bare
ROOTS
Featured Contributors
VOLUME 22 – NUMBER 5
October/November 2020
KB
Keith Bouchard is the founder
and co-inventor of Multiponics, an
indoor gardening manufacturer and
online boutique. He has a passion
for pushing innovative ag-tech
forward and is a consultant to the
NASA-funded X-Hab project at the
University of Colorado in Boulder.
AR
Alan Ray has written five books and
is a New York Times best-selling
author. Additionally, he is an awardwinning
songwriter with awards
from BMI and ASCAP respectively.
He lives in rural Tennessee with his
wife, teenage son and two dogs: a
Boerboel (south African Mastiff) and
a Pomeranian/Frankenstein mix.
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Contributors
+ Kent Gruetzmacher
Monica Mansfield
Phil McIntosh
Dr. Lynette Morgan
Kate Van Druff
ADVERTISING SALES
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EDITORIAL
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DESIGN & PRODUCTION
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ACCOUNTING
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A
MACRONUTRIENTS
Maximum Yield is distributed direct
to retailers via FedEx®, with
distribution support from our partners:
DL Wholesale
dlwholesale.com
Hydrofarm
hydrofarm.com
Essential macronutrients are the primary nutrients that plants use in large amounts to
grow and produce. Each macronutrient plays a unique and essential role in promoting
plant growth, vigor, and flowering. A shortage in any of them leads to adverse effects.
Plants are comprised of 60 chemical elements, 16 of which are essential. Carbon,
hydrogen, and oxygen are extracted from the air. The remaining 13 are extracted from
the soil. Six of these can be considered essential macronutrients for plant growth:
Nitrogen — plays a fundamental role in energy metabolism and protein synthesis. It is
absorbed by the plant in the form of a nitrate and is directly related to plant growth.
It is indispensable for photosynthesis activity and chlorophyll formation.
Phosphorus — transports and stores energy for growth, flowering, and seed formation.
Potassium — regulates water and the transport of the plant’s reserve substances. It
increases photosynthesis capacity, strengthens cell tissue, and activates the absorption of
nitrates. Potassium stimulates flowering and the synthesis of carbohydrates and enzymes.
Calcium — necessary for respiration, cell division, and cell stabilization. Calcium
contributes to mineral retention in the soil and to the transportation of such minerals.
Magnesium — constitutes the core of the chlorophyll molecule and is therefore essential for
photosynthesis. Magnesium promotes the absorption and transportation of phosphorus
and iron. It contributes to the storage of sugars within the plant. Magnesium performs the
function of an enzyme activator and activates more enzymes than any other nutrient.
Sulfur — It is necessary for performing photosynthesis and intervenes in both protein
synthesis and tissue formation. Sulfur is fundamental in the metabolizing of nitrogen.
Check out Kathryn M. Van Druff's article on page 42 for more information.
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