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Entry Date
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Nick Name
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Location
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Thursday, June 18, 2026
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Little Ketchup
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Grittyville, WA
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Entry 156 of 156 |
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ZINC (Zn - Zinc from Persian - stone)
Importance of zinc for plants
Zinc is a micronutrient that affects photosynthesis, respiration, the formation and action of hormones, carbohydrate and protein metabolism, and other important processes in the plant organism. It participates in enzymatic reactions. Seven enzymes containing zinc are known.
Plant demand for zinc
In the plant organism, zinc is concentrated in the young organs and vital centres - the shoot tips, young roots, and conductive tissue. The uptake of zinc is influenced by phosphorus and nitrogen in the nutrient medium. High levels of these elements hinder the uptake and distribution of zinc in plants. It is assumed that phosphorus precipitates zinc along the veins of the plant, while nitrogen fixes and retains it in the roots as a result of the formation of zinc-protein complexes.
Light conditions also affect zinc uptake. Increased solar radiation reduces its uptake.
It is considered that plants are insufficiently supplied with zinc when they contain less than 15-20 mg/kg dry matter. Of course, this threshold varies depending on the plant species, and within the same species - on the growing conditions.
Uptake
It is taken up in the form of the zinc cation (Zn+2).
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