Subject: Plant FOOD????

From: "John A. Keslick, Jr." <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 05 Oct 1996 07:46:57 -0700

I have a hard time understanding most tree  literature.  Just as most of
the stuff in our industry it was poorly written.  Our industry is full
of words that mean nothing.  An example is feeder roots.  What do they
feed?  I do know of and have seen non-woody roots that ABSORB water and
elements in which an organ mycorrhizae facilitates the absorption
process of water and essential elements.  And I have seen woody-roots
which offer support, store food, i.e., starch, and transport food from
the leaves toward the non-woody roots and transport water and elements
>from  the non-woody roots toward the leaves.  But, I have never seen a
FEEDER ROOT THAT UPTAKES A NUTRIENT.  This type of literature makes
companies look very nonprofessional.  Maybe this will help clean up some
of the myth or misconception.   

I do not often get involved but:  In USA most of our trees and
mycorrhizae uptake water and "ELEMENTS"  Not nutrients.  A nutrient is a
substance that contains an element with an energy source and an element
without.  Nitrogen is NOT a nutrient for chlorophyl containing trees. 
Nitrogen is NOT FOOD.  The only thing nitrogen does, is mainly make
things grow big green and fast.  The energy comes from photosynthate not
elements.  Example,  if we were to communicate with a tree biologist in
the US, and I was to say that the NUTRIENT content of the woody roots
was very concentrated you would not have the foggiest idea what I
meant.  See when I say "nutrient" I am referring to an energy source. 
THE STARCHES STORED IN THE LIVING SYMPLAST (PARENCHYMA CELLS) IN THE
WOODY ROOTS are the stored nutrients.  Trees store nutrients in the form
of starch in living cells,  only in the symplast.  Trees here store
water as bound water to cellulose walls in the APOPLAST.  We do not know
where trees store ELEMENTS (nitrogen, iron, zinc, boron, etc.).  No
research has ever been done to show where this is done.  We do believe
that trees store ELEMENTS.  See trees do three things.
1. THEY LOAD. 
a. water and elements from non-woody roots and mycorrhizae. (most cases)
b. Photosynthate from leaves and the cortex.

2. THEY STORE.
a. water in the APOPLAST (ELEMENTS? We do not know)
b. NUTRIENTS in the non-water soluble form of starch and oils in the
symplast.  Trees only store starch(NUTRIENTS) in living cells.

3. THEY USE.
a. Water like a posted note is taken off and used where needed.
b. ELEMENTS we do not quit know too much about this, i.e.,how they are
stored.
c. Starch is transformed into Glucose and used as a NUTRIENT and used
where needed.  Primarily for defense.

We have at least fourteen essential ELEMENTS.  See in my Country we have
people selling what they call TREE FOOD.  People think they are feeding
their trees chicken soup.  Also these doses of nitrogen that they are
calling Nutrients can blow the mycorrhizae and cause many pest and
fungus problems.

It is very important to properly define your terms.

See:  Kloepper J. W. et al, Proposed Elimination of the Term
Endorhizosphere, 1992, Phytopathology 82: 726-727.  It defines some of
the problems that can arise when poorly defines terms are used.  Also
see DR Alex L. Shigos paper on terms in Agricultural Research, U.S.
Dept. Arr., Agr. Res. Ser. 35, No5, 1987.

Also, Many of our microorganisms associated with our trees receive some
if not all of their nutrients from the tree in a symbiotic way.

The old books used to say that in the spring food and water come in
through the vessels and push the buds open.  We have proven this
incorrect, scientifically.

Also one generality between us and a tree is we each burn glucose as a
fuel, an energy, a food.  However, a major specific between us and a
tree is that the tree manufactures its own food.  We must have someone
or something else manufacture our food (fuel, energy) for us. 

Yours Truly
 John A. Keslick Jr. 
John A. Keslick Jr. 
Tree Biologist & 
Professional Modern Arborist
Plus Certified Chester County Master Composter
KESLICK & SON MODERN ARBORICULTURE
PRODUCTS, EDUCATION AND SERVICE
214 N. Penn Street West Chester, PA 19380
610-696-5353
E-mail:"[email-masked]"
Check out our new WEB SITE at http://www.ccil.org/~treeman/

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John A. Keslick Jr.              If you are not OUTRAGED you're not  
Tree Anatomist & Tree Biologist                   paying attention.
Phone: 610-696-5353                    Support ORGANIC FARMERS.
organic tree treatment web site: 
http://www.ccil.org/~treeman/  OR  http://www.ccil.org/~kenm/env/  
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