Tag: macronutrients

In the pursuit of better and bigger crops, farming is becoming more technologically advanced and capital intensive. The need to find ways to save money, while continuing to reach for those high yield goals, is more important than ever for Canadian producers. If this sounds like a conundrum that you’re facing, soil testing might be […]

Calcium (Ca) is the backbone of every living organism, including plants. Although a plant’s needs for calcium can be as high as its needs for nitrogen and potassium, it is classified as a secondary nutrient. In this post, we examine the importance of calcium and the factors that can limit its availability to plants. As […]

It has been over a decade since the discovery of how plants take up and re-translocate silica (Si), one of the most abundant elements on earth. Further focus on the element has revealed that it plays an important role in alleviating the effects of biotic and abiotic stress; however, still much remains to be understood. […]

Of the sixteen nutrients that plants need to grow, develop, reproduce and remain healthy, there are seven that we refer to as micronutrients: zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), boron (B), chloride (Cl) and molybdenum (Mo). While these nutrients are used in minute amounts, they are just as important to plant growth and […]

As we discussed in our previous blog post, plants require large amounts of macronutrients to grow and thrive. The secondary nutrients – calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sulfur (S) – are just as vital to plant growth and development, though they are required in lesser amounts than the macros. Like the macros, the secondaries each […]

Plants require a total of 16 nutrients to grow, develop, reproduce and remain healthy. Three of these nutrients – nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) – are required in relatively large amounts. These are known as macronutrients. Existing in a delicate balance with each other, the macronutrients each have a big role to play […]

Knowing what makes crops emerge, grow and flourish is one thing; finding the right balance is a whole other story! In this post, the first in our series on the relationship between nutrients, we take a look at what happens when an over-abundance of one element causes a deficiency of another. Plants require a total […]

We are inching closer to the first days of seeding, and anxiety is building as producers across Western Canada continue to wrestle with the decisions that could make or break the growing season. As I write this, the Jets are in the playoffs and, in some areas, yet another foot of snow has arrived along with […]

Chloride (Cl) is required in small quantities but is very active in plant cells. It acts with potassium to regulate stomatal openings in the leaves, controlling internal water balance, and functions in cation balance and transport. Chloride is effective in suppressing and lessening the effect of fungal infections and can advance maturity of small grains […]

It’s a micronutrient needed only in small amounts, but iron (Fe) plays a critical role in photosynthesis, helping to keep crops green, healthy and thriving. Iron is involved in chlorophyll development and plays a role in energy transfer, metabolism and respiration. It is also important for the structure and function of proteins and enzymes and […]