“Molasses and Plant Carbohydrates”
Sugars relating to plant functions for maximum economic
production
Printed by permission of Texas Plant & Soil Lab, Inc., www.txplant-soillab.com
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS that affect when and how much sugar to use:
a. How much nitrate is in the soil, and plant sap (petiole test).
b. Soil moisture conditions.
c. Sunlight intensity.
d. Temperature.
e. Wind
f. Fruiting stage / load
g. Growth / vigor [shade lower leaves]
The right amount at the right time can improve fruiting and produce normal
plant growth with less attraction for disease and insects.
Needed for healthy plants - fruit production - plant development &
maturity.
Roots take nutrients from the soil and transport them up the stalk thru the
petiole (stem) to the leaves where the sunlight aids the production of
photosynthates (sugars are not the ONLY product of photosynthesis)
carbohydrates (C, H & O), principally glucose (C6H12O6) and then other sugars
and photosynthates are formed.
Plant Sugars and other photosynthates are first translocated (boron is
essential to the translocation) to a fruiting site. If fruit is not available, the
sugars, along with excess nitrates, spur the rapid vegetative growth of the plant
at the expense of creating fruiting bodies (first sink) for the storage of the sugars.
Once the proper balance of environmental factors (heat units, light intensity, soil
moisture, nutrient balance, etc) are met, the fruiting buds form and then fruit
formation gets the first crack at the sugar supply.
Any excess sugars are then translocated to the number two sink, (growing
terminals,) to speed their growth. The left-over sugars, etc. then go to the
number 3 sink, (the roots,) to aid their growth. Here the new root hairs take
up nutrients to help continue the cycle of sugar and other photosynthate produc-
tion, fruiting, growth of terminals and roots.
ADDED SUGARS CAN AID THE PLANT IN SEVERAL WAYS:
-
MOLASSES is probably the best outside source of many sugars, such as table
sugar, corn syrup and several more complex sugars such as polysaccharides
found in humus products.
- Sugar can be added to the soil in irrigation water, drip & pivot being the most
effective.
* In the soil it can:
- Feed microbes to stimulate the conversion of nitrates to the more
efficient NH2 form of N to synthesize protein more directly by the plants.
- The roots can directly absorb some of the sugars into the sap stream to
supplement the leaf supply to fruit where it is most needed, and ALSO directly
feed the roots for continued productive growth.
- This ADDED sugar can also help initiate fruiting buds in a steady-slow
fashion while maintaining normal growth.
-EXCESSIVE amounts of ADDED SUGARS applied foliarly can shock the
plant resulting in shortened growth internodes, increased leaf maturity & initiation
of excess fruiting sites. This can be a short term effect lasting only a few days.
Pollination, soil moisture, nutrient balance and sufficiency as well as
adequate light for photosynthate production decide how much of the
induced fruit can mature.
