Deficiency and Toxicity Symptoms

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SOIL FERTILITY, CONSERVATION & MANAGEMENT

DEFICIENCY AND TOXICITY


SYMPTOMS
Dinah Marie C. Dayag
Associate Professor 3
GENERAL FEATURES
• While symptoms differ for different crops,
there are some general clues for nutrient
deficiencies and ---- some specific symptom
for the individual element deficiencies that
can serve as a guide for all crops.
A nutrient deficiency should be suspected when
these conditions occur:
• Very poor growth at seedling stage
• Plants badly stunted in early growth
• Root growth restricted or abnormal
• Internal discolorations or abnormalities
• Maturity too soon or too late
• Difference in growth from adjacent crops, even without
leaf symptoms
• Poor quality crops – appearance, taste, firmness, moisture
content
• Specific leaf symptoms that may appear at different times
during growth
Five types of deficiency or toxicity symptoms are
observed:

• Chlorosis - yellowing of plant tissue due to limitations or


chlorophyll synthesis
• Necrosis - death of plant tissue sometimes in spots
• Accumulation of anthocyanin resulting in purple or reddish
color
• Lack of new growth
• Stunting or reduced growth - new growth continues but it
is stunted or reduced compared to normal plants.
Critical Nutrient Level
Critical Nutrient Level Interpretations
• Plants that are severely deficient in an
essential nutrient exhibit visual deficiency
symptom.
• Plants that are moderately deficient usually
exhibit no visual symptoms, although yield
potential is reduced.
• Added nutrients will maximize yield
potential and increase plant nutrient
concentration.
Critical Nutrient Level Interpretations
• Luxury consumption represents nutrient
absorption in excess of that required for
optimum growth
• Nutrient toxicity occurs when plant growth
and yield decrease with increasing plant
nutrient concentration
• Hidden hunger is used to describe
a plant that shows no obvious symptoms,
yet the nutrient content is not sufficient to
give the top profitable yield.
Nitrogen
Table 1. Generalized Symptoms of Plant Nutrient Deficiency or Excess
Plant Type Visual symptoms
Nutrient
Nitrogen Deficiency Light green to yellow appearance of leaves,
especially older leaves; stunted growth; poor fruit
development.
Excess Dark green foliage which may be susceptible to
lodging, drought, disease and insect invasion.
Fruit and seed crops may fail to yield.
Nitrogen Deficiency

• Except for young leaves, which


are greener, leaves of nitrogen
deficient plants are narrow,
small, short, erect, and lemon-
yellowish green.
• Other symptoms are reduced
tillering and reduced grain
number
Nitrogen Deficiency
N deficient corn plant
Phosphorus
Table 1. Generalized Symptoms of Plant Nutrient Deficiency or Excess
Plant Nutrient Type Visual symptoms

Phosphorus Deficiency Leaves may develop purple coloration; stunted plant


growth and delay in plant development.

Excess Excess phosphorus may cause micronutrient deficiencies,


especially iron or zinc.
Phosphorus Deficiency

•Stunted plants
•Reduced tillering
•Older leaves are narrow, short,
very erect, and has a "dirty"
dark green color
•Stems are thin and spindly and
plant development is retarded
2. Phosphorus deficiency
P deficient corn plant
P deficiency
wheat

oat

rape barley
Potassium
Table 1. Generalized Symptoms of Plant Nutrient Deficiency or Excess
Plant Type Visual symptoms
Nutrient
Potassium Deficiency Older leaves turn yellow initially around margins
and die; irregular fruit development.

Excess Excess potassium may cause deficiencies in


magnesium and possibly calcium.
Potassium Deficiency
•Dark green plants with
yellowish brown leaf margins or
dark brown necrotic spots
appearing first on the tip of older
leaves
•yellowish brown leaf tips, when
under severe K deficiency
•older leaves change from
yellow to brown
•yellow stripes may appear
along leaf interveins and lower
leaves may bend downward
3. Potassium deficiency
K deficiency
K deficiency

soybean
Calcium
Table 1. Generalized Symptoms of Plant Nutrient Deficiency or Excess
Plant Type Visual symptoms
Nutrient
Calcium Deficiency Reduced growth or death of growing tips;
blossom-end rot of tomato; poor fruit
development and appearance.

Excess Excess calcium may cause deficiency in either


magnesium or potassium
Calcium Deficiency
•Tips of youngest leaves
become white or bleached,
rolled, and curled
•Necrotic tissue may develop
along the lateral margins of
leaves and old leaves
eventually turn brown and die
•Stunting and death of growing
point during extreme deficiency
Calcium Deficiency
Magnesium
Table . Generalized Symptoms of Plant Nutrient Deficiency or Excess
Plant Nutrient Type Visual symptoms

Magnesium Deficiency Initial yellowing of older leaves between leaf veins


spreading to younger leaves; poor fruit development
and production.

