Occurrence of Deficiency Symptoms

 Deficiency symptoms of various nutrient elements will appear either on older or on younger

leaves depending on the mobility of the nutrient. Thus, the relative mobility of the nutrient influences

the site of the appearance of the deficiency symptoms.

Deficiency symptoms of mobile elements will appear on the older leaves because these elements

will move rapidly from older leaves to younger leaves. eg. N, P, K, Mg, Zn.

On the other hand, the deficiency symptoms of the non-mobile elements will appear on the

younger leaves because of their accumulation on the older leaves due to their immobile nature. eg.

Ca,B,Cu,Mn,

Find S.

Specific deficiency symptoms of various nutrient elements and their corrective measures are

given below :

1. Nitrogen (N)

i. Plant growth is stunted and poorly developed (because protein content, cell division and cell

enlargement are decreased)

ii. Nitrogen deficiency causes yellowing (chlorosis) of leaves. Older leaves are affected first

iii. Flowering and fruiting are reduced

iv. Protein and starch contents are decreased

v. Prolonged dormancy and early senescence appear

vi. Root gets more lengthened as in wear

vii. Veins turn purple or red due to the development of abundant anthocyanin pigment (eg. tomato, apple)

viii. The angle between stem and leaves is reduced.

ix. Plants look so sickly and conspicuously pale that the condition is called general starvation.

x. Symptoms first occur on the older leaves due to their mobility.

Corrective Measures

For correcting N deficiency, fertilizers like ammonium sulphate, calcium nitrate, urea etc. are

supplied. Foliar spray of 1-2% urea is a quick method of ameliorating N deficiency.

2. Phosphorus (P)

i. Young plants remain stunted with dark blue-green, or some times purplish leaves.

ii. P deficiency may cause premature leaf fall

iii. Dead necrotic areas are developed on leaves and fruits.

iv. Leaves sometimes develop anthocyanin in veins and may become necrotic; leaves will be dark green

in colour.

v. Cambial activity is checked

vi. Tillering of crops is reduced

vii Dormancy is prolonged

viii. P deficiency may cause premature fall of leaves

ix. Growth is retarded

x. Sickle leaf disease is caused by P deficiency, which is characterised by chlorosis adjacent to main

veins followed by leaf asymmetry.

Corrective Measures

The spray of 2% DAP or application of Phosphatic fertilizers will correct the deficiency.

3. Potassium (K)

The deficiency symptoms vary with the degree of shortage of the element.

i. In mild deficiency cases,

a. thin shoots may develop and

b. there may be restricted shoot growth

ii. In acute deficiency cases,

a. shoots may die back, eventually plant may die

b. Plants may become stunted with numerous tillers and

c. there may be little or no flowering

iii. Leaf will be dull or bluish-green in colour.

iv. Chlorosis occurs in interveinal regions (interveinal chlorosis)

v. In older leaves, browning of tips (tip burns), marginal scorching (leaf scorch or development of

brown spots near the margins occur.

vi. Necrotic areas develop at the tip and margins of the leaf which curve downward.

vii. In broad-leaved plants, shortening of internodes and the poor root system is important.

viii Two diseases are common :

a. Rosette: In beet, celery, carrot, pea, potato and cereals, bushy growth or rosette condition

develops due to K deficiency.

b. Dieback: In acute deficiency cases, there is a loss of apical dominance and regeneration of

lateral buds, which results in bushy growth. In prolonged cases, the dieback of laterals has also resulted.

Corrective Measures

Supply of muriatic of potash or foliar spray of 1% potassium chloride is commonly used to overcome

K deficiency.

4. Magnesium (Mg)

i. Mg deficiency causes interveinal chlorosis. The older leaves are affected first and proceeds

systematically towards the younger leaves.

ii. Dead necrotic spots appear on the leaves.

iii. Severely affected leaves may wither and shed or absciss without the withering stage.

iv. Defoliation is quite severe

v. Carotene content is reduced.

vi. Stem becomes yellowish-green, often hard and woody.

vii. Sand-drown disease is common in tobacco due to its deficiency, which is characterised by the loss

of `colour at the tips of lower leaves and between the veins (interveinal). The veins remain green

but in acute cases, the entire leaf becomes nearly white.

