Demeter Technology

Manganese

MANGANESE

  1. Low manganese levels generally occur on calcareous soils and soils with high organic matter.

  1. On high pH soils plants may be able to absorb sufficient manganese if there is a low available iron content in the soil.

  1. Addition of iron to soils may reduce uptake of manganese

  1. Manganese is essential for chloroplast formation and chlorophyll synthesis and therefore carbohydrate metabolism.

  1. Manganese deficiency may reduce the sugar contents of plants such as beet and fruit, and the starch content of potatoes

  1. Plants lacking manganese accumulate nitrate and nitrite thus disrupting protein metabolism

  1. Plants which are deficient in manganese are less able to withstand drought stress and are less winter hardy.

  1. Manganese deficiency in animals generally reduces growth rate

  1. Animals may also suffer reduced fertility when manganese levels are low.

  1. Due to the poor mobility of manganese within the plant a steady supply of manganese is essential for good crop growth. Ideally this is achieved by the plant absorbing manganese continually through the roots.

  1. On acid soils the application of manganese to the soil may be more effective than foliar applications of manganese.

  1. On alkaline soils best effects are achieved by applying manganese with acidifying fertilisers

SUSCEPTIBILITY OF CROPS TO

MANGANESE DEFICIENCY

Crops which have a high demand for Mn if soil levels are low or respond positively to micronutrient applications

Crops which have a medium demand for Mn if soil levels are low or respond moderately to micronutrient applications

Wheat

Oats

Sugar beet

Fodder beet

Peas

Beans

Onions

Barley

Rye

Potato

Turnip

OSR

Sunflower

Lucerne

Grass

Cabbages

carrots

Bergmann 1988


P J White M R Broadley J. Hort Science and Technology ( 2005) 80 (6) 660-667

INCREASED REQUIREMENT FOR MICRO-NUTRIENTS AT LOWER N RATES

Yield t/ha

Kg Nitrogen per hectare

N only

N + Cu, Mn, Zn

150

8.58

9.41

200

9.26

9.40

250

9.16

9.36

Work done for Stoller by SAC1990

Seed manganese affects the early growth of lupins in manganese-deficient conditions

J Crosbie, NE Longnecker and AD Robson

Abstract

Poor crop establishment and split seed associated with manganese (Mn) deficiency are major problems in the production of narrow-leafed lupins (Lupinus angustifolius L.) in Western Australia. A survey of Western Australian seed producers indicated that Mn concentrations in lupin seeds ranged from 8 to 62 mg kg-1, with the majority of the seed containing less than 20 mg kg-1. We studied seedling growth of lupins (cultivars Gungurru and Danja) in nutrient solution, from seed with Mn concentrations ranging from 8 (Seed8) to 223 (Seed 223) mg kg-1. Without added Mn, the final weight of plants grown from Seed8 was 39% for shoots and 30% for roots, compared to maximum growth (Seed62). With adequate external Mn supply, there was no effect of seed Mn on growth of plants grown from undamaged seedlings. Shoot weight of Gungurru lupins 42 days after imbibing increased with increasing seed Mn concentration up to about 55 mg kg-1 when grown without added Mn. Growth of Danja plants increased similarly with increasing seed Mn concentration.

Keywords: seed; lupins; manganese

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 45(7) 1469 - 1482


Replicated trials conducted from 1995-1998 with Arise Research Martinsville

Results showed that the application of manganese produced consistent increase in yield.

The application of manganese oxysulfate consistently equalled or outyielded the application of manganese sulphate.

Manganese oxysulphate provides sufficient availability of manganese for immediate uptake with extended manganese availability throughout the growing season

Research also showed that treatment gave an extended flowering time and greater podset

Nitrate Hydrological Study

Focused primarily on evaluating the hydrologic movement of nitrates in surface water and establishing a balanced micro-nutrient programme for reducing nitrate runoff

Test plots were set up, involving corn with minimum tillage. Water samples were collected after significant surface runoff and analysed for nitrates

In analysing the data from 1994-1996 the three year averages have revealed:

A micro-mix application with the concept of balanced nutrition has significantly reduced nitrate runoff during all three years. Based on a three year average nitrate runoff was approximately 7ppm when the soil was treated with the micro-mix compared to 27ppm where the soil was not treated.

The data suggests that a balanced micro-nutrient application applied to the soil can help to increase nitrogen utilisation and hence reduce nitrate runoff


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