K+S KALI GmbH - Nutrients in the plant

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ESTA Kieserit
Health aspects
Nutrients in the soil
Nutrients in the plant
	Magnesium
	Sulphur
	Deficiency symptoms
Application rates
Effect on crops
Organic farming
The appropriate Mg source

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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