How do plants create minerals?
12-31-2002, 07:16 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bay City MI USA
Posts: 389
How do plants create minerals?
Ok I know they can't atually create minerals like calcium, zinc, & selenium. And I know that these (and other) minerals are essential for a healthy deer herd. Are these minerals available in all soil? Can they ever be depleted? If not are there ways to add these minerals to the soil so the plants have access to them?
So many questions, fortunatley there is plenty of time.
So many questions, fortunatley there is plenty of time.
12-31-2002, 12:20 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 2,059
RE: How do plants create minerals?
Soil has all the elements that you're talking about. New soil has large particles (sand) with a small surface area for nutrient absorption. Of course the parent material (rock) that the soil came from will determine the level of soil fertility, and pH of the soil. As the soil ages weather breaks the larger particles into smaller and smaller pieces (clay). This releases nutrients and increases surface area for absorption. Add some organic material (humus) to the mix and you end up with a fertile soil. Note: Nitrogen compounds are not normally found in rocks. Nitrogen compounds are formed from lighting and legume plants.
Age of soil (leaching) and crop removal will remove nutrients from the soil. When this happens you can replentish the nutrients by adding fertilizer, organic matter or planting crops and green manuring them.
Get a soil test and you'll know what you're starting with.
Dan O.
Age of soil (leaching) and crop removal will remove nutrients from the soil. When this happens you can replentish the nutrients by adding fertilizer, organic matter or planting crops and green manuring them.
Get a soil test and you'll know what you're starting with.
Dan O.
12-31-2002, 09:28 PM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: cazenovia, NY USA
Posts: 2,973
RE: How do plants create minerals?
Welcome to the the board Answerguy - Dan's got it right, he has a lot of knowledge in this area, and we are lucky to have him here.
I have a couple points I'd make:
Trace elements are likely adequate on most soils, and rarley get depleted. The most important elements to consider are Phosphurus (P) Calcium (Ca) and Potassium (K), and Nitrogen (N). These elements CAN and WILL get depleted over time, especially of the plants growing there are harvested.
Interestingly enough, Calcium, is the "unsung" element, and often overlooked. People think "just throw down some fertilizer (N, P,K), and it'll grow better". While this "could" be true, its not usually that simple. Here is a quick run through - on what Calcium does:
All soil tends to become acidic if Calcium levels are, or become low. When Calcium becomes depleted, the acidity causes the roots of the plants to become "less able" to use the other elements in the soil, that the plant needs to grow. This is due to a chemical reaction, that causes the roots nodes to "bind" with inert acidic molecules, rather than essential molecules (N, P, &K). As a result, at some point, it becomes a moot point how much N,P&K are there, the plant cannot use it anyhow! Adding fertilizer at this point does nothing for the plant, and may actually hurt it more because most commercial fertilizers are acidic as well.
Of course, Lime is the key when the soil is or becomes acidic, and by adding calcium in the form of Dolomatic Limestone, nutrients in the soil previously unavailable to the plant are now available for uptake. That is why we often here of Lime being reffered to as "poor man's fertilizer".
Whole topics could be spent on Nitrogen (especially), Potassium, and Phosphorus as well, but I think its KEY to understanding the role soil acidity and calcium, plays in food plot production first. My synopsis above is dreadfully lacking in detail, there is a lot of good information on the net, you should research - when you have a soil test done, it pays to understand these elements, and the relationship between them, and the forage of choice.
Hope I didn't bore you to sleep
I have a couple points I'd make:
Trace elements are likely adequate on most soils, and rarley get depleted. The most important elements to consider are Phosphurus (P) Calcium (Ca) and Potassium (K), and Nitrogen (N). These elements CAN and WILL get depleted over time, especially of the plants growing there are harvested.
Interestingly enough, Calcium, is the "unsung" element, and often overlooked. People think "just throw down some fertilizer (N, P,K), and it'll grow better". While this "could" be true, its not usually that simple. Here is a quick run through - on what Calcium does:
All soil tends to become acidic if Calcium levels are, or become low. When Calcium becomes depleted, the acidity causes the roots of the plants to become "less able" to use the other elements in the soil, that the plant needs to grow. This is due to a chemical reaction, that causes the roots nodes to "bind" with inert acidic molecules, rather than essential molecules (N, P, &K). As a result, at some point, it becomes a moot point how much N,P&K are there, the plant cannot use it anyhow! Adding fertilizer at this point does nothing for the plant, and may actually hurt it more because most commercial fertilizers are acidic as well.
