Chelated minerals are important in ensuring green, healthy plants.
Chelated minerals are essential to a plant's ability to transport oxygen and nutrients. In most soils, chelating agents naturally occur, and are created by plants and microorganisms within the soil. These agents are necessary to making minerals available for plants to use. Chlorophyll, for example, is a chelated mineral made by the bonding of a chelating agent to magnesium ions.
Chelating Process
A chelated mineral is a chemical compound formed by the bonding of metal ions with organic compounds, or chelating agents. The word chelate refers to the way that the metal ion is bound, and is derived from the Greek word chel which means claw. Within the structure of the chelate, the mineral is suspended between two or more organic or amino acids. This bonding makes the mineral available for absorption by a plant's roots. In the soil, chelation occurs when organic substances, which act as chelating agents, are either applied to the soil or produced by plants and microorganisms within the soil.
Chelating Agents
Chelating agents are necessary to making metal ions usable for plants. Among the many agents found in soils, hydroxamate siderophores and organic and amino acids are two of the most important to plant health. Microorganisms in the soil naturally produce hydroxamate siderophores, and these are key in transporting nutrients such as iron for uptake by plant roots. If the soil is deficient in iron, for example, the microorganisms produce siderophores to correct this deficiency. Organic acids, such as citric acid, and amino acids, such as glycine, are naturally occurring chelating agents. These are important because they are produced by the plant's roots and when bonded with metal ions, they form a chelate, such as chlorophyll, that is readily available to the plant.
Benefits
In high pH soils, metal ions, such as zinc, magnesium and iron, are positively charged and react with negatively charged hydroxide ions, which are abundant in these soils. This makes the metals unavailable to plants. Chelating agents help plants growing in these soils by protecting the chelated ions from reacting with chemicals like hydroxide to ensure that the ions are available to be taken up by plants. Chelation can also reduce the concentration of some metal ions in these soils, reducing them to a non-toxic form. The metal ions that make chelates are also more stable than free ions, which provide less chance that nutrients will be lost through leaching.
Synthetic Chelates
Plants require certain minerals and nutrients in order to convert water and carbon dioxide into glucose and oxygen. Plants can't always use the most common forms of some minerals. For example, chlorophyll is a chelate form of magnesium and iron. Before the plant can use either mineral, however, they must be usable. In fertilizers, these chelates are added to improve soils that are lacking in certain acids. On the fertilizer label you'll often find iron or copper chelate as an ingredient. These are typically synthetic compounds that are added to the fertilizer. If your soil is low in iron, a fertilizer containing iron chelate would improve it by providing iron that has already gone through the chemical changes necessary to make it usable.
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