Micronutrients play a similar role in agriculture as vitamins do for the human body. Sometimes we have to use micronutrient fertilizers due to soil deficiencies in micronutrients. It is the same in humans, when human food does not have enough vitamins, we become weak and we must use vitamin supplements to compensate for this weakness.
The role of micronutrients in agriculture is just like vitamins in the human body. Microelements or micronutrients are compounds that are essential for the plant in small amounts and are usually used along with complete fertilizer to strengthen the plant. By buying micronutrient fertilizers, you can provide all the elements needed by the plant in one place.
Nutrients required by plants
Micronutrients are very important in agriculture, but, in general, a plant needs 17 known elements for its growth, which are classified into two categories, micronutrients and macronutrients. What is certain is that the plant does not need the same amount of these elements, and depending on the type of plant, the required combination of elements will also be different.
For example, plants that are in the family of oilseeds have an urgent need for sulfur, and plants that are based on protein have an urgent need for nitrogen. Also, potassium plays a significant role in fruit trees and in order to increase the quality of fruits.
These 17 elements needed by the plant are classified into two categories: micronutrients and macronutrients and are classified as follows:
Macronutrients
Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulfur elements are in the category of macronutrients or high consumption elements of plants, which must be present in sufficient amount in the soil depending on the type of plant. Of course, the price of NPK fertilizer, even though it has 3 basic elements, is much cheaper than preparing these elements individually.
Micronutrients in agriculture
Elements such as boron, chlorine, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, cobalt and zinc are also included in the group of low consumption elements.
Micronutrients in agriculture
Micronutrients in agriculture are elements that are essential for plants in small quantities. For example, if we need 10 grams of nitrogen in one kilogram of soil, we will need 0.5 grams or even less of an element like copper.
The plant supplies carbon from CO2 in the air and hydrogen and oxygen from water. Our plant supplies most of the remaining elements it needs from the soil or from its leaves, and if we want to get a high yield from our product, we must make the elements needed by the plant available to it.
Micronutrient elements are essential for the plant in small amounts, and if we cannot add enough of these elements to the soil, the yield of our plant will be greatly reduced. Also, if we introduce high amounts of these elements into the soil, there is probably a disturbance in the absorption of elements and poisoning of the plant.
Types of micronutrient fertilizers in agriculture and their application
In the continuation of the topic of micronutrients in agriculture, we briefly discuss the application and uses of micronutrients in different plants:
iron fertilizer
Iron element is one of the important enzyme components in plants, which plays a role in different parts of the energy system and plant reproduction. When there is a lack of iron in the plant, the synthesis of plant chloroplast is disturbed and this disturbance in the plant leads to its yellowness.
So, one of the reasons for premature yellowing of plants is iron deficiency, and one of the main reasons for iron deficiency in the soil is the high bicarbonate and alkalinity of the soil.
zinc fertilizer
If your soil is alkaline and has high amounts of lime and little organic matter, it is very likely that the amount of zinc element in it is low and you should start feeding the soil with this element. The role of this element in the plant is structural and it acts as a coenzyme along with the plant’s vital enzymes.
Among the symptoms of zinc deficiency in the soil, we can see the shrinking of the leaves, the loss of flowering and other symptoms such as yellowing of the leaves. The lack of this element in fruit trees has obvious effects. For example, the lack of zinc in grapes leads to the fact that grape seeds do not ripen at the same time. In general, the lack of any element can cause irreparable damage, that’s why you can prevent these damages or correct them in time by buying original and high-quality agricultural fertilizers.
boron fertilizer
Boron is one of the micronutrient elements that plays an essential role in plant structure and cell reproduction. This element is mobile in the soil and can be absorbed by the plant in its ionic form. Boron is also directly involved in pollination and seed production.
To analyze the amount of boron in the plant, the best solution is to check and use the young leaves of the plant. The minimum adequate amount of boron in dry plant leaves should be 25 to 75 units per million or PPM. It is recommended to use boron-containing fertilizer when its amount is low and in plants such as alfalfa, sugar beet, potato, sunflower, soybean and rapeseed.
Manganese fertilizer
Plants such as wheat, barley, peas, peas, beans, potatoes, soybeans, onions, lettuce, spinach, apples, grapes, citrus fruits and peaches show high sensitivity to manganese deficiency. Among the symptoms of manganese deficiency in plants, we can mention paleness, yellowing and necrosis of leaves.
Among the roles of manganese in plants, we can mention enzyme activity, acceleration of germination and help in fruit ripening.
copper fertilizer
Copper is another micronutrient in agriculture that plays a role as a coenzyme (enzyme activator) in plants. This element is in the category of the least mobile elements of the soil and is hardly absorbed by forming a compound with other elements that are more active. Absorption of copper is difficult in alkaline soils, and to increase copper absorption, we must reduce the acidity of the soil.
Lack of copper in plants shows itself with the untimely fall of the leaves and we will witness the burning and yellowing of the leaves. Also, the general growth of the plant will decrease and the plant will lose its vitality. All these things will eventually lead to a decrease in farm productivity.
molybdenum fertilizer
If we want to feed the plant, the last thing we can think about is molybdenum. The amount of molybdenum required for the plant is 0.3 to 1.5 units per million units. This element plays a role as a coenzyme in the reaction of amino acid production and nitrogen transformations. Molybdenum deficiency in plants is not very common and it is possible to see its deficiency only in some specific plants.
Chlorine fertilizer
Another micronutrient in agriculture is chlorine. The role of this element in the plant includes the regulation of the respiratory pores of the plant in hot and dry areas in order to preserve the water of the plant, facilitate the transfer of other elements in the plant and play an active role in photosynthesis. The symptoms of chlorine deficiency are different in different plants and its deficiency cannot be easily diagnosed.
If knowing the best micronutrient fertilizers is important to you, we must say that the best micronutrient fertilizers for your plant completely depend on its type, growth stage, needs and soil. But it can be said that any fertilizer must be of good quality in order to give a favorable result to the plants, and at the same time, the price of fertilizers, including the price of micronutrient fertilizer, is highly dependent on the quality of the fertilizer.