Plant nutrition

Just as we need essential minerals and nutrients for strong healthy growth, so do plants.  Many plant foods can be found in the soil, but they are often present in insufficient quantities to sustain high crop yields. Likewise, soil and climatic conditions can limit a plant’s uptake of nutrients at key growth stages. This is why fertilizers are used to supplement the soil’s nutrient stocks with minerals that can be quickly absorbed and used by plants.

Crops require a balanced diet of essential nutrients throughout their growth cycle.  Crop scientists recognize that plants need 13 essential minerals, all of which play a number of important functions.  If any of these is lacking, plant growth and yield suffers.

Correct plant nutrition involves supplying a properly balanced diet of nutrients to optimize plant health and growth while minimizing waste and pollution.

Plants need more of some minerals than others.  Three major nutrients – nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, or NPK – are required for a wide range of growth processes.

Three secondary nutrients – calcium, magnesium and sulfur – are just as important but only required in smaller quantities. Six essential micronutrients – boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and zinc – are also needed, though at levels of just a few atoms in every million.

If any one of these major, minor and micro-nutrients is lacking or in short supply, a plant will be stunted or die.