Know Your Nutrients: Manganese

Manganese (Mn), a.k.a. “the activator,” is one of the nine micronutrients essential for growing a healthy crop. It is responsible for activating over 35 vital enzymes in the plant and plays an important role in regulating carbohydrate metabolism.

Manganese is a key driver of photosynthesis, acting as a catalyst for water-splitting – dividing water into its elemental parts. Manganese can also contribute to the overall health of the crop by increasing its resistance to biotic stress, such as disease, and helping it tolerate abiotic stresses, especially periods of heat and drought.

Cereal crops (especially oats, being a reducer), canola, sugar beets, legumes, vegetables, tomatoes, potatoes, stone fruits and sorghum can be sensitive to manganese deficiency.

Symptoms are noticeable in younger leaves first and include mottling and interveinal chlorosis. In oats, a manganese deficiency will cause a condition known as “grey speck,” which is characterized by pale green leaves with linear flecks or stripes; leaves eventually kink and collapse. In wheat crops, the appearance or spread of take-all or fusarium root rots is often an indicator of a manganese deficiency.

Manganese deficiency is a common problem in light, sandy soils, high pH soils, soils low in potassium and/or high in copper, iron and zinc, heavily limed soils and soils low in organic matter. Cold, wet conditions can worsen a deficiency.

Manganese is also one of the first micronutrients prone to tie-up during herbicide application. Often, manganese deficiency becomes exacerbated after herbicide application on the younger leaves and shoots.

The Solution

Manganese can be supplemented by primer, starter or foliar application.

Primer Mn was developed to provide the seed with enough nutrients to carry it to the 3-5 leaf stage when the root system is fully developed. It is formulated to help the crop emerge quicker, better compete with weeds, and access soil banded fertilizer early on. Primer Mn also triggers plant natural defense responses and, combined with a fungicide seed treatment, promotes seedling health and helps with the prevention of resistance build-up.

Perfuze Mn is a suspension fertilizer containing a high level of manganese. It is designed to be applied onto the dry fertilizer NPKS blends prior to seeding, in order to provide an even distribution of Manganese in the field.

Omex Mn is an EDTA solution of manganese, intended for application with the liquid fertilizer to provide adequate manganese in-furrow.

SuperMn+ is a fast-acting, long-lasting liquid foliar fertilizer, specially formulated to quickly correct a manganese deficiency. It is recommended for use during herbicide application and can be tank mixed with herbicides, such as glyphosate, without impacting efficacy on weeds. SuperMn+ promotes rapid uptake and can improve the overall nutrient status of the crop and the crop’s ability to deal with stress and disease. Use SuperMn+ when manganese availability is limited, a poor root system is observed, and when dealing with leaf and root diseases.

Talk to your retailer or OMEX sales representative for more information on how to make sure your crop lives up to its full potential.

In our next post: Copper – a micronutrient that is essential for the health of cereal crops.