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Nutrients in the plant - Magnesium

  • Most prominent function of Mg in plants is its role as the central atom of the chlorophyll molecule.

  • Mg influences a wide range of metabolic processes. Therefore, it is essential in order to achieve high yield and good quality.

  • Mg deficiency symptoms are expressed the strongest during the dry season when radiation is high.

  • Visible deficiency symptoms are the chlorosis of the older leaves, especially of the areas between the veins.
 


Mg deficiency, latent under shaded conditions (left) and strongly expressed when exposed to the sun (right).

By courtesy of Cakmak and Marschner, 1992
Metabolic process Function of Mg
Photosynthesis

 Trapping light energy as central atom of the chlorophyll molecule
As coenzyme of carboxylase in the CO2 fixation
Cell wall formation

 Mg is a constituent of pectate, a structural element of cell walls
Turgor regulation of cells and cation-anion balance

 Mg as highly mobile osmotic active substance as well as positively charged molecules regulates tugor and charge balance
Protein synthesis

 Mg is the bridging element for the aggregation of ribosome subunits, the locations of protein synthesis
Energy transfer during starch synthesis and nutrient uptake

 Mg is the bridging element between substrate and enzyme
Partitioning and translocation of carbohydrates Mg is the essential element of the pumps loading and unloading of sucrose to the phloem (transport channels from the leaves to the fruits, grains etc.)
Nutrient uptake Mg driven pumps trigger the uptake of nutrients into root cells

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