Ahmadiyya Muslim Community under its agricultural programs has produced series of info sheets for its members. The purpose is to take advantage of knowledge to grow plants both for food and for ornamental purposes. Plants are the main source of our food supply and gardening has so many other advantages. We encourage that all Ahmadis should grow some plants in their backyards, on their balconies, indoors and any space they can find. This is the first info sheet regarding understanding the functioning of plants. Every attempt is made to use plain and simple language.
What plants are designed by God to do? Plants are made by God to carry out three main functions for the benefit of mankind. They have been carrying out these functions since the beginning of evolution. They have been designed to make food for us by fixing carbon di oxide from air with the help of energy from sunlight and water absorbed from the roots. This means that where ever we are growing plants adequate light must be made available to plants. Let us see what are the three most basic functions which plants carry out for our benefits.
Photosynthesis: This is the process of fixing light energy from the sun and converting it to chemical energy in the form of glucose. Here it is how the chemical reaction looks like:
Carbon di Oxide (CO2 ) + Sunlight + Water = Glucose (C6H12O6) + Oxygen (O2)
It looks pretty simple reaction but a large number of chemical reactions are involved. From our viewpoint the thing to remember is that light is the most important factor and those of us who live in Canada or US, winter light is not adequate to grow plants. Photosynthesis takes place at relatively warm temperatures and pure oxygen is produced. That is why it is healthy to stay under tree shade during day time and take deep breathing. This glucose is converted to carbohydrates and is stored in the leaf cells for use at night time.
Respiration: This process is opposite of photosynthesis and takes place at night time or absence of light. The food plant made is broken down and energy is utilized to grow roots, leaves, shoots and fruit. This process produces carbon di oxide and that is why you don’t sleep under the trees at night time. Excess of carbon di oxide can cause lack of oxygen in our body and we get tired easily. Now the interesting part is how the plant decide to channels its food resources to roots, shoots or fruits. Plant has a built in system and is regulated by temperature. Plants are pretty smart in that way. They do what ever and however God commanded them to do. It is the spread between the day temperature and night temperature which sends a message to partition its total food resources to roots, shoots or fruit.
Water Absorption and Transpiration: The third things plants are very smart and efficient to do is absorb water from the roots in a liquid form and move it across millions of cells in the stem to leaves and move that water outside to the air. This water also carry dissolved nutrients required for plant growth. Water is lost to air and nutrients are retained for its use. Did you know that plant need to move 500 kg of water or 500 liters to make one kg of dry matter. That is a lot of water which goes through the plant and energy is needed for this water movement.
Role of Temperature: Those of us who live in northern climates where it freezes in winter, know it very well that we cannot grow plants outdoor in winter because it is too cold. Plants need proper temperature to grow and produce fruit or vegetables for us. Even within Canada we know that Ontario especially Southern Ontario has very suitable temperature to grow all sorts of plants and fruits from April to October. While in Western Canada frost free days are hardly around 100 on the average. You go to BC and trees are already growing in February. Plan your gardens accordingly. For winter one can grow plants in a greenhouse or in basement using artificial light.
Role of Nutrients: Of course plants need food like we do. In order the plants to grow properly they need 16 elements for proper growth. All of them are essential and the absence of even one of them can limit the growth. They are Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen which the plants obtain form air and is absorbed through million of small openings on the leaves. Other nutrients are Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium and sulfur which are absorbed through roots and these are called Macro-elements because they are needed in relatively large numbers. The other group is called Micro-elements and include Iron, Manganese, Copper, Zinc, Boron, Molybdenum and chloride and they are needed in small quantities.
