In this video Part I we discuss about - what is Magnesium deficiency and how should Farmers beaware of it.
For the steps to be taken to resolve this Magnesium deficiency problem view the Part II in this series.
Namaskar farmers and friends
Plants require 17 nutrient elements for their growth. Magnesium is one among them required in significant quantity
Magnesium: Why is it important for plant growth?
Magnesium (Mg) is an essential plant nutrient that has a wide range of roles in many plant functions. Considered as secondary nutrient its requirement is little less than N, P and K. But is highly essential for very important plant functions like chlorophyll synthesis which gives the green colour to the plants which absorbs sun light and is responsible for food synthesis in plants. Magnesium takes phosphorus to different parts in the plant and helps in phosphorus use in plant. Hence magnesium is required for food preparation in plant and for producing good quality produce.
Magnesium is mobile in plant
Once magnesium enters root it moves fast throughout the plant and moves from stem to leaves and from one leaf to other leaf depending upon its requirement. Hence magnesium is called as mobile element.
Magnesium is supplied to plants from soil. Its availability in soil depends on many factors:
Soil type,
local climate,
Fertilization practices
management practices, such as crop type, cropping intensity and rotation,
Low amounts of Mg can be expected in tropical and sandy soils, while soils close to the sea marshland, peat soils, saline soils and generally soils with high clay content tend to have higher amounts of magnesium.
If we look at magnesium cycle it centers at soil solution. Soil, manure and fertilizer magnesium enters soil solution and from there it moves to roots. Excess water may leach magnesium out of root zone in sandy soils and drip irrigated fields.
WHY MAGNESIUM BECOMING DEFICIENT
Soils generally contains sufficient magnesium but in highly leached acid soils it may be low. Low soil pH, low temperatures, dry soil conditions are general reasons for observing magnesium deficiency. But more than this, the reason for emergence of magnesium deficiency is
Very high yielding crops,
Ultra high density planting,
Growing crops unsuitable to your soil
Ultimately nutrient imbalance.
Very high yielding crops without applying magnesium try to extract more and more magnesium from the same soil. So this leads to failure of soil to supply sufficient magnesium to plants. Example earlier tomato yields were about 50 to 60 tons per hectare. Today’s varieties yield 120 tons per hectare. But surprisingly the amount of magnesium added is same and has not changed.
Increasing plant population and going for ultra high density planting without applying magnesium also leads to extraction of more and more magnesium from the same limited soil. Typical examples are banana, papaya, pineapple, practice of intercropping without applying fertilizers to intercrops separately etc. But the magnesium application if any remained same.
We have started growing crops unsuitable to your soil out of greed to get more profit. For example introduction of unsuitable grapes varieties, growing water melons and musk melons throughout the year, growing pomegranate in southern region under high intensive cultivation, growing Cavendish banana in a soil suitable for yalakki banana and many such practices. So the rate of supply of magnesium to the crop has changed. Hence magnesium availability has reduced and becoming deficient.
Low temperatures cause magnesium deficiency. So you will see deficiency more during winter months. Further growing unseasonal crops like growing water melons, musk melons in winter months will show up magnesium deficiency.
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