Re: UVs and nutrients

[Paul Sears <psears at nrn1_NRCan.gc.ca>]

> From: "S. Hieber" <shieber at yahoo_com>
> Subject: Re: UVs and Nutrients
> 
> Greg aka Newsletter asked  in part:
> 
> > So in a short answer, what impact does a UV sterilizer have on
> > macronutrients?  
> 
> Ultra Violet will break down at least some chelators, such as EDTA,
> which can affect the levels of available iron -- the chelators keep the
> iron (Fe++) from oxidizing to a form unusable by plants.  [Can the
> chemists confirm?]  

	The chelation doesn't stop oxidation, but it stops the Fe+++
from precipitating out and becoming physically unavailable.


-- 
Paul Sears        Ottawa, Canada