What are amino acids and what is their role in agriculture?
Amino acids are the basic components of proteins. Organisms can produce many amino acids on their own, but some must be obtained from external sources, often through supplements. In the quest for sustainable and precision agriculture, it is crucial to provide plants with easily assimilable nutrients. Amino acids play a significant role in agriculture by affecting crop yield and growth, due to their important functions and properties.
Enhancing Nutrient Transport
Amino acids have the ability to form organic-mineral complexes. Glycine, the smallest and most mobile amino acid in plants, when used in fertilisers (e.g., the glycine-micronutrients complex in AMINO® ULTRA fertilisers based on GCAA technology), significantly improves nutrient absorption. This allows the molecule to reach the appropriate part of the cell more quickly and easily. Additionally, amino acids can serve as an excellent energy source for soil and foliar microorganisms. The amino acid-micronutrient complex is also fully utilized by the plant, leaving no chemical waste harmful to the environment.
Improving the Properties of the Working Solution with Amino Acids
Peptides contained in amino acid preparations reduce the surface tension of the solution, allowing the fertiliser to better cover the leaf blade and increase nutrient uptake by the leaves.
Additional Support for Plant Metabolism
Amino acids activate many important processes, including increasing photosynthesis activity, improving the quality characteristics of crops, ensuring proper pollination and maturation of fruits, and acting as precursors to plant hormones responsible for the rate of growth and development of plants.
Reducing Plant Stress
Amino acids used together with plant protection products reduce the stress caused by their application. They also accelerate tissue repair and stimulate the plant’s natural immune mechanisms – having stimulating properties. Such benefits are provided by the use of plant recovery activator – AMINOPRIM®.
The use of amino acids in agriculture brings a range of benefits to crops. Therefore, when selecting foliar fertilisers, it’s worth paying attention to whether they contain amino acids (e.g., INTERMAG’s AMINO ULTRA® series fertilisers). Foliar fertilisation with amino acids is even more effective and offers a range of additional benefits described above. This is particularly important during critical phases of plant development when they require quick and efficient nutrient delivery.
