Nutrient Deficiency

Guide

About PerenniaPerennia is a not-for-profit corporation with the mission to help farmers, fishermen and food processors be prosperous and profitable. We have three major service areas: field services, quality and food safety and prod-uct development and commercialization.

Contact Us32 Main Street, Kentville, NS, B4N 1J5 Phone 902 678 7722 | Fax 902 678 7266

199 Dr Bernie MacDonald Drive, Bible Hill, NS, B6L 2H5 Phone 902 896 0277 | Fax 902 896 7299

Zinc (Zn)•     Initial

symptoms occur in MIDDLE leaves

•     Short stalks (stunted growth)

•     Small, thick leaves

Iron (Fe)•     Veins remain

sharply green in contrast with chlorotic leaf

Are there

necrotic spots?

Sulfur (S)•     Light green

foilage, similar to N deficiency except found in new growth

Copper (Cu)•     Wilted young

leaves•     Leaf tips

appear withered

•     Weak stem tip

Boron (B)•     Small, crinkled,

deformed leaves

•     Young leaves light green at base, die back from base

Phosphorus (P)

•     Dark green foliage, with red/purple colour

•     Plants stunted

Terminal buds alive, but wilted

NOYES

Terminal buds are dead/dying,

young leaves are distorted

Young leaves

chlorotic, not wilted

Mostly generalized over entire plant. Lower leaves dry

up, die

Mostly localized. Mottling or chlorosis. Leaf

margins cupped or tucked

GlossaryChlorotic = yellowingMottling = blotches

Necrotic = deadInterveinal = between the veins

Calcium (Ca)•     Hooked young

leaves, then die back at tips/margins

•     Leaf cupping

Manganese (Mn)•     Veins remain green•     Small necrotic

spots•     Yellowing,

cupping, and/or spotting of leaves

Plants light green

or yellow

www.perennia.ca

Magnesium (Mg)

•     Interveinal chlorosis

•     Yellowing starting at leaf base

Potassium (K)•     Chlorotic areas

with scorching along leaf margin

•     Leaf cupping•     Slender stalks

Nitrogen (N)•     Light green

foliage, NO necrotic spotting

•     Slow growth, spindly plants

Molybdenum (Mo)

•     Light green foliage

•     Leaves may look scorched, cupped, rolled

Younger leaves (immobile nutrients)

Older leaves (mobile nutrients)

Deficiency Symptoms

nsperennia NSPerennia

2. Calcium (Ca)• Terminalbudsturnbrown,dieback• Irregularleafmargins,cupping• Youngleavesdistorted,reducedinsize• Tipburninlettuceandcabbage,black-heartincelery,forkedrootsinbeets,cavityspotincarrots,blossomendrotintomatoes,peppers,andwatermelon

3. Sulfur (S)• Lightgreenleaves• LookslikeNdeficiencyexceptfoundonnewgrowth

• Plantsarespindlyandsmall,withthinstems

• Commononsandy,loworganicmattersoils

Nutrient Deficiencies

2

3

4

56

7

8

9

10

1112

www.perennia.ca

4. Iron (Fe)• Veinsverygreen,restofleafischloroticorwhite

• Stuntedgrowth,usuallynonecrosis

• OftenoccurswhensoilpHishigh• Highbushblueberrymaygetfruitthataresmallandnotfullyripen

5. Zinc (Zn)• Initialsymptomsinmiddleleaves• Smallleaves,necrotic,shortinter-nodes

• Pigtailinginonions;leafrollinpota-toes;small,narrowleaveswithblackspotsinyellowareasintomatoes,zebra-stripingincorn

6. Molybdenum (Mo)• Plantslightgreen• Paleleavessometimesscorched,cupped,orrolled

• Thick,brittleleaves• WhiptailinColecrops

7. Copper (Cu)• Chloroticyoungleaves,witheredtips• Stunting• Tipdiebackinonions(onmineralsoils),undersizedonions

8. Manganese (Mn)• Plantbecomesyellowtoolivegreenwithstuntedgrowth

• Yellowing,cupping,and/orspottingofleaves,somemottlingininterveinalareas

• MostcommonifsoilpH>6.8• Marshspotinpeasandbeans

9. Potassium (K)• Tipandmarginalleafscorch,marginsbecomebrownandcupdownward

• Chlorosisthroughoutleaf,prematureleafandfruitdrop

• Slowedplantgrowth• Reducedfruitsize,shriveledseed,smalltubers

10. Magnesium (Mg)• Interveinalchlorosisonlowerleaves• LowMgwillcontributetoPdeficiency• Stiff,brittleleaves,upwardleafcurlalong

margin• Poorflavourandcolourincarrots 11. Nitrogen (N)

• Slowgrowth,stunted,spindlyplants• Yellowingonolderleaves• Turningupoftipsandmarginsofleaves• Redcalyxonstrawberries

12. Phosphorus (P)• Slowgrowth,stuntedplants,delayedmaturity• Darkgreenorblue-greenleaveswithpurplishcoloronolderleaves

• Canhappenearlyintheseasonwithcoolweather• Poorfruitandseeddevelopment

1. Boron (B)• Growthreduction/deathatgrowingtip• Small,crinkled,deformedleaves• Shortinternodes• Poorseedsetorfruitset,hollowsteminColecrops,internalbrowningofrootcrops,crackedstemincelery,catfaceinstrawberries

IllustrationbyJessicaMacDonald

It is important to note that just because a plant is showing symptoms of deficiency, it does not necessarily indicate that your soil is lacking in that nutrient. pH plays a role in nutrient availability, for example, and excess of one nutrient can cause a deficiency in another nutrient. Talk to your agronomist.

1