Corrective Measures

Magnesium sulphate is usually applied for redressing the deficiency. The malady can be readily

corrected as foliar spray @ 2% of MgSO4.

5. Calcium (Ca)

Calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) or superphosphate or gypsum is supplied in deficient soils.

 In Indian soils, Ca deficiency is not a serious problem.

6. Sulphur (S)

i. Sulphur deficiency causes yellowing (Chlorosis) of leaves. Young leaves are affected first.

ii. Tips and margins of leaves roll inward.

iii. Marked decrease in leaf size, general paling with red or purple pigmentation are general

symptoms.

iv. Necrosis of young leaf tips develop

v. Internodes are shortened’

vi. Apical growth is inhibited and lateral buds develop prematurely

vii. Young leaves develop orange, red or purple pigments.

viii. Leaf tips are characteristically bent downwards. The leaf margins and tips roll inwards.

(eg. tomato, tobacco and tea)

x. Fruit formation is suppressed.

xi. Sclerenchyma, xylem and collenchyma formation gets increased and hence the stem becomes unusually thick due to S deficiency.

xii. Disease: The Tea Yellow disease is caused in tea plants growing in sulphur deficient soils.

Corrective Measures

Common fertilizers used for supplying nitrogen and phosphorus contain an appreciable amount of

sulphur sufficient to meet the crop requirement. In case of severe deficiency, gypsum is added to the soil

@ 500Kg/ha.

Micronutrients

7. Iron (Fe)

i. Interveinal chlorosis of the younger leaves occurs. The veins remain green.

ii. Leaf chlorosis may produce a mottled appearance.

iii. Leaf may show complete bleaching or often become necrotic.

iv. In extreme conditions, scorching of leaf margins and tips may occur

v. Lime induced chlorosis is the common disease found in fruit trees like citrus. It is also found

in beet, spinach, brassicas, and cereals. The younger leaves become white or yellowish-white.

Corrective Measures

Foliar spray of 0.5% ferrous sulphate along with lime (50% requirement) will remove the deficiency

in the plant and soil. Chelated iron compounds such as Fe-EDTA, give a very good response in ameliorating

Fe deficiency.

8. Manganese (Mn)

i. Deficiency causes interveinal chlorosis and necrotic spots of the leaf.

ii. Dead tissue spots are found scattered over the leaf.

iii. Severely affected tissues turn brown, the brown areas may also twist in the form of spirals and

they may wither also.

iv. Root system is often poorly developed and badly affected and the plants may die.

v. Grain formation is also reduced and the heads may be blind ( as in sulphur)

vi. Four diseases are found due to its deficiency :

a. Grey Speck also called a grey stripe, grey spot or dry spot found in oats, barley, rye and

maize is the common disease of Mn deficiency. Grey spots or chlorotic spots appear on the lower

half of the leaf which fuses together and forms elongated brown streaks, found mostly in third or

fourth leaves.

b. Pahla blight of sugarcane

Chlorotic spots develop as long streaks, commonly in young leaves. These chlorotic spots fuse

together and turn red and coalesce to form long streaks from which lamina may split.

C. Marsh spot of pea

Brown, black sport or cavities develop on the internal surface of cotyledons and thus the disease

appears in the seeds.

d. Speckled yellow of sugar beet

It is characterised by interveinal chlorosis in the leaves and the leaf margin may curl upward over 

the upper surface of the leaf.

Corrective Measures

Foliar spray of 0.5% manganous sulphate plus 50% lime requirement is quite effective and it

should be applied in the early stage of the crop. Soil application of 15-30 kg MnSO4 per ha (mixed with

sand)is sufficient.

9. Copper (Cu)

i. it causes necrosis of the tip of the young leaves.

ii. Both vegetative and reproductive growth are retarded.

iii. Wilting of terminal shoots occur which is followed by frequent death

iv. Leaf colour is often faded due to reduction of carotene and other pigments.

v. Foliage shows burning of margins or chlorosis or rosetting and multiple bud formation.

vi. Gumming may also occur (gummosis)

vii. Younger leaves wither and show marginal chlorosis (yellowish-grey) of tips.

