Patent ID: 8372176

Claim:
A method for preventing or treating a metal deficiency in plants comprising the step of providing a plant with an effective amount of at least one metal complex comprising a) at least one ligand derived from 2-aryl-2-hydroxyacetic acid in which the ligand is a compound of formula (I) wherein R is a halogen, an OH group, a COOH group, an SO 3 H group, a PO 3 H 2 group, a CN group, an NO 2 group, a linear or branched C 1 -C 4 alkyl group or a C 1 -C 4 alkoxy group, n has the value 1, 2 or 3, m has a value from 0 to 5-n, the group is found in the ortho position, para position or both with respect to the OH group of the phenyl ring, one of its alkali metal salts or ammonium salts or a mixture thereof, and b) a divalent or trivalent metal cation.