Minerals, Trace Elements and Enzymes. Dan Kittredge

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1 Minerals, Trace Elements and Enzymes Dan Kittredge

2 Minerals Critical for plant growth Macronutrients Nitrogen Phosphorus Potassium Sulfur Magnesium Calcium

3 Iron Manganese Boron Zinc Copper Molybdenum Chlorine Nickel Sodium Cobalt Silicon Micronutrients

4 Nitrogen Proteins Hormones Chlorophyll Vitamins Enzymes Major force in stem and leaf growth Excess can delay flowering and fruiting Deficiency reduce yields, yellowing and stunting

5 Phosphorus Used in Seed germination, Photosynthesis Protein formation, Fruit and flower formation Almost all aspects of growth and metabolism Deficiency purple stems and leaves, late maturity and growth, weak fruit and flower yields, premature drop of fruit and flowers.

6 Potassium Used in formation of sugars, starches, carbohydrates, protein synthesis, cell division. Helps with water balance, stem rigidity, and cold hardiness. Enhances flavor and color in fruits and vegetables. Deficiencies correlate with low yields, mottled, spotted, curled, schorched and burned looks to leaves

7 Sulfur Used in building amino acids, proteins, vitamins, enzymes and chlorophyll. Gives flavor to many crops Deficiency looks like light green leaves. Readily leaches, and if none has been added in the past three years is a limiting factor

8 Magnesium At the core of chlorophyll and necessary for the function of enzymes, and to produce carbohydrates, sugars and fats. Used in fruit and nut formation and essential for germination of seeds. Deficiencies appear as chlorosis, with yellowing between the veins of lower leaves. Drooping.

9 Calcium Structural component of cell walls, necessary for cell growth and division. Activates enzymes, influences water movement, critical for cell communication Once deposited is non-mobile, so availability must be maintained Deficiency looks like stunting of new growth in stems, flowers and roots. Distorted growth to black spots.

10 Iron Necessary for many enzymes to function, catalyst in chlorophyll formation. Deficiencies appear as pale leaf color in young leaves followed by yellowing of leaves and large veins

11 Manganese Involved in enzyme activity for photosynthesis, respiration and nitrogen metabolism. Critical for flowering and fruiting. Deficiency in young leaves green veins on a light green background of the leaf. In advanced stages the light green leaves look white. Brown, black or gray spots may appear next to the veins.

12 Boron Necessary for cell wall formation, membrane integrity, calcium uptake, sugar translocation. Affects at least 16 different functions in plants. Flowering, pollen germination, fruiting, cell division, water relationships and movement of hormones. If you have not added in 3 years you need it. Deficiency kills terminal buds. Leaves are thick curled and brittle. Fruits, tubers and roots are discolored, cracked and flecked with brown spots

13 Zinc Component in enzymes and a cofactor in plant growth hormones, facilitates carbohydrate metabolism, protein synthesis and stem growth. Deficiency looks like mottled leaves with irregular chlorotic areas.

14 Copper Concentrated in the roots of plants and plays a part in nitrogen metabolism, as a core to enzymes is used in systems that create carbohydrates and proteins. Deficiency cause die back of shoot tips, and terminal leaves to develop brown spots.

15 Molybdenum Used in enzymes that reduce nitrates to ammonia. Without it protein synthesis is blocked and growth ceases. Nitrogen fixing bacteria use it in the enzymes needed to take Nitrogen from the air and make it plant available. Deficiency appears as pale green leaves with rolled or cupped margins. Poor seed formation and nitrogen deficiency also.

16 Nickel Required in enzymes to break down urea to make Nitrogen useable for plants. Required for Iron absorption. Seeds need Nickel in order to germinate. Deficiency will cause plants to produce seeds that are not viable.

17 Cobalt Required for nitrogen fixation in legumes and in root nodules of non legumes. Core of B12 which is used by 80% of soil life. Deficiency appears as nitrogen dificiency symptoms.

18 Silicon Component in cell walls. Plantys with sufficient silicon have much stronger cell walls providing greater resistance to diseases and insects. Enhances heat and drought tolerance.

19 Enzymes Biological molecules that catalyze chemical reactions Almost all chemical reactions in a cell require enzymes to occur at a rate sufficient for life. The set of enzymes present determine which metabolic pathways occur in that cell. Many critical enzymes have metals and other minerals at their core.

20 Enzymes When certain minerals are not present, the enzymes that they are the core of do not exist. When those enzymes are not present in a cell its enzyme pathways do not function. Almost all cells in all organisms have pathways that are not functioning. The only question is how many or what percent.

21 Enzymes When critical disfunction levels are met the cells die and are replaced. The level and rate of growth is in many cases limited by enzyme levels and availability. Therefore, If organism growth and vitality is limited by enzyme function, and levels of enzymes are limited by the minerals at their core,

22 Enzymes Plant growth and vigor is dramatically effected by mineral availability.

23 Maintaining Mineral Levels In Biological systems Soil life is responsible for accessing most minerals from the soil. Numerous species of bacteria and fungi live in and on our crops. Presumed 10,000,000 species of bacteria. Different families have different roles and serve to access and digest for our plants different minerals.

24 Insure levels are present Levels of minerals present in the soil to be available is the first step. Sulfur 75 ppm Phosphorus 75 ppm Calcium 65-75% base saturation Magnesium 12-18% base saturation Potassium 3-5% base saturation Boron 3 ppm Manganese ppm

25 And others Copper 4 ppm Zinc 8 ppm Cobalt 2 ppm Molybdenum 1 ppm Selenium.5 ppm Silicon 50 ppm

26 Cover crop, mulch, interplant Biological communities in the soil are at extremely high levels in the areas immediately surrounding roots. Like reefs in the ocean. Long periods of no growing roots during the year correlate to little to no food for species which causes mass die off. Different species of plants support different species of soil life. Monocropping is not healthy.

27 Minimize Tillage Soil life develop sophisticated ecosystems in the soil, and after the applications of toxins, tillage is one of the largest causes of mass die off of soil lie we regularly engage in. Permanent raised beds Shallow tillage Zone tillage Roller Crimper

28 Inoculate Overtly adding representatives of species that may not be present to the environment is extremely good bang for the buck. Spores on seed In potting soil To compost piles Make your own At plant or transplant Think colostrum

29 Questions