It is called Yellow tip or reclamation disease.

viii. Following two diseases are common :

a. Exanthema or dieback of fruit tree: It is commonly found in citrus, plum, apple and pear.

The symptoms include the formation of strong water-shoots bearing large leaves, gummous tissue or

the bark and longitudinal breaks. Fruits become brown, glossy and split. Affected shoots lose

their leaves and die back and lateral shoots produce a bunchy appearance.

b. Reclamation disease: It is also called White Tip disease and is found in legumes, cereals,

oats and beet. The tips of leaves become chlorotic followed by a failure of the plants to set seed.

Corrective Measures

Foliar spray of 0.5% of CuSO4 is recommended.

10. Zinc (Zn)

i. Older leaves show chlorosis which starts from tips and the margins

ii. Leaves become leathery

iii. Plants show rosetting due to shortening of internodes and premature shedding.

iv. Whitening of upper leaves in monocots and chlorosis of lower leaves in dicots are often found.

v. Leaf margins distorted, become twisted or wavy which later curl and look sickle-shaped (Sickle leaf)

vi. Seed production and fruits size is greatly reduced.

vii. The following diseases are commonly noticed:

a. Khaira of paddy: The entire older leaves show rusty-brown appearance (due to chlorosis) and

ultimately die.

b. White bud (tip) of maize: Unfolded newer leaves are often pale yellow to a while.

There is an appearance of light yellow streaks between the veins of older leaves followed by white

necrotic spots.

c. Rosette of fruit trees: It is also called little leaf disease. Yellow mottling of leaves, reduction of

leaf size with rosette appearance (due to reduced internodal distance) and dieback of the affected

branches are symptoms of the disease.

d. Frenching of citrus: Initially, yellow spots develop between the veins. Leaves become 

progressively smaller and develop chlorophyll at the basal end of midrib.

Corrective Measures

Foliar spray of 0.5% ZnSO4 twice at 7-10 days interval during the early stages of growth will alleviate

the problem. Also, soil application of 25 kg ZnSO4 per ha is found beneficial.

11. Molybdenum (Mo)

i. Deficiency causes chlorotic interveinal mottling of the older leaves.

ii. Leaves often show light yellow chlorosis and leaf blades fail to expand.

iii. In acute deficiency cases, necrosis of leaf tissues occurs.

iv. Flower formation is inhibited.

v. Failure of grain formation occurs (as in oats)

vi. Its deficiency causes two diseases :

a. Whiptail of Cauliflower and Brassica: The symptoms begin as the appearance of

translucent areas near the midrib which become ivory tinted or necrotic. The leaf margins

become ragged with upward curling. Before the death of the growing point, the leaf

elongates and lamina remains suppressed thus gives a typical whip tail condition.

b. Scald of legumes: The leaf shows paling, wilting, marginal rolling or scorching.

Corrective Measures

The Mo deficiency is commonly found in cauliflower, legumes, oats and other brassicas which can be

corrected by soil application of 0.5 to1.0 Kg/ha sodium or ammonium molybdate or by its foliar

spray@ 0.01-0.02% conc.

12. Boron (B)

i. It causes the death of shoot tip

ii. Flower formation is suppressed.

iii. Root growth is stunted.

iv. Leaves become coppery in texture.

v. Plants become dwarf, stunted with apical meristem blacken and die followed by a general breakdown

of meristematic tissue.

vi. Terminal leaves become necrotic and shed prematurely

vii. Leaves show symptoms like distortion such as cupping and curling, the appearance of the white stripe,

scorching, pimpling, split midrib and reduced growth.

viii. Stem shows symptoms like die-back of apex, abnormal tillering, the appearance of various forms of

deformities such as curling and brittle lesions, pimpling etc.

ix. Fruits are severely deformed and develop typical cracking or splitting.

x. Following diseases are commonly found due to B deficiency :

a. Heart rot of sugar beet and marigold

b. Canker and an internal black spot of garden pea

c. Browning of cauliflower

d. Top sickness of tobacco

f. Hard fruit of citrus.

Corrective Measures

Foliar spray of 0.2% borax acid will be effective for quick recovery. Liming of soil should be strictly

avoided when boron-containing fertilizers are applied.