Nutrient Deficiency in Plants

1. Nutrient Deficiency in Plants Laboratory Exercise #12

2. Objectives • Know the definition of element, compound, macronutrient and micronutrient. • Know the 16 essential nutrient elements. • Learn how to use the "Key to Nutrient Disorders ".

3. Important Definitions • An element is a pure chemical that contains only one type of atom. • A compound is a molecule that contains one or more elements.

4. Essential Elements • The 16 elements required by plants are obtained from the soil, water and air. • Thirteen of these elements must be supplied by the soil. • Six of the soil elements required by plants are needed in relatively large amounts and are usually added to the soil through fertilizer or lime. These are called macronutrients. • The remaining 7 elements supplied by soil are required in very small amounts and are termed micronutrients.

5. Macronutrients • Macronutrients are needed in relatively large amounts by plants.

6. Macronutrients – Form Used By Plants Charge on the molecule

7. Micronutrients • Macronutrients are needed in relatively small amounts by plants. • They are usually supplied by fertilizers.

8. Micronutrients – Form Used By Plants Charge on the molecule

9. Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms • Nutrient deficiency symptoms usually appear on the plant when one or more nutrients are in short supply. • In many cases, deficiency may occur because an added nutrient is not in the form the plant can use. • Deficiency symptoms for specific elements are included on the "Key to Nutrient Disorders".

10. Nutrient Deficiencies • Every soil is not susceptible to the same nutrient deficiencies. • For example, coarse-textured soils low in organic matter are susceptible to sulfur deficiencies whereas sulfur is usually in adequate supply in clayey soils or soils high in organic matter.

11. Macronutrient Deficiencies & Soils

12. Micronutrient Deficiencies & Soils

13. Deficiency Symptoms - N • General chlorosis. • Chlorosis progresses from light green to yellow. • Entire plant becomes yellow under prolonged stress. • Growth is immediately restricted and plants soon become spindly and drop older leaves. http://plantsci.sdstate.edu/woodardh/soilfert/Nutrient_Deficiency_Pages/soy_def/SOY-N1.JPG

14. Deficiency Symptoms - P • Leaves appear dull, dark green, blue green, or red-purple, especially on the underside, and especially at the midrib and vein. • Petioles may also exhibit purpling. Re­striction in growth may be noticed. http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~psoil120/images/tomatox2.jpg http://www.ext.vt.edu/news/periodicals/viticulture/04octobernovember/photo3.jpg

15. Deficiency Symptoms - K • Leaf margins tanned, scorched, or have necrotic spots (may be small black spots which later coalesce). • Margins become brown and cup downward. • Growth is restricted and die back may occur. • Mild symptoms appear first on recently matured leaves. http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/icm/files/images/antonio004f.jpg

16. Deficiency Symptoms - Ca • Growing points usually damaged or dead (die back). • Margins of leaves developing from the growing point are first to turn brown. http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~blpprt/acid_photos/BlossomEndRot.JPG

17. Deficiency Symptoms - Mg • Marginal chlorosis or chlorotic blotches which later merge. • Leaves show yellow chlorotic interveinal tissue on some species, reddish purple progressing to necrosis on others. • Younger leaves affected with continued stress. • Chlorotic areas may become necrotic, brittle, and curl upward. • Symptoms usually occur late in the growing season. http://quorumsensing.ifas.ufl.edu/HCS200/images/deficiencies/-Mgcq.jpg

18. Deficiency Symptoms - S • Leaves uniformly light green, followed by yellowing and poor spindly growth. • Uniform chlorosis does not occur http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/plymouth/cropsci/graphics/sulfur2.jpg http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/aginfo/entomology/ndsucpr/Years/2007/june/7/soils.jpg

19. Deficiency Symptoms - Cu • Leaves wilt, become chlorotic, then necrotic. • Wilting and necrosis are not dominant symptoms. http://images.google.com/url?q=http://ipm.ncsu.edu/Scouting_Small_Grains/Grain_images/fig4.jpg&usg=AFQjCNE2vzRwrqp65VR_xKRlo2LQOgWI3g

20. Deficiency Symptoms - Fe • Distinct yellow or white areas appear between veins, and veins eventually become chlorotic. • Symptoms are rare on mature leaves. http://bexar-tx.tamu.edu/HomeHort/F1Column/2003Articles/Graphics/iron%20chlorosis.jpg

21. Deficiency Symptoms - Mn • Chlorosis is less marked near veins. • Some mottling occurs in interveinal areas. • Chlorotic areas eventually become brown, transparent, or necrotic. • Symptoms may appear later on older leaves. http://www.ca.uky.edu/HLA/Dunwell/KHC/110-122.JPG

22. Deficiency Symptoms - Zn • Leaves may be abnormally small and necrotic. • Internodes are shortened. http://agri.atu.edu/people/Hodgson/FieldCrops/Mirror/Nutrient%20Def_files/slide24.jpg http://plantsci.sdstate.edu/woodardh/soilfert/Nutrient_Deficiency_Pages/corn_def/CORN-ZN1.JPG

23. Deficiency Symptoms - B • Young, expanding leaves may be necrotic or distorted followed by death of growing points. • Internodes may be short, especially at shoot terminals. • Stems may be rough, cracked, or split along the vascular bundles. http://www.canr.msu.edu/vanburen/ffc12.jpg

24. Crops Highly Susceptible to Deficiencies

25. Questions?