Nutrient Density of Plants

This is true. Most elements on the periodic table that end up in our fruits and vegetables come from the soil that those plants grow in. Take selenium in tomatoes for example. If that selenium isn't in the soil, it won't be in the tomato. There are a couple exceptions, like carbon. The carbon in plants comes from CO2 in the atmosphere, which plants use the energy of sunlight in photosynthesis to strip the carbon atom off the two oxygens.

The book The Intelligent Gardener by Steve Solomon with Erica Reinheimer is one publication that goes over this relationship of soil mineral content and the nutrient density of food.

Take selenium in tomatoes for example. If that selenium isn't in the soil, it won't be in the tomato.

I just have to comment on this point. There is selenium in all soil all over the planet. It has been found literally everywhere, it was how they discovered that a huge meteor hit the earth just before the extinction of the dinosaurs, a layer of selenium that encompasses the earth.

What this tells us is that there is selenium in the soil, it most likely needs the right microorganism(s) to release it from bondage so the plants can take it in.
It is a lot like taking vitamins, if your gut microbiota is not "right" then the odds are you will pass those vitamins through without any cellular benefit for your body.

Susan, the studies you are looking for should start here, nutrient density in vegetables
The next part of your research would be here, increasing nutrient density in vegetables

and this is a list of research papers.

Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Meagy M. J., T. E. Eaton, and A.V. Barker. 2013. Nutrient Density in Lettuce Cultivars Grown with Organic or Conventional Fertilization with Elevated Calcium Concentrations. HortScience 48 (12):1502-1507.

Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2014 Citation: Meagy M. J., T. E. Eaton, and A.V. Barker. Assessment Mineral Nutrient Density of Lettuce in Response to Cultivar Selection and Nutritional Regimes. Accepted to the HortScience on December 13, 2013. Awaiting for Production Checklist.

Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Meagy M. J., T. E. Eaton, and A.V. Barker. Zinc Accumulation in Lettuce Cultivars Grown with Organic or Chemical Based Nutritional Regimes. Accepted on August 8, 2013 to the Journal of Plant Nutrition, In Press, Awaiting Production Checklist.

Theses/Dissertations Status: Submitted Year Published: 2014 Citation: Meagy, Md J. Increasing Nutrient Density of Food Crops through Soil Fertility Management and Cultivar Selection. Doctoral Dissertation submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, for degree to be awarded in February 2014.

Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Meagy, Md J., T. E. Eaton, and A. V. Barker. 2012. Nutrient Density in Lettuce Cultivars Grown with Organic or Chemical Fertilization with Elevated Calcium Concentrations. IPPSWR conference, Ventura, CA. September 2012.

Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2013 Citation: Meagy, Md J., T. E. Eaton, and A. V. Barker. 2013. Mineral Nutrient Density of Lettuce Grown with Organic and Conventional Soil Fertility Practices. Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Plant Biologists Conference, Northeast Section, UMass Amherst, MA. April 2013.

Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Jahanzad,E., A.V. Barker, M.Hashemi, T. Eaton, and A. Sadeghpour. 2013. Cover crop and nitrogen fertilizer influence on tuber yield and quality of potatoes. Abstracts Northeast Section American Society of Agronomy, Newark, Delaware. Presented at the Regional Meeting of the Northeast Section of the American Society of Agronomy, July 2013.

Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Jahanzad, E., A. V. Barker, M. Hashemi, T. Eaton, and A. Sadeghpour. 2013. Tuber Yield and Quality of Potatoes as Affected by Cover Crops and Nitrogen Fertilizer. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA conference, Tampa, FL. November 2013. Agronomy Abstracts, 2013.

Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Eaton, Touria E., A. V. Barker, Md J. Meagy, and E. Jahanzad. 2013. Mineral Nutrient Density of Cabbage in Response to Cultivar Selection and Nutritional Regimes. HortScience 48(9):S232. Presented at Annual Meetings of the American Society for Horticultural Science, Palm Desert, California, July 2013.

Have fun reading.

Redhawk

(or you could just ask me what to do and how it works)

Bryant RedHawk wrote:

Take selenium in tomatoes for example. If that selenium isn't in the soil, it won't be in the tomato.

I just have to comment on this point. There is selenium in all soil all over the planet. It has been found literally everywhere, it was how they discovered that a huge meteor hit the earth just before the extinction of the dinosaurs, a layer of selenium that encompasses the earth.

I admit I really could have chosen a better element for my example. What I was trying to get at is, since it is an element, the plant can't make it like it can compounds such as glucose using carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.

James, I thought your example of selenium was great.

My point was that usually it is the lack of microorganisms that create situations of lack of nutrients.
The same goes for almost all of the nutrients plants need.
The main problem with growing anything is that dependence on soil testing as has been hammered into everyone's heads over the last 60 years and the lack of understanding that those tests only give water soluble nutrient counts, not what is actually in the soil but what is readily available without any microorganisms.

Soil tests are performed assuming you are giving them dirt, not soil, their results also assume you have dirt instead of soil.  If you have soil, you have far more, nutrient wise, than what that soil tests tells you, you have.

Redhawk

Dr Bryant Redhawk, how good does that sound?? Congratulations and so well deserved ) Wolf, thanks for doing you part and assisting Bryant to complete his studies so he could share his knowledge with the world and make it a better place. Thanks guys what a team )

Bryant thanks for the reading material and your kind offer of help. At this stage in my journey I need to understand how this works but, I am sure I will have questions along the way and would love to tap into your knowledge bank.
Kindest regards
Susan

Always happy to be of help Susan, that is the very reason I stick around this site as much as possible.

Bryant RedHawk wrote:(or you could just ask me what to do and how it works)

You are a walking library RedHawk, I started reading them and will bother you when I finish. :-)

What are your thoughts on Korean Natural Farming? It is also supporting the soil food web and increasing the mycorrhiza and bacteria in the soil.

hau Gurkan, KNF is a very good methodology to know and use in conjunction with other methodologies or even as a singular methodology.
Over the last 50 years I have investigated at least two dozen methodologies purported to help the earth mother provide us highly nutritious foods, some work, some are pure bunk and others fall in between.
As you go through my soil series you will find the ones I really like.