Reducing stress – caused by heat, cold, drought, salinity, diseases, etc. – is one of the best ways to ensure your plants are focusing their energy on growth rather than survival. Amino acids are the building blocks of life: without them there would not be animal or plants on earth. A plant needs a large variety of amino acids to resist abiotic stress and generate enough energy to stay healthy, to grow, flower and produce.
When a plant is offered a limited number of amino acids, it has to invest valuable energy in assembling the missing amino acids. The plant breaks down existing proteins to make the required amino acids (hydrolysis). This process requires less energy than making amino acids by itself (synthesizing). However, it means the plant is cannibalizing itself, so very harmful!