Despite the fact that magnesium, together with sulfur and calcium, are considered secondary components, and plants have a significantly lower demand for this element (Table 1) compared to nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium (primary components), it is assumed that its role cannot be overestimated. Magnesium takes part in such basic processes as photosynthesis (it is a component of chlorophyll, i.e. a green pigment that is necessary for life processes in the plant to occur) or in the transport of assimilates and their subsequent transformations (it takes part in almost half of the known metabolic reactions in the body). In addition, it is an activator of processes responsible for the uptake of other mineral components by plants from the soil, among others, it decides on the uptake and then "processing" of the absorbed nitrogen into the crop, thus affecting the efficiency of fertilization with this component.
Magnesium deficiency limits plant yields
The importance of magnesium for plants is evidenced by the fact that the appearance of symptoms of its deficiency is a certain prognosis of significantly lower and worse quality yields. Visual symptoms of deficiency are most often a lightening of the leaf blade between the green veins, starting with the oldest leaves (the element moves well in the plant, therefore in the case of its deficiency it is moved from older organs to newly emerging ones).
