What is the role of zinc in crops and plants?
In plants, zinc plays a key role as a structural constituent or regulatory co-factor of a wide range of different enzymes in many important biochemical pathways and these are mainly concerned with: • carbohydrate metabolism, both in photosynthesis and in the conversion of sugars to starch • protein metabolism • auxin (growth regulator) metabolism • pollen formation • the maintenance of the integrity of biological membranes • the resistance to infection by certain pathogens
