The Importance of Trace Elements in Soil Health
Why tiny minerals make a big difference — and why salt pan seawater is a powerful natural source
When it comes to soil health, most growers focus on the big three: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). But behind every successful crop or thriving plant community lies an invisible team of trace elements — minerals required in minuscule amounts, but essential to life.
Without these elements, biological systems falter. Enzyme activity slows, plant immunity weakens, and microbial function declines. In soils where these micronutrients are missing or imbalanced, no amount of compost or fertiliser will restore true fertility.
What Are Trace Elements?
Trace elements, also called micronutrients, are minerals required in very small quantities for the proper functioning of plants, microbes, and soil systems. Key examples include:
Zinc (Zn): Supports enzyme function and hormone production
Copper (Cu): Involved in photosynthesis, respiration, and lignin formation
Manganese (Mn): Essential for chloroplast formation and nitrogen assimilation
Iron (Fe): Crucial for chlorophyll synthesis and electron transport
Boron (B): Regulates cell wall formation and reproductive growth
Molybdenum (Mo): Vital for nitrogen fixation and conversion
Cobalt (Co), Selenium (Se), and Iodine (I): Trace roles in animal and microbial health
Plants require these in parts per million or even billion — but a deficiency in any one can reduce vitality, increase susceptibility to disease, and limit growth.
The Role of Trace Elements in Soil and Plant Systems
While trace elements are required in small quantities, they have wide-reaching impacts:
Enzyme activation: Most biochemical processes in plants and microbes rely on enzymes — and enzymes rely on trace minerals to function.
Nutrient uptake: Micronutrients help regulate ion exchange in the root zone and assist in the uptake and transport of major nutrients.
Microbial metabolism: Soil microbes require trace minerals for cell division, respiration, and nutrient cycling.
Plant health and immunity: Deficiencies increase vulnerability to pests and pathogens.
Crop quality: Trace elements influence fruiting, flavour, seed formation, and storage life.
Why Modern Soils Are Often Deficient
Conventional gardening practices often deplete micronutrient reserves:
Intensive cropping removes trace minerals faster than natural processes can replace them
Synthetic fertilisers typically contain only N, P, and K — not micronutrients
Erosion and acidification degrade mineral-holding capacity
Compost and mulch inputs may lack diversity in trace elements, especially in closed-loop or urban systems
The result? Soils that are low in biodiversity, biologically inactive, and functionally undernourished.
Salt Pan Seawater: A Natural Source of Broad-Spectrum Trace Elements
Salt pan seawater (also known as concentrated salt pan brine) is harvested from natural inland or coastal salt flats. As seawater evaporates under sun and wind, the remaining brine becomes densely packed with naturally occurring trace elements.
Why is this source superior?
Naturally balanced: Unlike synthetic micronutrient blends, sea pan brine reflects the broad mineral profile of seawater — containing not just the common elements but also dozens of lesser-known but still valuable micronutrients.
Bioavailable form: Many of the minerals are already dissolved in ionic form, meaning they are readily available for plant and microbial uptake.
Renewable and sustainable: Salt pans are naturally occurring ecosystems. When harvested responsibly, they offer a low-impact way to source minerals without mining or chemical processing.
Wide spectrum: Beyond Zn, Cu, Mn, and Fe, sea pan brine often contains trace levels of cobalt, selenium, molybdenum, lithium, vanadium, and iodine — elements rarely included in commercial fertilisers but essential for long-term soil health.
Note: While sodium (Na) is also present in brine, careful dilution and balancing with carbon-rich materials mitigates the risk of salt buildup in the soil.
Why Soil Builder™ Includes Salt Pan Trace Elements
In formulating Soil Builder™, we include salt pan trace elements to ensure soils receive the broadest possible spectrum of minerals, not just the common handful. When combined with carbon-rich mulch and microbial inoculants, these elements support:
Greater microbial diversity
Improved enzyme activity and nutrient availability
Balanced pH buffering and soil electrochemistry
Enhanced root zone resilience and plant metabolism
By incorporating these trace elements directly into our living mulch matrix, they are slowly released in tandem with organic matter breakdown — ensuring they integrate gently into the soil ecosystem over time.
Conclusion
Micronutrients may be small in quantity, but their impact is outsized. In healthy soils, they support everything from root development to disease resistance to carbon sequestration.
Salt pan seawater, when used thoughtfully, is a natural, balanced, and renewable source of these essential elements. It’s one more way we look to nature to guide regenerative soil care — restoring the subtle, powerful balance that life depends on.