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.

• 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.