Of course, Lime is the key when the soil is or becomes acidic, and by adding calcium in the form of Dolomatic Limestone, nutrients in the soil previously unavailable to the plant are now available for uptake. That is why we often here of Lime being reffered to as "poor man's fertilizer".
Whole topics could be spent on Nitrogen (especially), Potassium, and Phosphorus as well, but I think its KEY to understanding the role soil acidity and calcium, plays in food plot production first. My synopsis above is dreadfully lacking in detail, there is a lot of good information on the net, you should research - when you have a soil test done, it pays to understand these elements, and the relationship between them, and the forage of choice.
Hope I didn't bore you to sleep
01-01-2003, 09:59 AM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 2,059
RE: How do plants create minerals?
As Farm Hunter says: use domomitic lime. It's got the other element that is needed with Calcium for good growth: Magnesium.
The plants live in the soil mixture and extract the nutrients or micronutrients from it. Even though most people don't think of it this way I like to think of the outside of plant roots being like the inside of our intestines. Each has a very curved surface with extensions for maximum surface area. Each has an environment which allows a multitude of bacteria and fungi to trive. These bacteria actually digest the organic matter in the soil. They excrete acids which digest the soil and put it in a soluble state. The plants or our intestines then absorb the materials from the solution. The bacteria get transport through the soil, moisture and some sugars from the plant in return. In the case of legumes they also convert atmospheric nitrogen to organic nitrogen that that plant can use.
Dan O.
The plants live in the soil mixture and extract the nutrients or micronutrients from it. Even though most people don't think of it this way I like to think of the outside of plant roots being like the inside of our intestines. Each has a very curved surface with extensions for maximum surface area. Each has an environment which allows a multitude of bacteria and fungi to trive. These bacteria actually digest the organic matter in the soil. They excrete acids which digest the soil and put it in a soluble state. The plants or our intestines then absorb the materials from the solution. The bacteria get transport through the soil, moisture and some sugars from the plant in return. In the case of legumes they also convert atmospheric nitrogen to organic nitrogen that that plant can use.
Dan O.
01-01-2003, 10:55 AM
#5
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: SE Wisconsin
Posts: 448
RE: How do plants create minerals?
Limestone rock is crushed and ground into a material known by several names including: Aglime, Agrilime, Ag stone, Ground Agricultural Limestone, and Lime. Ground aglime is the most widely used liming material, being easy to transport and apply. The calcium in limestone is in the carbonate form and most limestone also contains magnesium carbonate. Calcium content ranges from 15 to 40% and magnesium ranges from 0 to 15%. Limestone with less than 5% magnesium is designated as "calcitic limestone." It is designated as "dolomitic limestone" when the magnesium level is above 5% (pure magnesium carbonate is known as dolomite).
We have a local quarry that produces a limestone aglime ground as white and fine as flour and in 50lb bags. It is 32% calcium carbonate and less than 1% magnesium carbonate. Some local garden centers have a similarly packaged ground aglime that is 22% calcium carbonate and 10% magnesium carbonate that is much more yellow in color. They each run about $1.50 - $1.80 a bag.
We have a local quarry that produces a limestone aglime ground as white and fine as flour and in 50lb bags. It is 32% calcium carbonate and less than 1% magnesium carbonate. Some local garden centers have a similarly packaged ground aglime that is 22% calcium carbonate and 10% magnesium carbonate that is much more yellow in color. They each run about $1.50 - $1.80 a bag.
01-01-2003, 01:09 PM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ontario Canada
Posts: 2,059
RE: How do plants create minerals?
I'd go with the lime that has the highest magnesium content unless you knew that your soil had excessive Magnesium. Plants need Magnesium as well as Calcium in a ratio depending on the plant. If you add large amounts of pure CaCO3 without Magnesium you actually flush the Magnesium out of the soil. The Calcium ions displace the Magnesium and the Magnesium is leached out. You may correct the pH of the soil but you set up a Magnesium defiency.
One other thing that most people don't realize when they're fertilizing is that Phosphate attaches very easily to soil particles. Because of this it moves very slow into the soil. The PO4 that you put on the soil surface will take many years to reach the root zone. This is good that it doesn't leach away but if you want the plants to make use of it the first year you need to mix it in or pour it into holes if you're fertilizing a tree.
Dan O.
One other thing that most people don't realize when they're fertilizing is that Phosphate attaches very easily to soil particles. Because of this it moves very slow into the soil. The PO4 that you put on the soil surface will take many years to reach the root zone. This is good that it doesn't leach away but if you want the plants to make use of it the first year you need to mix it in or pour it into holes if you're fertilizing a tree.
Dan O.
