| CROP | WHEAT | BARLEY | OATS | MAIZE | SORGHUM | SUNFLOWER | SOYBEAN | COTTON |
| Reduced tiller production | Fe, Mn & N | Fe(s), Mn, N, P & S | Fe(s), Mg, Mn, N, P & S | |||||
| Increased tiller production | Cu & S | Cu | ||||||
| Fewer tillers mature to produce heads or die before producing heads | Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, N, P, K & Zn(s) | B, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, N(s), K, S & Zn | B, Cu(s), Mg(s), Mn, N, P, K(s) & Zn(s) | |||||
| Impaired growth of pollen tube, lower pollen production or non viable pollen | Cu | Cu | Cu | |||||
| Fewer or smaller mature heads which set few grains/seed | Mg, P, K, S & Zn(s) | B, Mg, P, K, S & Zn | Cu, Mg(s) & S | |||||
| Reduced pod set | ||||||||
| Fewer flower bolls | B, Ca, Cu, Mg, Mn, N, P, K, S & Zn | |||||||
| Impaired ear and/or tassel development | Cu | |||||||
| Reduced size and number of ears | ||||||||
| Flower development impeded | Mn, N, P, K, S & Zn | |||||||
| White heads (containing no grain) | Cu | |||||||
| Deformed seed | ||||||||
| Reduced kernal size | ||||||||
| Lower lint and seed yields | Ca, Mg, N, P, K, S & Zn | |||||||
| Mottled grain | N | |||||||
| Lower grain protein content | N & S | N & S | N & S | |||||
| Lower grain yield | Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, N & S | B, Ca, Fe(s), Mg, Mn, N, P, K, S & Zn | B, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, N, P, K, S & Zn | Cu |
Fruit, Flower or Grain Production
| CROP | WHEAT | BARLEY | OATS | MAIZE | SORGHUM | SUNFLOWER | SOYBEAN | COTTON |
| Stunted Growth | K & S | B, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, N, P & K | B, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, K, S, Zn & Cu | Ca, Cu, Mg, Mn, S & Zn | ||||
| Patches of poor growth within a healthy crop | Mn & Zn | Cu, Mn & Zn | Cu, Mn & Zn | Mn & Zn | ||||
| Failure or difficulty of young | Ca | K | Zn | |||||
| Failure of young leaves to unroll | B | Fe | ||||||
| Stems/internodes fail to elongate | B, Ca & Zn | B & Zn | B, Ca & Zn | |||||
| Fan shaped stems | Ca | B, Ca & Zn | B | |||||
| Reduced branching | Cu, Mg, Mn, N, P, K, S & Zn | |||||||
| Bushy (rosette) growth at top of plant | K & Zn | K & Zn | B, Ca & Zn |
Growth Patterns and Development
| CROP | WHEAT | BARLEY | OATS | MAIZE | SORGHUM | SUNFLOWER | SOYBEAN | COTTON |
| Pale green or yellow foliage | Fe, Mn, S & Zn | Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, N, K & S | Ba, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn, N, K, S & Zn | B, Cu, Fe, Mn, N, K, S & Zn | Cu(s), Mg, N, P, K, & S | Ca, Fe, Mn & S | Mg, Mn, N, K & S | Fe, Mg, N & S |
| Dark green leaves | Ca | Ca | P | P(s) | B, Ca, P(s) | B, Ca, Mn & P | ||
| Orange red leaves | P | B & Fe | ||||||
| Purple leaves or suffusion | P | P | ||||||
| Rust brown striped leaves | ||||||||
| Red leaf tips | N, P & Zn | |||||||
| Purple leaf margins (old leaves) | S | |||||||
| Blue green foliage | ||||||||
| Rolled leaves | P | B & N | ||||||
| Brittle Leaves | Ca | Ca & Mn | Ca | |||||
| Squared leaf ends due to death of leaf tip | Ca | Ca | ||||||
| Young leaves short and erect | ||||||||
| Smaller or shorter leaves | Mn & P | N | Ca & P | Cu, N, P & Zn | ||||
| Erect leaves | Ca, N & P | N | Ca & P | |||||
| Wilted leaves or entire plant | Cu, Mn & K | Cu, Mn & K | Ca & Cu | Ca & Fe | ||||
| Transparent areas between margin and midvein on middle leaves | ||||||||
| Torn or malformed young leaves | B | Ca | Mn & Zn | |||||
| Puckered interveinal tissue | Mn | |||||||
| Black Straw | Cu | |||||||
| Short Stems | S | B, Ca, Mn, S & Zn | B, Cu, Fe(s), Mg, Mn, N, P, K, S & Zn | |||||
| Thin Stems | K & Zn | Cu, Fe, Mn, N & S | N & S | Ca, Fe(s), Mg, N, P, K, S & Zn | ||||
| Stout Stems | Ca, Cu, Mg, Mn & Zn | Ca, Mn, P & K | B & Mn | B & Mn | ||||
| Spindly stems | Cu, Mg, Mn, N, K & Zn | Fe, Mg & N | N | |||||
| Pale green stems | ||||||||
| Red stems | N & S | N & P | ||||||
| Purple stems | P | P & S | P & S |
Tissue Symptoms
| CROP | WHEAT | BARLEY | OATS | MAIZE | SORGHUM | SUNFLOWER | SOYBEAN | COTTON |
