Chelated Micronutrients 1 kg

The details that make all the difference in production. This water-soluble chelated micronutrient powder, in a 1 kg pack, supplies the 5 essential trace elements – boron (B), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo) and zinc (Zn) – in a balanced formula that meets the needs of virtually all hydroponic crops.

It dissolves completely in water without residue, effectively preventing and curing micronutrient deficiencies that silently hold back production – even when macronutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are at adequate levels.

Technical Features

• Nutrient: water-soluble chelated micronutrient powder
• Composition: manganese sulphate, boric acid, copper, ammonium molybdate, zinc sulphate
• Pack: 1 kg
• Average dose: 80 grams per 1000 litres of water in the tank
• Yield: 1 kg treats up to 12,500 litres of nutrient solution
• Form: water-soluble powder – dissolves fully without residue

What do micronutrients do?

Although needed in very small amounts, micronutrients are absolutely essential – a deficiency in a single trace element can compromise the whole crop, even with macronutrients at perfect levels:

• Boron (B) – essential for cell wall formation, pollen germination and fruit set. Deficiency causes deformed new growth and flower drop
• Copper (Cu) – involved in photosynthesis and the synthesis of structural proteins. Deficiency causes wilting and blue-green leaves
• Manganese (Mn) – activates more than 35 different enzymes and is essential for splitting water molecules in photosynthesis. Deficiency causes interveinal chlorosis similar to iron deficiency
• Molybdenum (Mo) – needed for nitrogen and phosphorus metabolism. Deficiency causes leaf deformation ("Swiss cheese") and general chlorosis
• Zinc (Zn) – essential for auxin (growth hormone) synthesis and cell division. Deficiency causes short internodes, small leaves and stunted growth

How do you control these parameters?

Nutrient solution

The plant consumes the solution, and every day the volume in the tank drops. This volume should be topped up every day with water, not with nutrient solution. Plants absorb much more water than nutrients, and since the nutrient solution is saline, topping up with solution every day salinises it until the dissolved salts exceed what the roots can tolerate. If this happens, plants stop growing – not from a lack of nutrients, but because of an excessively high osmotic potential at the roots.

Control the pH of the nutrient solution

As they take up nutrients, plant roots change the pH of the nutrient solution. The pH indicates how acidic or alkaline the nutrient solution is. Plants develop best between pH 5.5 and 6.5, and as they grow they change the pH of the solution. That is why the pH should be measured every day after topping up the solution with water. If it is outside the 5.5–6.5 range, adjust it with acid if above 6.5, or with base if below 5.5.

Control the electrical conductivity of the nutrient solution

As plants grow, the nutrients in the solution are used up and the solution becomes depleted. Eventually the solution can no longer supply the nutrients the plants need. At that point the solution should be replaced. One of the biggest problems is knowing when to change it.

A solution containing salts (nutrients) can conduct electric current. The higher the concentration of dissolved salts, the greater this conductivity. So a drop in electrical conductivity tells you when the nutrient solution needs changing. The easiest way to know the nutrient concentration is to use a conductivity meter.

One of the main reasons growers choose water-culture systems is that growth and maturity are usually 15–25% faster. Growers can still reach the desired plant size with a short vegetative period. So to get optimal early production from these systems, using the right nutrient mix and having the right conditions matter far more.