Functions of Zinc Sulfate

Zinc Sulfate Heptahydrate:
Typically, it appears as a colorless orthorhombic crystal, granular, or powdery solid with a melting point of 100°C. Zinc sulfate heptahydrate is highly soluble in water but insoluble in alcohol and acetone. Its aqueous solution is weakly acidic. It is prone to efflorescence in dry air.

Functions of Zinc Sulfate:

1. Zinc promotes photosynthesis in crops
Zinc is a specific activating ion for carbonic anhydrase in plant chloroplasts. Carbonic anhydrase catalyzes the hydration of carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. Zinc also acts as an activator of aldolase, a key enzyme in the photosynthetic process.

2. Zinc participates in the synthesis of the growth hormone indoleacetic acid (IAA)
Zinc facilitates the synthesis of tryptophan from indole and serine. Since tryptophan is a precursor to auxin (IAA), zinc indirectly affects the formation of growth hormones. Zinc deficiency reduces auxin synthesis, especially in buds and stems, leading to stunted plant growth, smaller leaves, shortened internodes, and the formation of clustered small leaves.

3. Zinc promotes protein synthesis in crops
Zinc is closely related to protein synthesis. RNA polymerase contains zinc, and this enzyme is essential for protein synthesis. Additionally, zinc is a component of ribonucleoprotein and is required to maintain the structural integrity of ribosomes.

4. Zinc is essential for stabilizing plant cell ribosomes
Zinc deficiency reduces RNA and ribosome levels in crops. Recent studies show that normal ribosomes contain zinc, and without it, ribosomes are highly unstable. This indicates that zinc is necessary to stabilize cell ribosomes.

5. Zinc influences the reproductive organs of crops
Under zinc deficiency, tomato flower buds become elongated and oval, with sparse epidermal hairs on the sepals. As the buds develop, anther growth stalls, with anthers reaching only about one-third the length of normal ones. The styles and ovaries appear slightly thicker than those of normal plants, but the flower buds fail to open and begin to drop. The anthers are unable to produce normal pollen grains.