur can cause premature dropping of leaves
- Major role in root growth and chlorophyll production
- Essential to seed production and overall plant hardiness
- Deficiency decreases protein synthesis and causes significant reduction in leaf chlorophyll levels.
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Boron
- Immobile in Plant – Mobile in Soil
- If there is potassium deficiency, plants struggle to absorb boron.
- Boron is used for sugar transport within the plant
- Boron plays a regulating role in synthesis of cell walls, as well as in stabilization of constituents of the cell wall and cell membranes.
- Boron deficiency immediately results in inhibition of primary and secondary root growth
Cobalt
- Immobile in Plants – Immobile in Soil
- Cobalt is essential to proper use of nitrogen
- There's correlation between cobalt concentration, nitrogen fixation and root nodule development.
Copper
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Immobile in Plants – Mobile in Soil
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Excess copper is extremely dangerous to plants
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Toxic buildup of copper occurs quicker in acidic soils
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Needed for photosynthesis, and assists metabolism of carbohydrates and proteins
Chlorine
- Immobile in Plants – Mobile in Soils
- Needed for photosynthesis
- Excess chlorine causes burnt tips and margins on young leaves
Molybdenum
- Mobile in Plant – Immobile in Low pH Soil
- Molybdenum deficiency often occurs when sulphur and phosphorus are deficient
- Molybdenum is needed for the reduction of absorbed nitrates into ammonia prior to incorporation into amino acids
- Molybdenum is also used for nitrogen fixation by nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Manganese
- Immobile in Plants – Immobile in High pH Soils
- Excessive manganese interferes with plant absorption of zinc and iron
- Manganese works with plant enzymes to reduce nitrates and aids in protein production
- Application of Lime has a marked affect on available Manganese - Will reappear if pH is lowered
- Necessary for building Chloroplasts (green pigment in plants)
Iron
- Immobile in Plants – Immobile in High pH Soil
- Iron becomes more bio-available when root zone and nutrient water becomes more acidic
- Plant uptake of Iron decreases with increased soil pH, and is adversely affected by high levels of available Phosphorus, Manganese and Zinc in soils
- The ratio of iron and sulphur available to plants directly affects their ability to take in nitrogen
Zinc
- Mobile in Plants – Immobile in High pH Soils
- Zinc is essential for growth regulation and regulating carbohydrate consumption.
- Zinc improves chlorophyll function
- Zinc is essential for protein synthesis and for the activity of RNA polymerase
- Zinc is a critical micronutrient and must be properly provided to plants in a form that is bio-available
Silicon
- Immobile in Plants
- Silicon is a substance that buffers and balances and helps plants deal with potentially-toxic levels of salts, minerals and pollutants
- Deposited in cell walls, contributes to mechanical properties eg. Rigidity & elasticity
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