When you got out of bed this morning, you probably weren’t thinking about photosynthesis, but this is the amazing process plants have figured out how to execute…and the reason we can all live on Earth.
The Basics:
Plants absorb a gas (carbon dioxide) and turn it into a solid (carbohydrates) using the sun as a power source. Amazing! So how do they pull this off, and how vulnerable is the process?
Like any recipe, the photosynthetic process starts with a few key ingredients. First, the plant will need a collection of nutrients that play a role in building solar panels to absorb sunlight. In “plant talk,” these solar panels are called chlorophyll molecules. The basic structure of chlorophyll is one magnesium surrounded by four nitrogen molecules…and these are all connected by power supplied by iron. Several other nutrients take part in this production, some with larger roles than others however, all are critically necessary to pull off the task.
Plants photosynthesize with one of the most sophisticated systems ever made and, unfortunately, easily compromised. Early in the photosynthetic process, chemicals called enzymes are responsible for speeding up certain functions for better efficiency. Unfortunately, these enzymes are temperature sensitive, so when things get hot, the enzymes break down, and energy production begins to crawl. Another test is nutrient availability. Without access to the key nutrients needed for chlorophyll production, plants have to break down their components to source required raw materials; very inefficient and costly. Ensuring your plants have access to all of the needed nutrients regularly is the best way to promote photosynthesis, energy production, and grow the most amazing plants you’ve ever seen.
What’s next:
Once a plant successfully produces carbohydrates through photosynthesis, the raw energy will be refined into a more powerful energy source called ATP or, for the fellow plant nerds out there, Adenosine TriPhosphate. Think of this as refining oil into gasoline. ATP will power the formation of amino acids, which will ultimately be linked together to make protein. This has everything to do with creating high-value cannabis as 80% of dry plant tissue is protein. Cannabis plants use protein for growth, defense against predators/environmental stress, and repair any damaged tissue. Protein production will determine yield quantity, quality and potency!
What can you do:
If you’re looking to improve the photosynthetic ability of your plants, the easiest way to accomplish this is by ensuring they have access to all of the nutrients needed (Magnesium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Copper, Iron, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, Zinc, Calcium…and more). Create a growing environment that is optimized for production and stress-free. Lastly, take advantage of the latest biostimulant technology like CAPRA™ to help your plants fight stress and be supercharged for world-class production and potency.