Common Visual Symptoms
While it can be hard to ascertain the exact nutrient deficiency when multiple symptoms are present, if your crop begins to exhibit signs of nutrient deficiencies it is a good idea to have plant tissue analysis undertaken for a definite result.
While it can be hard to ascertain the exact nutrient deficiency when multiple symptoms are present, if your crop begins to exhibit signs of nutrient deficiencies it is a good idea to have plant tissue analysis undertaken for a definite result.
A list of the best known and most useful of the visual indications of plant nutrient deficiencies are detailed below, expressed in a concise and summarized form:
1, The whole plant appears affected, being unthrifty; the older leaves die prematurely.
2, The older or lower leaves are abnormal.
3, The newer or bud leaves are abnormal; terminal bud dies.
1, The whole plant appears affected, being unthrifty; the older leaves die prematurely.
- Pale-green colours and chlorosis: Nitrogen.
- Dark-green colours with reddish and purplish tints: Phosphorous.
2, The older or lower leaves are abnormal.
- Mottled (marbled) or chlorotic leaves which may develop red colours in some plants; later, margins and tips turn upwards and necrotic areas develop: Magnesium.
- If the mottled or chlorotic leaves show necrotic spots and margins (leaf-scorch): Potassium.
- If the leaves are small, malformed, unduly slender, are mottled or chlorotic with dead spots and margins developing, the shoots may be short, giving a rosetted appearance: Zinc.
3, The newer or bud leaves are abnormal; terminal bud dies.
- Young leaves at terminal bud die back at tip and margins; chlorosis and necrosis develop sometimes from base of leaf: Calcium.
- Young leaves become light-green and chlorotic and later develop twisting; reddish discolouration may occur; stems may crack and roots become cankerous: Boron.
- Young leaves slightly chlorotic to dark-green, but wilt and leaf tip dies; summer die-back or wither-tip in deciduous fruit trees: Copper.
- Interveinal chlorosis and spotting, but even the smallest veins remain green; bronzy-yellow colour may develop; (youngest leaves of the shoots may be green in contrast with iron deficiency): Manganese.
- General chlorosis of young leaves including veins (resembles nitrogen deficiency): Sulphur.
- Young leaves are chlorotic, but larger veins are green; chlorosis spreads and leaves become light-yellow in colour: Iron.
