PLANT FOOD ELEMENT
Plant food
- refers to the necessary
materials which a plant uses
so it can build new tissues
and, at the same time, carry
on its normal functions.
Fertilizer:
is any manufactured or
processed material or mixture of
materials that contains one or
more of the recognized plantfood elements, in liquid or dry
form.
Macro Elements
Nitrogen N
•Promotes dark green color; leaf,
stem, and fruit development
• hastens growth and increases
the protein content of the crop.
Phosphorous P2O5
•Favors rapid plant growth and
development;
•Hastens fruiting and maturity
•Improves the quality of the crop.
Potassium K2O
•Hastens maturity
•Stimulates blooming
•Aids in seed formation
•Gives plants hardiness
Calcium Ca
Corrects acidity
* Acts as protective sieve for the
nitrates to
set through in passing
into the cells; and
* Acts as a cement between the walls
of the cells to hold them together.
*
Magnesium Mg
•The key element in the molecule of
chlorophyll and
•Combines with the phosphates so
that the latter can move to their
proper places in the plant.
Sulfur S
* Gives green color to the younger
leaves including the veins.
MICRO ELEMENTS
Manganese Mn
* Gives green color to the younger
leaves including the veins.
Boron B
•Boron hunger results in a reddishyellow discoloration and often there
is purplish tone, first seen on the
margins of the leaves or the tip half.
Copper Cu
* Helps
in seed stalk formation.
Zinc Zn
•Treats abnormally small leaves or
leaves that are yellow or mottled in
appearance.
Iron Fe
Treats chlorosis
Molybdenum Mo
Influences the utilization of nitrogen
by the plant and it is required before
nitrogen-fixing bacteria can utilize
atmospheric nitrogen.
Chlorine Cl
* Tends to concentrate in some
plants, in the veins and floral parts,
and appears to be tied up in some
way in the formation of the red,
blue, and violet pigments.
* Hastens maturity.