Calcium Deficiency Symptoms On young plants, leaf tips stick to the next lower leaf, creating a ladder-like appearance Plants may be severely stunted Tips of the shoots die, tips of young leaves die, tips of leaves are hooked-shaped Blossom end rot in tomatoes Bitter pit in apples

Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms Grapes Yellowing of tissue along leaf margins and between the main veins; round spots sometimes follow giving the impression of beaded streaking Symptoms may initially develop along leaf margins, similar to K deficiency As the deficiency progresses, the yellow regions turn brown and die Tends to develop first on older leaves

Sulfur Deficiency Symptoms Pale green to yellow new growth, some interveinal chlorosis Stunted growth Shows similarity to N deficiency

Boron Deficiency Symptoms New shoot growth severely reduced and shoot tips may die back Fruit set may be reduced and and fruit cracking may occur On veggie crops – development of hollow stems, crown or ‘heart rot’ On trees, young twigs may develop a browning just beneath the bark Cork spot in apples Source: MSUE Bull E-852

Manganese Deficiency Symptoms Tissue between the main veins turns yellow and chlorotic Shoot tips do not elongate fully, resulting in compressed internode lengths and a tuft or rosette of leaves at the terminal

Iron Deficiency Symptoms Youngest leaves yellow between the veins, while the main veins remain green. In severe cases, symptoms may progress to older leaves on the shoot

Zinc Deficiency Symptoms Leaves are much smaller than normal and narrow Tissue between the main veins turns yellow and chlorotic Shoot tips do not elongate fully Shortened internodes

Micronutrient toxicities Can be an issue in low pH soils Toxic symptoms are similar as is found with typical salt damage Scorched leaf margins and excessive abscission Leaf/leaflet size is reduced and may appear to be thickened Overall plant growth is reduced

Micronutrient toxicities Boron Chloride Manganese “Measles”

Diagnosing nutrient needs Many nutrient deficiencies and toxicities may look similar If more than one problem is present or if two or more nutrients are deficient, the typical symptoms may not occur

Diagnosing nutrient needs Soil and plant tissue analyses!!!!!! Important to understand basics of soil and plant tissue sampling (i.e. how many, what plant parts to sample, etc.) Need to collect all the evidence: Nutrient deficiency symptoms Root growth patterns Weather Current field conditions Field history Tissue analysis Soil analysis

Correction of deficiencies identified may not be feasible because: Deficiency may have already caused yield loss Crop may not respond at the growth stage tested Crop may be too large for nutrient application Weather may be unfavorable for fertilization and/or for crop to benefit So, use routine soil tests and BMPs to manage crop fertility so that a deficiency doesn’t occur!

Use the web as a resource http://www.soil.ncsu.edu/programs/deficiency/ http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/IPM42.pdf http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/nutdef/ http://www.hbci.com/~wenonah/min-def/list.htm Google “plant nutrient deficiency”

Thank You. Questions?