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Biochemical Sequence of Nutrition in Plants
Biochemical Sequence of Nutrition in Plants
Biochemical Sequence of Nutrition in Plants
Plant biochemical sequences begin with: Amino acids form proteins such as chlorophyll
1. Boron, which activates and tag trace elements, especially
2. Silicon, which carries all other nutrients, 5. Magnesium, which transfers energy via
starting with 6. Phosphorus to
3. Calcium, which binds 7. Carbon to form sugars which to where
4. Nitrogen to form amino acids, DNA and cell 8. Potassium carries them. This is the basis of
division. plant growth.
The biochemical
sequence
By HUGH LOVEL boron, which was responsible for sap pressure, he
I
responded, Of course, boron is necessary for
N FEBRUARY of 1994 at the Austin, Texas Eco calcium uptake, and we test for boron. If it is
Fair, I lunched with Neal Kinsey, one of needed we put it there, but we still cant guarantee
Americas top soil consultants. Neal was that calcium gets in the apple.
lecturing about the key importance of calcium Hmmm. So I asked what he did about silicon.
in the early stages of fruit development where My biodynamic experience showed silicon was the
cell division occurs. His metaphor was that an basis of transport in both plants and animals.
apple not much bigger than a prune had virtually Neals response was classic, We dont test for
all the calcium it would get by harvest. He tested silicon. Its in all soils, whether sand or clay.
soils for calcium and applied it as needed, but Until then it hadnt sunk home with me that I
unfortunately this did not guarantee that sufficient was used to looking for the visual signs of silicon
calcium ended up in the apple. in plants and I hadnt actually seen any soil or leaf
When I asked him what he did in regard to tests that included it. This got me wondering, and
as I investigated I found, almost uniformly, soil Gradually I realised there was an obvious
and leaf testing labs did not test for silicon unless hierarchy of how elements worked in living
it was specifically requested. organisms. One thing had to occur before the next
As a biodynamic grower I was annoyed. thing could happen, and on down the line in a
Biodynamic forerunner Rudolf Steiner, with a sequence. In 2004 I put together a PowerPoint
doctorate in maths, chemistry and biology, slide show for Graeme Saits agronomy team at
identified the oxides of calcium and silicon, lime Nutri-Tech in Yandina, Queensland, and in it I
and silica, as the opposite poles of life chemistry. summarised this hierarchy of elements, calling it
Id used this concept for years and years, along the biochemical sequence.
with Jochen Bockemhls leaf studies from his I told the Nutri-Tech agronomists that boron
book In Partnership with Nature and Johann W von kicks off this sequence by activating silicon,
Goethes treatise The Metamorphosis of Plants as making it an amorphous fluid and providing sap
guides. Neals comment that he didnt test for pressure. I knew that boron was used in making
silicon caught me by surprise. But, on the other glass, which is amorphous fluid silica, and Id
hand, my university curriculum was biochemistry found this relationship also held true for plant
rather than agricultural chemistry so I hadnt chemistry.
realized what 19th Century agricultural chemistry Of course, sap pressure would be no use without
taught. Looking further, I found that in the early a transport system to contain it, and silicon enables
days of agricultural chemistry, Justus von Liebig the actual transport of nutrients. Interestingly,
tested both soils and plants for silicon, found it in applying too much boron too early in a crop cycle
all cases, was unable to prove it was an essential is notable for burning seedlings and young
nutrient by excluding it from plant media and transplants such as sprouting squash, beans or
thereafter dropped it from his tests. This became tomatoes because too much sap pressure in such
the norm for agricultural testing. a tiny plant drives sodium out to the leaf margins.
Neal Kinsey, with his riddle of getting calcium Nevertheless, in plants where leaf veins are highly
into early fruit development, got me thinking. branched (such as flowering beans, squash and
tomatoes) boron is important in later growth to heavier nutrients such as calcium, magnesium,
maintain strong enough sap pressure to make complex carbohydrates and amino acids can easily
such a complex system work. be left behind.
On the other hand, highly siliceous plants, such Third in the biochemical sequence is calcium.
as grasses, need less boron to give them sap This is the last thing you want to leave behind
pressure since their transport vessels all run because of its role in nitrogen fixation and amino
parallel without branching. Thats like irrigation acid chemistry. Calcium balances charge in
lines that only feed one sprinkler head: it doesnt proteins and is particularly important in cell
take much pressure. An exception is bananas, division, which is the first thing that happens in
which have a huge transport system with lots of fruit or seed formation after pollination. Without it I realised there was an
fluid flow. They need plenty of boron to send there would be no fruit or seed. obvious hierarchy of how
calcium and amino acids all the way to the top of For example, in maize calcium leaf test targets elements worked in living
the bell stalk for cell division to occur in the are between 0.3% and 1%, increasing as the maize organisms. One thing
bunch. approaches tasselling with the higher target range had to occur before the
Obviously, without robust transport nowhere more desirable during kernel formation. If calcium next thing could happen,
near as much nutrient reaches the leaves or is does not reach the ear in sufficient quantities, the and on down the line in a
stored in the fruits. Chemical agriculture gets kernels near the end of the ear simply do not fill sequence.
around this to some extent since, even with a out. With a crop like soybeans, double or even
weak transport system, anything that is highly triple the calcium values of maize are needed for
soluble (such as potassium nitrate) is simply taken full pod set without shedding pods (a common
up along with water. Though this dilutes the sap, problem in soybeans). Wouldnt you like to see
it flows quite easily due to low sap density. This is every kernel on your maize fill out to the end of
why (synthetic) chemically grown foods the ear and every soybean blossom produce a pod
commonly have a coarse, watery cell structure as of beans? This only happens when boron, silicon
well as lower nutrition and poorer keeping quality. and calcium work together optimally.
However, without a robust transport system, As just mentioned, wherever calcium goes there