Excess High concentration tolerated in plant; however,


imbalance with calcium and potassium may reduce
growth.
Magnesium Deficiency

• Orange-yellow interveinal
chlorosis on older leaves
• Plants pale-colored with
interveinal chlorosis first
appearing on older leaves and
later on younger leaves as
deficiency becomes more
severe
Magnesium deficiency
Mg deficiency
Sulfur
Generalized Symptoms of Plant Nutrient Deficiency or Excess
Plant Type Visual symptoms
Nutrient
Sulfur Deficiency Initial yellowing of young leaves spreading to
whole plant; similar symptoms to nitrogen
deficiency but occurs on new growth.

Excess Excess of sulfur may cause premature dropping


of leaves.
Sulfur

• Yellowing or pale green color


of the whole plant
• Young leaves are chlorotic or
light green colored with the tips
becoming necrotic
• Lower leaves does not show
necrosis
• Leaves are paler yellow
Sulfur deficiency
Sulfur deficiency
Sulfur
• Dusty brown spots on upper
leaves of stunted plants

• Chlorotic midribs, particularly


near the leaf base of younger
leaves

• Leaves lose turgor and turn


brown as brown blotches and
streaks appear on lower leaves,
enlarge, and coalesce

• Leaf blade size is reduced


Sulfur

• Yellowing or pale green color


of the whole plant
• Young leaves are chlorotic or
light green colored with the tips
becoming necrotic
• Lower leaves does not show
necrosis
• Leaves are paler yellow
Zinc
Generalized Symptoms of Plant Nutrient Deficiency or Excess
Plant Type Visual symptoms
Nutrient
Zinc Deficiency Interveinal yellowing on young leaves; reduced
leaf size

Excess Excess zinc may cause iron deficiency in some


plants.
Zinc deficiency
Zn deficiency
Iron
Table 1. Generalized Symptoms of Plant Nutrient Deficiency or Excess
Plant Type Visual symptoms
Nutrient
Iron Deficiency Initial distinct yellow or white areas between
veins of young leaves leading to spots of dead
leaf tissue.

Excess Possible bronzing of leaves with tiny brown spots


Iron
• Interveinal yellowing and
chlorosis of emerging leaves
• Whole leaves become
chlorotic and then very pale
• Entire plant becomes chlorotic
and dies if deficiency is very
severe
•Decreased dry matter
production
7. Iron deficiency
Fe deficiency

corn
soybean

petunia
Iron Toxicity
• Tiny brown spots on lower
leaves starting from tip and
spread toward the leaf base or
whole leaf colored orange-yellow
to brown
• Spots combine on leaf interveins
and leaves turn orange-brown
and die
• Leaves narrow but often remain
green
• In some varieties, leaf tips
become orange-yellow and dry up
•leaves appear purple-brown if Fe
toxicity is severe
Boron Deficiency

• Tips of emerging leaves are


white and rolled (similar to
Calcium deficiency).
• In severe conditions, growing
points can die, but new tillers
continue to emerge.
• Plants also have reduced
height.
Boron deficiency
Boron Toxicity
• Chlorosis of tips and margins of
older leaves as initial symptoms

• Dark brown elliptical spots on


discolored areas two to three weeks
later followed by browning and
drying up

• Necrotic spots prominent at panicle


initiation

• Brownish leaf tips and dark brown


elliptical spots on leaves
Copper
Generalized Symptoms of Plant Nutrient Deficiency or Excess
Plant Type Visual symptoms
Nutrient
Copper Deficiency Plant growth will be slow and plants stunted
with distortion of the young leaves and death of
the growing point
Excess
An Fe deficiency may be induced with very
slow growth; roots may be stunted
Copper deficiency
Manganese
Generalized Symptoms of Plant Nutrient Deficiency or Excess
Plant Type Visual symptoms
Nutrient
Manganese Deficiency Interveinal yellowing or mottling of young leaves

Excess Older leaves have brown spots surrounded by a


chlorotic circle or zone.
Manganese Deficiency

• Pale grayish green interveinal


chlorosis spreads from the tip to
the leaf base

• Necrotic brown spots develop


later and leaf becomes dark
brown

• Newly emerging leaves are


short, narrow, and light green
Manganese deficiency

soybean

wheat
Mn deficiency
Manganese Toxicity

• Yellowish brown spots between


leaf veins, extending to the
whole interveinal area

• Brown spots on veins of lower


leaf blades and leaf sheaths

• Leaf tips dry out eight weeks


after planting
• Chlorosis of younger (upper)
leaves
Molybdenum
Generalized Symptoms of Plant Nutrient Deficiency or Excess
Plant Nutrient Type Visual symptoms

Molybdenum Deficiency Symptoms will frequently appear similar to N


deficiency; older and middle leaves become
chlorotic first, and in some instances, leaf margins
are rolled and growth and flower formation are
restricted

Excess Not of common occurrence


Mo deficiency
Chlorine
Generalized Symptoms of Plant Nutrient Deficiency or Excess
Plant Type Visual symptoms
Nutrient
Chlorine Deficiency Younger leaves will be chlorotic and plants will
easily wilt; for wheat, a plant disease will infest
the plant when Cl is deficient

Excess Premature yellowing of the lower leaves with


burning of the leaf margins and tips; leaf
abscission will occur and plants will easily wilt
Chlorine deficiency

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