Plant Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms

Education Initiative

Plant nutrient

deficiency symptoms

Ross Brennan, Senior Research Officer Department of Agriculture and Food WA , Albany

Plant deficiency symptoms

• If symptoms occur in the old leaves, then

it is likely the plant is deficient in a mobile

element

• If symptoms occur in the young leaves,

then it is likely the plant is deficient in an

immobile element

Plant deficiency symptoms (cont)

• However, the deficiency may be due to a

variable mobile element (where the

symptoms may occur in either the young

or old leaves)

• A leaf analysis test may be required to

determine the cause of the nutrient

deficiency

Key for deficiency symptoms

P deficiency

P deficiency: lupin

S deficiency in canola

S deficiency: canola

S deficiency

S deficiency

K deficiency

plants are stunted,

oldest leaves

become pale with

bronzing, necrosis

of leaf margins and

spotting develops.

Dalkeith subclover

Seaton Park subclover

POTASSIUM DEFICIENCY IN SUBCLOVER

Barrel medic -

older leaves are pale,

leaf margins become

necrotic with spotting.

POTASSIUM DEFICIENCY IN MEDIC AND LUCERNE

Thin stems

old leaves pale, then develop dark

necrotic tips,

leaflets fall off but petioles remain,

plants are a dull green colour compared

to healthy plants.

POTASSIUM DEFICIENCY IN NARROW LEAF LUPINS

© Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Agriculture 2001

Plants are pale green and stunted,

oldest leaflets turn yellow, can be brushed off the stem.

POTASSIUM DEFICIENCY IN SERRADELLA

Oats

Wheat

“Scorching" and necrosis

starting at tips of old leaves

and spreading along margins,

plants appear droopy.

POTASSIUM DEFICIENCY IN CEREALS

Old leaves limp, puckered

with a dull sheen

Dull yellow colour develops from tips

and spreads to mid rib

Then symptoms on next oldest leaf

POTASSIUM DEFICIENCY IN CANOLA

© Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Agriculture 2001

Lucerne

Plants are pale

green.

Oldest leaves

develop distinct

necrotic leaf

margins, and

spots which

become white.

Patches of pale wilted plants

Manganese deficiency in Wheat

© Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Agriculture 2001

• young & middle leaves affected first

• interveinal chlorosis & increasing

dead areas

• greyish areas at base of new leaves

Manganese deficiency in Barley

© Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Agriculture 2001

Manganese deficiency in oats •Middle leaves affected first then spreads to whole plant •Pale brown/grey lesions between the veins, enlarging, then leaf collapse •Feint interveinal chlorosis

Manganese sulphate

Lower leaf drop

but plants stay green

Manganese deficiency in Lupins

•Split seed

© Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Agriculture 2001

Manganese deficiency in canola

Copper deficiency in Cereals

Twisting, paleness, death of

youngest leaf (severe deficiency)

Mild deficiency - drooping heads

(weak straw)

White heads (severe deficiency -

“purpling " of leaf sheath

delayed maturity, very late tillers

“dirty " straw )

Note: High N and root pruning herbicides

make deficiency worse

Copper deficiency in

Legumes

Pale plant (except old leaves)

limp middle leaves

Lucerne

Subterranean clover

Faba bean

Growing point dies with

severe deficiency

Cu deficiency

Zinc deficiency in Cereals

Chlorotic stripes next to mid rib

usually middle leaves first

Note: no symptoms with

mild deficiency

Leaves wilt, bend, collapse

“diesel soaked " patches

in crop

Mildly affected plants

often recover in spring

Usually seen on seedlings, cold

wet winters

© Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Agriculture 2001

Zinc deficiency

in

Subclover

Zinc deficiency in Canola

Mo deficiency

Ca deficiency

Multiple factors/deficiency

Plant symptoms

that could be confused with

Cu deficiency in cereals

Shriveled Grain

•root rots

•frost

•drought

•Mo deficiency

•herbicide damage

“Rat - tailed” Ears

•root rots

•frost

•drought

•Mo deficiency

© Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Agriculture 2001

Conclusion

• Plant nutrient symptoms can be a guide to

deficiency

• Symptoms can be confused with an array

of other factors with similar symptoms

e.g. frost & Cu deficiency

• Influenced by environmental factors

• Usually requires some plant analyses to

confirm visual diagnosis