Why healthy soil is important for healthy plants and healthy humans

The bioavailability of micronutrients, such as iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), in lettuce leaves affects the micronutrient status in the human diet. Photo: 123rf.com

Nutrient balance is key to a happy and healthy lifestyle. Similar to humans, plants also require balanced nutrients. Plant nutrients can be classified into macronutrients and micronutrients.

Plants require much larger quantities of macronutrients than micronutrients. For every 1kg of plant dry weight, more than 1g of macronutrients are required, whereas for micronutrients, less than 0.1g.