{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,20]],"date-time":"2026-10-20T08:05:04Z","timestamp":1792483504705,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,2]],"date-time":"2026-03-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772409600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Plants"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Potassium (K+) is often the primary target for research on salinity stress. However, the role of magnesium (Mg2+) under salinity stress has not been properly investigated. We aimed to answer the following question: could magnesium (Mg2+), often neglected, be the real protector of ionic balance under salt stress? It is known that a deficiency in Mg2+ increases K+ uptake. Based on this understanding, we hypothesized that Mg2+ starvation could worsen salinity defenses compared to K+ starvation. The nutrient concentration of 0.02 mM Mg2+ was maintained in the nutrient solution to induce Mg2+ deficiency in Vicia faba plants. Mg2+ foliar application was carried out five times, at an interval of two times a week, over two weeks of induced salinity stress. Harvesting was carried out 45 days after transplanting, i.e., 2 weeks after salinity stress (50 mM NaCl) was initiated at 4 weeks of transplanting. Salinity had the highest impact on Mg2+-deficient plants, resulting in a major alteration in ionic composition. Mg2+ deficiency under salt stress resulted in a 14-fold increase in the leaf Na+ concentration compared to controls. Application of foliar Mg2+ was very effective in reversing the loss of Mg2+-deficient plants, renewing growth, gas exchange, and stomatal activity, and reducing the toxic Na+\/Mg2+ ratio (by 90%). Mg2+ is a unique regulator of ion homeostasis in salinity stress, and its deficiency causes an imbalanced ionic medium that cannot be normalized through K+ supplementation alone. Therefore, the strategic method of selective foliar application of Mg2+ is a necessary approach for achieving high-quality yields in salt-affected croplands.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/plants15050765","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,3]],"date-time":"2026-03-03T16:18:45Z","timestamp":1772554725000},"page":"765","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Magnesium Leaf Application as a Rapid Tool for Salt Stress Resistance in Faba Beans (Vicia faba L.)"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-1692-6504","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Divya","family":"Parisa","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, Kiel University, Hermann-Rodewald-Str. 2, 24118 Kiel, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3211-8500","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Muna Ali","family":"Abdalla","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, Kiel University, Hermann-Rodewald-Str. 2, 24118 Kiel, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4780-1780","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Amit","family":"Sagervanshi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, Kiel University, Hermann-Rodewald-Str. 2, 24118 Kiel, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9922-6581","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Karl Hermann","family":"M\u00fchling","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, Kiel University, Hermann-Rodewald-Str. 2, 24118 Kiel, Germany"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kumar, P., and Sharma, P.K. 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