Micro Nutrients

Micro Nutrients

There are six micro-nutrients that are very important in the Natural Balance Program. They are Zinc, Boron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Copper and Iron. If any of these six go deficient or is out of balance, then quantity will suffer!

REMEMBER: LIEGIG-MITSCHERLICH law of minimum? It was stated and proved over 120 years ago that growth and yields of plants are governed by nutrients in least supply! Not how much NPK we apply! So, in the days of economic pressure on American farms.

LET US REMEMBER THE LAW OF THE MINIMUM… The nutrient in least supply determines the yield. Keeping this in mind, let us take a good look at these six micro- nutrients. All six are a vital part of all enzyme families.

ZINC is a necessary part of certain plant enzymes, called dehydrogenases, which is vital in the metabolic functions of cellular respiration. So a zinc-deficient plant will have limited cell functions, it will not be a normal healthy plant. Animals or humans, who eat zinc-deficient food, will suffer a variety of health problems, depending on conditions.

Zinc helps heal wounds and skin irritations. Extreme deficiency can lead to delay in intestinal absorption of carbohydrates and proteins (poor utilization of food), low production of proteins and nucleic acids, skin problems, falling hair, sexual dysfunction, birth defects and retarded growth.

Zinc is a component of insulin, which is necessary for carbohydrates metabolism, and can counteract lead and cadmium poisoning. Zinc is necessary in an enzyme, called carbonic anhydrase, which functions in maintaining equilibrium between carbon dioxide and carbonic acid in tissues, which is important in the blood’s carrying of carbon dioxide. Zinc is also necessary in digestive enzymes produced by the pancreas.

What might be the ultimate cause of the zinc deficiency in the soil??? There may be plenty of zinc in the mineral material make up of the soil, but it may not be available to the plant because of too much K or N. Exchangeable Zn is absorbed thru roots as Zn02 or ZnS04 (this decreases sharply with ammonium N). Zinc availability can be a problem as soil pH increases, in light sandy soils & under cool, wet weather conditions.

Boron (B) Is an acid base anion (-) nutrient that doesn’t like excessive levels of nitrogen and potassium. When you have a boron lover, like alfalfa just pump the high K in the soil as the fertilizer empire desires and boron deficiency is common! Why is boron important?? Calcium cannot perform its vital job of stabilizing the metabolism process without boron.

Boron aids the plant’s resistance against harmful fungi and other diseases. Boron allows sugars to translocate properly in the plant and aids in good sugar levels in lateral and terminal bud areas. What does this mean?? Extra protection against frosts in early spring in orchards, or insect resistance later in the season. A healthy alfalfa crop of 2 ton per acre may contain only 2 ounces of boron. Cut the boron in half to create a deficiency and it can cut yield and protein by 20%. WOW and on top of that boron aids in regulating cell division, salt absorption, hormone movement, nitrogen assimilation and in the lowering-fruiting procedure.

For boron to be available to a plant, it must be converted into the nutrient anion level (borate), which is done by soil microbes. Nature has specifically made select bacteria that must have boron to survive. So when millions of these bacteria die, we have beautiful soluable boron ready for plant use.

Manganese (MN) is a weaker cation held in the “humus storehouse”, usually in complex with other nutrients High pH combined with very high O.M. can create MN deficiency, or low sulfur can nearly stop MN flow to a plant. Flooding and soil compaction will decrease MN exchangeability. Work your soil wet and you will cut availability of N, P, S, MN and others. EDTA manganese is usually unsatisfactory for plant use (they only lock up P). Soil microbes produce their own natural chelates in rich humus (organic-acids). No man can match the quality and amount of natural MN that nature will produce in most soil. MN is a part of the complete amino acid complex, which is necessary in all healthy animal diets.

High pH soils above 7.0 can become a problem in Manganese availability. This is why we like to see a Natural Balance pH consisting or 6-10% Hydrogen. This natural acid allows nutrients as MN to flow to the plant.

MOLYBDENUM (MO) is an anion (-) nutrient and exchangeability increases with higher pH. No response has been seen thru fertilization, except as combined with Natural-Bio chelates. MO is essential in certain enzymes that clean and purge the plant system, closely associates with oxygen (M004),

COPPER (Cu) is a weaker cation (+) held in the “humus storehouse”, and exchangeability to the plant is dependent upon certain biological activity (like the mycorrhizae fungi plants). Zn and Mo are also dependent on soil life. Copper is one of the nutrients that allow enzymes to work at excelled rates (it’s an activator). When Ca and K are in Natural Balance Plants can use copper to build antibiotics for better disease control! High humus soil has adequate Cu.

IRON (Fe) also is a cation, which is needed in very small amounts in a plant, but can be found abundant in the soil. Silt loam soil can have 60,000# of Iron oxide per acre. A 150bu. corn crop can use only 21, 4 # iron!! Iron on a good Natural program creates no problem and intake into the plant is at a slow, natural rate.

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?? COMBINE THE 60,000# iron oxide, 200,000# aluminum oxide per acre of soil with extracting products, like NH3 anhydrous ammonia, DAP, ammonium sulphate or 0-0-60 (KCL) and you are looking for trouble. They are “bombing” the soil with acids and salt compounds, which generate excess sodium (salt). Then comes excessive toxic aluminum, Iron and MG. When this happens disease and insects are on their way to destroy the present crop.

These toxic compounds are actually carried into the plant by disease causing bacteria (they thrive on toxic AI, Fe, and sodium salt). We must stop this type of farming and restore our soil to natural balance. Correct the soil and then rhizosphere bacteria can be produced, which tie up iron and aluminum in chelates to hold them in soil complex. Therefore, harmful bacteria die off!!