MAGNESIUM SULPHATE

“WITHOUT MAGNESIUM NO CHLOROPHYLL
WITHOUT CHLOROPHYLL NO PHOTOSYNTHESIS
WITHOUT PHOTOSYNTHESIS NO PLANT EVEN”.

Magnesium sulphate is a chemical compound containing magnesium and sulphur with the formula MgSO4. It is often encountered as the heptahydrate, MgSO4•7H2O, commonly called Epsom salts. Magnesium sulphate is an ideal fertilizer for all crops. It is a source of Magnesium and Sulphur recognized as essential plant nutrients. It contains 16% Magnesium Oxide and 13% Sulphur in readily soluble form as required by plants like Nitrogenous, Phosphatic and Potassic fertilizers. However, Magnesium Sulphate signifies primarily the nutritional value of Magnesium which is a limiting factor in crop production.

WHY DO ALL CROPS REQUIRE MAGNESIUM

Since over few decade Magnesium Sulphate has been popularly in use for various plantation and cash crops.

Primarily Magnesium is the constituent of chlorophyll. Hence without magnesium no chlorophyll - without chlorophyll no photosynthesis - without photosynthesis no plant even.
Magnesium plays a significant role inside the plant as a plant nutrient. Crops requiring liberal supply of Magnesium cannot produce maximum return unless it is suitably amended and fertilized.
Magnesium being a constituent of chlorophyll is essential for photosynthesis which in turn governs the production.
Magnesium plays a vital role in the production of carbohydrates, proteins, fats and vitamins and in certain catalytic reactions in the enzyme system.
Magnesium is an activator and creator of many enzymes involved in the metabolic process which accounts for the life of crops and production.
Magnesium is an active ingredient in chromosomes which bear the hereditary characters and therefore deficiency in Magnesium may indirectly affect the quality of the crops and production.
Magnesium plays vital role in soil reactors and exchange of other nutrients. It is related to Calcium in correcting the soil acidity. It makes the availability of nitrogen, phosphorus, potash and sulphur in soil solution and activates the transport of these nutrients into plants. Therefore magnesium to some extent controls the loss of nitrogen by leaching and the fixation of phosphorus and potash in the clay complex of soil.
Magnesium increases resistance to harmful environmental influences such as draught and diseases as it has positive influences on the swelling and strength of cell walls and on permeability of cell membrane.
Addition of Calcium leads to more losses of Magnesium. The more acidic the soil, the greater is the loss of Magnesium. Hence acidic soil is deficient in Magnesium. Calcium and Magnesium deficiency are the main reason for the formation of acidic soil.
Magnesium takes part in the phosphate transport and magnesium fertilizer increases the efficiency of phosphatic fertilizers.
With Sulphur magnesium brings about significant changes in the oil content and increases the quantity and quality of oil in many oil crops such as coconut, groundnut, sesame, mustard, Soya bean etc.
Application of Magnesium Sulphate on various crops can control leaf yellowsis, shedding of flowers, nuts, fruits, berries and grains besides promotion of growth, inducing early flowering, resistance to the attack of pests, diseases and 30% to 40% increase in the yield.In intensive agriculture, Magnesium is being removed or lost from the soil every year through various processes and hence magnesium level in the soil is generally low.

Hence all crops need to be fertilized with Magnesium Sulphate.

THE CURRENT RELEVANCE OF MAGNESIUM SULPHATE

Followed by the green revolution the traditional agricultural practices are being replaced by modern technology and farm practices in India. Successful adoption of the new technology has led to continuous expansion in area under crops, total production and productivity. Our country has completed several five year plans and accorded the highest priority to agriculture as the country was faced with a serious food crisis and acute shortage of essential raw materials.

Under intensive cropping, nutritional requirement of crops need to be properly satisfied as the soil nutrients are depleted much more quickly. This necessitates the use of proper blend of all essential nutrients through integrated use of chemical fertilizers, manures, soil amendments etc. to maintain soil fertility and to sustain the tempo of growth in agricultural production for achieving agricultural production targets. The Magnesium level in the soil is very low.

The removal of magnesium along with sulphur by crops is as mentioned below

Magnesium Removal by Crops

Crop	Yield t/ha	Magnesium removal Kg. Mgo/ha	Crop	Yield t/ha	Magnesium removal Kg Mgo/ha
Alfalfa (hay)	9	40	Onion	37	18
Apple	25	40	Orange	27	32
Banana	30	136	Pepper (Black)	2	25
Barley	5	26	Pineapple	30	90
Bean (String Beans)	24	40	Potato	30	29
Cabbage	70	57	Radish	40	30
Carrot	30	30	Rape Seed	2.5	26
Cassava	25	27	Rice (Paddy)	6	20
Cocoa (dry beans)	1	10	Sorghum	4	18
Coconut		38	Rubber (Latex)	1.5	4
Coffee (dry Cherries)	2	33	Soya bean	2.5	30
Cotton(lint)	15	55	Sugar Beet Sweet (Potato)	40 20	90 44
Cucumber	20	42	Tea (made tea) Sugar Cane	2 1000	11 83
Grapes Groundnut	20 2	60 21	Tomato Tropical grasses (dry fodder)	40 30	29
Hops	1	30	Wheat	5	105
Oil palm (fresh fruit bunches)	25	102	Yam	12	25

Note: 1 Kg. Mg = 1.658 Kg. Mgo = 10.3625 Kg. Magnesium Sulphate

Sulphur Removal by Crops

Crop	Yeild t/ha	Sulphur removal Kg S/ha	Crop	Yeild t/ha	Sulphur removal Kg S/ha
Alfalfa	9	24	Onion	40	25
Banana	30	13	Orange	50	30
Barley	5.4	22	Pineapple	40	16
Bean	1	25	Potato	30	15
Cabbages	35	47	Rape Seed	3	65
Cassava	19	8	Rice (paddy)	6	10
Clover (hay)	6-9	17-22	Sorghum	2.5	11
Coco (2 ods)	9	6	Soya bean	3	21
coconut (9000 nuts)		13	Sugar beat	40	32
Cotton (lint)	1.5	30	Sugar cane	100	60
Fodder beet	45	45	Sunflower	4	18
Groundnut	2	15	Table beet	45	37
Hope (Corymbs)	1	30	Tobacco	3-4	13-2
Maize	4.5	26	Tomato	40	28
Millet	2.7	20	Tropical grasses (dry fodder)	27	60
Oat	3.6	22	Turnip	45	45
Wheat	5.4	28	Oil palm	18	20

Note: 100 Kg. Magnesium Sulphate = 13 Kg. Sulphur

DIRECTIONS FOR USE

The application of Magnesium Sulphate is generally recommended at the rate of 50 kg per acre during the time of fertilizers or according to the deficiency symptoms.

Packing

1 Kg
5 Kg