
The Function of Manganese in Plants THE FUNCTION OF MANGANESE IN PLANTS WV P KELLEY Historical introduction Dating from the time of SCHEELE (i), numerous investigators have noted the presence of manganese in plants of various orders While small amounts only of this element have been found in most plants, in i86o HILGARD (2) pointed out that the ash of the longRole of Manganese in is lower than 2 and iron toxicity or manganese deficiency appears when it is higher. They further stated that the iron content of plants Is higher at a low than at high manganese level in the growth media, indicating that iron and manganese show reciprocal relations