Managing Micronutrients : Iron, Magnesium, Boron

Iron (Fe)

Plants: Carrier of oxygen for the essential production of chlorophyll.

People: Central elements in haemoglobin and essential in the function of hundres of enzymes and proteins.

Magnesium (Mn)

Soil: More available in low pH soil and can be tied up in soils with high calcium or phosphorous.

Plants: Strongly support seed germination, fruiting and ripening. Important for nitrogen metabolism.

People: found in mitochondria and is a key component in energy metabolism.

Animals: Needed for normal growth and bone formation. Essential is reproductive health.

Boron (B) Boost

Soil: Humus is the boron storehouse, so if you don’t have good levels of organic matter you will probably have boron deficient soils. Calcium is the “trucker of all minerals” and boron is the “steering wheel”, so calcium will not work as well when boron is lacking.

Plants: Calcium can operate to full effect only if boron is present. Boron is also very important during the reproductive stage as it regulates flowering, pollination and the fruit to flower ratio. This is particularly important in fruit trees. A foliar spray just before flowering will supply boron and all other minerals at this critical time.

Deficiency Symptoms: Hollow stems in broccoli, woody texture in strawberries, flower and fruit drop in the orchard and poor seed set are all symptoms of boron deficiency. You may also see die back on passionfruit and grape vines.

People: This mineral also impacts calcium metabolism in humans. Boron influences the release of calcium into the blood and the absorption of calcium into our bones. Boron deficiency has also been strongly linked to arthritis and it is important in red blood cell development.

Animals: Boron has been used for over 30 years for the treatment of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis in farm animals and could also be used to treat these problems in pets.