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    NUTRIENT:

    IRON

    Iron (Fe) is essential for crop growth and food production. Plants take up Fe as the ferrous (Fe²⁺) cation.

    Key Component

    Iron is a component of many enzymes associated with energy transfer, nitrogen reduction and fixation, and lignin formation.

    Iron deficiency symptoms

    Symptoms of deficiency can vary across crop species, but similarities exist for how nutrient insufficiency impacts plant tissue color and appearance. Nutrient deficiencies are commonly associated with the physical location on the plant (i.e., whether the symptoms are primarily observed on older versus newly formed plant tissue), but these symptoms can spread as the severity of the deficiency progresses.

    Metal Imbalances

    Iron deficiencies may be caused by an imbalance with other metals such as copper (Cu), manganese (Mn) and molybdenum (Mo).

    Chlorosis

    Plants deficient in Fe will often display a pale green leaf color (chlorosis), with sharp distinction between green veins and yellow interveinal tissues.

    Foliar Sprays

    Most Fe fertilizer sources work best applied as foliar sprays.

    pt_nutrient_details_soybean

    Chlorophyll Formation

    Iron is a catalyst to chlorophyll formation.

    Oxygen Carrier

    Iron acts as an oxygen carrier in the nodules of legume roots.

      • Metal Imbalances

        Iron deficiencies may be caused by an imbalance with other metals such as copper (Cu), manganese (Mn) and molybdenum (Mo).

      • Chlorosis

        Plants deficient in Fe will often display a pale green leaf color (chlorosis), with sharp distinction between green veins and yellow interveinal tissues.

      • Foliar Sprays

        Most Fe fertilizer sources work best applied as foliar sprays.

      • Chlorophyll Formation

        Iron is a catalyst to chlorophyll formation.

      • Oxygen Carrier

        Iron acts as an oxygen carrier in the nodules of legume roots.

      Looking to dig deeper into iron?

      Browse the Resource Library for Iron-related articles, research insights and more.

      Resource Library