Liebig's law of the minimum

The minimum law (from the Latin minimum, " the least "; published by Carl Sprengel in 1828, popularized by Justus von Liebig in expanded form ) states that the growth of plants by the scarcest resource in relation (nutrients, water, light, etc. ) restricted will. This resource is also referred to as a minimum factor. In the presence of such a defect factor, it has no influence on the growth, when a resource is added, which is already available in the required amounts. The minimum law is among other things an important basis for fertilization.

As a model of the law serves the " minimum - ton ": A ton of different lengths staves can be filled only to the height of the shortest stave. Just can develop only so far an organism, as it allows the scarcest resource.

In the economic theory of production, a similar law is described by the Leontief production function.

Minimum factor and yield

The minimum law forms a basis of quantitative agricultural chemistry since the mid 19th century. At that time, many soils in Central Europe were impoverished by the heavy use of numerous nutrients. The introduction of mineral fertilizers brought very significant yield increases. Today there are five to six times higher yields are common.

Over time it was found that the minimum law does not apply uniformly in all conditions. Therefore, it was supplemented in 1895 by Georg Liebscher with the optimum Law: The plants use the available a minimum factor of production to more substance from a greater production, the more available the other factors of production in optimal conditions.

1909 then Eilhard Alfred Mitscherlich's article was published, the law of the minimum and the law of diminishing income. Accordingly, it can increase the yield of each individual growth factor with him specific intensity (impact factor). With increasing proximity to the maximum yields, however, is significantly lower by a further increase of a growth factor in comparison to the cost of the additional yield.