| Deficiency symptoms appear on young leaves whilst old leaves remain green and healthy | Ca, Cu, Fe & S | B, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn & S | B, Ca, Cu & Zn | B, Ca, Cu & Zn | B, Cu, Fe, Mn & Zn | B, Ca, Fe, Mn & S | B, Fe, Mn & S | Fe & Mn |
| Deficiency symptoms appear on old leaves whilst young leaves remain green and healthy | N, P & K | Mg, N, P & K | Mg, K & Zn | Mg, P & K | Mg | Ca, Mg & K | K & Zn | Cu, Mg, N & K |
| Chlorosis of young leaves (early stages) | Ca, Cu, Fe & Mn | B, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn & S | B, Ca, Cu, Fe & S | B, Cu, Fe, S & Zn | B, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn, S & Zn | B, Ca, Fe, Mn & S | B, Ca, Fe, Mn & S | Fe, Mn, S & Zn |
| Chlorosis of middle aged leaves | Zn | Zn | Mn & Zn | Mn | Mg | Zn | ||
| Chlorosis of old leaves (early stages) | Mg, N, P & K | Mg, N, P & K | Mg, N, P, K & Zn | Mg, N, P & K | Mg, N, P & K | Mg, N, P & K | Mg, N, K & (s) | Cu, Mg, N, P & K |
| Interveinal chlorosis | Fe, Mg & Zn | B, Fe & Zn | Fe & Mg | B, Cu, Fe & Mg | B, Fe, Mg, Mn, K & Zn | Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn & P | B, Ca & Fe | Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn & K |
| Marginal chlorosis | K | P & K | B & P | Cu | Ca | N & K | P | |
| Chlorosis starts from tip | N, P & K | N & K | B, Cu, N, P & Zn | Cu, N, P & K | Cu, N & P | |||
| Veinal chlorosis | N | |||||||
| Whole leaf chlorosis | S | S | S | P & S | S | N & S | S | N & S |
| Mottled interveinal chlorosis | Mg, Mn & Zn | K & Zn | ||||||
| Interveinal chlorosis (mid section of leaf) | K & Zn | Zn | ||||||
| Basal chlorosis | Ca | |||||||
| Veins green and prominent in early stages of chlorosis | Fe, Mg & K | Fe | Fe | Fe & Mn | Fe & Mg | Fe & Mg | Fe, Mg, Mn & Zn | Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn & K |
| Yellow - pale green chlorosis | Cu, Mg, Mn, N, P & Zn | Fe, N & Zn | B, Cu, Fe, Mg, N & S | B, Fe, Mg, Mn, N & K | Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, N, P, K & Zn | B, Ca, Fe, Mn, N, P, K & S | B, Ca, Fe, Mn & S | Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, N, P & S |
| Yellow - orange brown chlorosis | K | Mg, P & K | P, K (s) | |||||
| Orange - purple chlorosis | P | P | Zn (s) | |||||
| Yellow mottling on older leaves | Mg | |||||||
| Chlorosis followed by death | Cu, Mg (s), P (s) | Cu, Mn, P & Zn | Ca & Zn | N | P |
Necrosis and Death
Chlorotic Symptoms
| CROP | WHEAT | BARLEY | OATS | MAIZE | SORGHUM | SUNFLOWER | SOYBEAN | COTTON |
| Bronze pale brown necrotic lesions | B & Mn | Mg, S & K | ||||||
| Dark brown necrotic lesions | Zn | B, Mg &K | Cu & Zn | N, K, Mn & Zn | ||||
| Grey-dark brown necrotic lesions | Mn & Zn | K | ||||||
| Grey or white crystalline flecks or necrotic lesions | Mn & K | Mn | P | |||||
| White or yellow bands between midvein and margins | ||||||||
| White - yellow interveinal lesions on young leaves | Mn | |||||||
| White-yellow interveinal lesions on older leaves | ||||||||
| Lesions on stems and petioles | ||||||||
| Necrosis on older leaves | Mg | Zn | N | |||||
| Necrotic lesions on petioles/stems | Ca, K | |||||||
| Necrotic lesions on leaf sheaths | Zn(s) | |||||||
| Necrosis concentrated around leaf tips and margins | ||||||||
| Veinal necrosis | ||||||||
| Marginal necrosis | B | K | ||||||
| Interveinal necrosis | Mg | Mg, N, P, K(s), S & Zn | ||||||
| Dead tissue rolls or twists into a tube, circle or spiral | Ca & Cu | Ca & Cu | Cu & N | |||||
| Death of florets (whiteheads) | Cu | |||||||
| Death of shoots | Mn | B & Ca | Ca | |||||
| Death of leaf tips | B, Ca & Cu | Zn | ||||||
| Death of youngest leaves before complete emergence from leaf sheath | Mn | Ca | ||||||
| Tissue margin death | K | |||||||
| Death of middle leaf area | Zn | K | ||||||
| Death of basal tissue | Mn | B | ||||||
| Death of whole leaf | Ca, Mg, N, P & Zn | |||||||
| Death of Plant | ||||||||
| Bud death | Ca | |||||||
| Death before maturity | Mn | Ca | Ca(s) | |||||
| Death of plant from top down | Cu | Cu | Cu | |||||
| Thatch of dead leaves around base of plant | N & P | Mg, N & K | N, P & K | B, Ca(s) |