Many minerals and nutrients are required to grow a plant. The plant's job is to create sugar, resulting in increased energy but also increased nutrition for the consumer.

Minerals needed for plant growth and production:

Nitrogen

• Is the major component of proteins, hormones, chlorophyll, vitamins and enzymes essential for plant life
  
• Makes up to 40% of the dry matter of protoplasm - the living substance of the plant
  
• Places an important role in leaf and stem growth

Potassium

• Regulates plant processes
  
• Better stalk strength and lodging resistance
  
• Adjusts water balance in the plant
  
• Increased protein and carbohydrate production
  
• Better sugar translocation
• Enhanced enzyme function and cell division
• Improved winter hardiness

Phosphorus

• Work horse - works in cooperation with Calcium to move minerals and nutrients into the plant.
• More vigorous and rapid growth
• Early root development
• Better development and quality of grain
• Hastened maturity
• Increased nitrogen uptake
• Increased mineral content
• Higher BRIX readings in plant sap.
• Promotes energy release in cells, cell division, and enlargement, photosynthesis.
• Contained in the cell DNA
• Phosphorus is found in several forms in the soil, i.e.: P1, P2, and P205. P205 is the organic state that is stable in the soil and available to the plants. All other forms of phosphorous require metabolic changes before they plant is able to utilize it.

Magnesium

• Key element in chlorophyll
• Increased protein production, enzyme production and energy released in cells
• Aids in phosphorous uptake, oil formation and starch translocation
• Very important in the process of photosynthesis, however is not needed in great quantities in the soil.
• Excess quantities can cause soil compaction and loss of aeration

Calcium

• Improves soil structure "by enabling flocculation of the soil particles"
• Is the tour guide and mediator of all minerals
• Stimulated growth of soil microbes
• Mobilization of nutrients into the plant
• Increased nitrogen utilization and protein content
• Increased root growth, leaf growth, cell wall building and cell division
• Increased sugar content in plant
• Promotes enzyme functions
• Enhances overall plant health resulting in higher quality grain or fruit

Oxygen

• Needed by plants for the production of sugar
• Drawn into the plant through the leaves

Carbon

• Required for the formation of sugars
• Basic building blocks of life

Sulfur

• Needed for the synthesis of protein and oils
• Needed for the metabolism of nitrogen

Copper

• Plays a role in the nitrogen metabolism
• Plays a role in disease suppression
• Required for photosynthesis
• Needed for normal leaf growth and increased stalk strength and elasticity
• Required for enzyme functions

Zinc

• Contributes to test weights
• Hastens maturity
• Chlorophyll formation
• Regulates plant growth
• Overuse may cause weed problems

Silicone

• Components of cell walls, produces stronger and tougher cell walls

Sodium

• Osmotic and ionic balance in plants (water movement)

Molybdenum

• Involved in the enzyme that reduces nitrates to ammonia
• Nitrogen fixing bacteria may also require it

Chlorine

• Involved in Osmosis

Manganese

• Involved in the activity for photosynthesis, respirations, and nitrogen metabolism
• Involved in the germination of seeds and determination of yield

Cobalt

• Required for nitrogen fixation

Iron

• Necessary for many enzyme functions
• Catalyst for the synthesis of chlorophyll
• Needed by nitrogen fixing bacteria
• Produces a thicker leaf

Boron

• Necessary for cell wall formation
• Membrane integrity
• Translocation of sugar
• 16 other functions including flowering, pollen germination, cell division, etc.

For more information about the chemicals needed in plant growth, go to www.aglabs.com.