Studies on the magnesium metabolism of crops (Part 1) the balance among magnesium, calcium and pot assLum in free and bound forms at the flowering stage of soy-bean plants

In the later nineteenth century, it was established that magnesium is one of the essential elements to plant life. In 1902 Loew1) and his pupils suggested the necessity of calcium-magnesium- balance in culture solution for the proper growth of the plant. Then, in 1906, it was established that, as first shown by Willstatter, magnesium is one of the constituents of chlorophyll and when this element is lacking, a chlorosis occurs. Dickson2), in 1918, described about the feature of oat plant grown in a magnesium deficient nutrient solution. At that time, it was thought that magnesium was generally contained in the soil more abundantly than the plant required. So this element scarcely received attention. Garner et al.3), in 1923, observed that chlorosis of tobacco plant, so-called sand drown was cured by applying magnesium to the soil. Similar observation was made in 1929 by Jones4) on the chlorosis of corn plant. Since that time the magnesium deficiency in all crops was observed everywhere by a great many investigators. In Japan magnesium deficiency in the field has attracted attention from 1951.