Just because the plant uses them in smaller quantities than macronutrients, doesn’t mean that micronutrients aren’t essential for crop production, writes Sally Krueger in this article published by Farm Business Network.
Micronutrients include zinc, iron, manganese, boron, chlorine, copper and molybdenum, and are normally reported on standard soil tests. Cobalt, vanadium, sodium and silicon are also micronutrients but are rarely found to be deficient and that additional nutrient elements are required for normal plant growth.
Micronutrients tend to be more available when the pH is 7 to 7.5, which is slightly alkaline, while macronutrients prefer a pH between 6.2 to 7.0, which is slightly acidic. A pH of 7.0 in neutral on the pH scale of 0 to 14.
Understanding each micronutrient mineral element’s function in plant growth will help you to determine the right nutrient applications and to diagnosis any potential crop production problems.
Read the full article on Emergence, published by FBN.
