Nitrogen is a Plant's Best Friend

Written By: Wes Chun, PhD // Co-Authored By: Sophie Rogers

Nitrogen is the second most important nutrient for plants, with carbon being the first. It constitutes three to four percent of a plant’s biomass. It is a key component in biological molecules such as DNA, RNA, enzymes, proteins, and important compounds such as chlorophyll. Fertilizers, organic matter, and biological nitrogen fixation are sources of nitrogen for agricultural crops. Selecting the right nitrogen source will be instrumental towards efficiently producing a crop.

There are numerous synthetic and organic options to provide nitrogen to plants. Synthetic nitrogen fertilizers can be useful if used properly. Complex organic fertilizers such as chicken litter are great for providing nitrogen throughout the growing season. Amino acid fertilizers offer a low risk, rapidly available form of nitrogen. Amino acid fertilizers can be used to ameliorate nitrogen deficiencies or to provide additional nitrogen for nitrogen hungry plants such as leafy vegetables and corn.

Grow Stronger Plants with the Building Blocks of Protein

by Donald Lester

By Wes Chun, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer

Introduction

Manganese is found in over 300 different minerals and is the fifth most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust.  It belongs in Group 7 of the periodic table which includes the extremely rare rhenium, synthetically produced bohrium, and technetium which is found in trace amounts as a product of spontaneous fission in laboratories.  Manganese (Mn) is a hard, brittle, and silvery metal that is most often found in minerals combined with iron.  The main mining areas for manganese are in Africa, Australia, China and Gabon.  Manganese is also found in alternating layers with iron in polymetallic nodules found in shallow and deep waters of oceans and some lakes.  These manganese nodules are found in sizeable deposits near the Cook Islands, midway between Hawaii and the Clipperton Islands, the Peru basin, southern Indian Ocean, and in the Eastern Pacific.  All but the Cook Islands are in international waters and could be mined as early as 2026 depending on the establishment of regulations, standards, and guidelines established for deep sea mining.

By Wes Chun, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer

Introduction

Magnesium is a gray-white lightweight, alkali earth metal. It burns a very bright white so it is used to add white sparks or increase the brilliance of a firework. Magnesium is either the eighth or ninth most abundant element in the universe and the seventh or eighth most abundant in the Earth's crust. It is the fourth most common element and is estimated to comprise up to 13% of the Earth's mass, most of which is in the mantle. Magnesium is the third most abundant element dissolved in seawater after sodium and chlorine. Despite this abundance, it is never found free in nature. The name magnesium comes from Magnesia, a district in Greece's north-eastern region where talc (hydrated magnesium silicate or magnesium stone) is mined. The Scottish chemist Joseph Black recognized it as a separate element in 1755. In 1808, the English chemist Humphry Davy obtained the impure metal, and in 1831 the French pharmacist and chemist Antoine-Alexandre Brutus Bussy isolated the metal in the pure state. Today, magnesium can be extracted from dolomite (CaCO3·MgCO3), or carnallite (KCl·MgCl2·6H2O), but is most often obtained from seawater. Every cubic kilometer of seawater contains about 1.3 billion kilograms of magnesium (12 billion pounds per cubic mile).

By Wes Chun, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer

Introduction

Boron (B) is the lightest element in Group 13 of the periodic table.  Group 13 (the Boron Group) elements have three valence electrons and include naturally-occurring aluminum, gallium, indium, and thallium, and artificially-produced nihonium.  Naturally-occurring Group 13 elements all have biological roles.  Boron is an essential micronutrient in plants.  Aluminum, while it can be toxic to plants under acidic conditions, is normally non-toxic to animals and plants.  Gallium and indium are better known for their use in radio imaging, but they can affect microbial metabolism.  Thallium is toxic and has been used in pesticides.

Applying fertilizers pre-plant and at-planting are beneficial practices to restore soil fertility and grow a successful crop.  Pre-plant fertilizers are applied before planting seeds or seedlings into the field or into nursery potting media.  At-planting fertilizers are applied during planting.  These practices provide ready access to nutrients that are vital for seedling establishment and health.  Proper fertilizer choice and placement are essential for maximizing the benefits of pre- and at- planting fertilizers.