Nutrient Deficiency in Plants

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Nutrient Deficiency in Plants

• Presented to
• Prof. Dr. Ali Abdullah Alderfasi.
• Presented by
• Zia Amjad

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Environmental stress factors

• Types of environmental factors
• Biotic
• Abiotic
• Nutrient stresses come under abiotic factor.
• Stress reactions resulting from sub-optimal and
  damaging quantities.
• Nutrient Stress deviation from the normal
  physiological processes as a result of
  sub-optimal or toxic concentrations of nutrition.
  

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• Environmental noxae stress factors which trigger
  stress reactions when applied in any
  concentration, e.g. UV-B, Ozone, ionizing
  radiations, heavy metals, aluminum etc.
• Specific and un-specific reactions to stress
  un-specific reactions includes e.g. modification
  of basic metabolism.
• specific reactions include e.g. the production
  of heat shock proteins.
• currently 15-17 elements are known to be
  essential for plant growth, but the role in the
  physiological metabolism is not known in detail
  for all of them.

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General effects of available nutrient
concentration

• The different ranges can be
• Extreme deficiency range
• severe deficiency range
• moderate deficiency range
• luxury range
• Toxic range
• Critical concentration range it occurs between
  deficiency and luxury consumption.
• This information is useful for the measurement of
  the degree of stress in a plant.

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Conditions for nutrient deficiency stress

• Amount and concentration of nutrients in the
  soil.
• Form of the soil.
• The contents of the soil solutions.
• Soil pH.
• Nutrient concentration in plants
• these vary with
• Plant age
• Plant part
• Plant species
• Soil type

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Deficiency symptoms

• Symptom is any perceptible change in known
  structure, appearance or function.
• These include
• Yellowing (chlorosis)
• Death (necrosis)
• Lesions
• Malformations
• Malfunctions
• Reduced growth and yield

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• Confusion
• Occurs when one realizes that similar symptoms
  can be seen by
• Toxic levels of nutrients
• Pathogenic organisms
• Air pollutants
• Pesticides
• Symptoms may vary with plant species or variety.

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Important Point to remember for Stress diagnosis

• Yield or growth rate is usually impaired before
  other symptoms of deficiency occur so that some
  other indications of at least the potential for a
  deficiency must be considered in any diagnosis
  procedure.

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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.

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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.

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Macronutrients
Element Symbol Source
Oxygen O Air/Water
Hydrogen H Air/Water
Carbon C Air/Water
Nitrogen N Soil
Phosphorus P Soil
Sulfur S Soil
Potassium K Soil
Calcium Ca Soil
Magnesium Mg Soil

• Macronutrients are needed in relatively large
  amounts by plants.

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Macronutrients Form Used By Plants
Nutrient Form Used
Carbon CO2
Oxygen H2O
Hydrogen H2O
Nitrogen NO3-, NH4
Phosphorus H2PO4 HPO42-
Potassium K
Calcium Ca2
Magnesium Mg2
Sulfur SO4-
Charge on the molecule
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Micronutrients

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

Element Symbol Source
Iron Fe Soil
Manganese Mn Soil
Boron B Soil
Molybdenum Mo Soil
Copper Cu Soil
Zinc Zn Soil
Chlorine Cl Soil
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Micronutrients Form Used By Plants
Nutrient Form Used
Iron Fe2
Manganese Mn2
Boron H2B03-
Molybdenum MoO42-
Copper Cu2
Zinc Zn2
Chlorine Cl-
Charge on the molecule
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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".

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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.

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Macronutrient Deficiencies Soils
Element Soil Factor Causing Deficiency
N K Excessive leaching on coarse-textured low organic matter soils
P Acid low organic matter soils
Cold wet soils such as occurs during early spring
Newly cleared soils
S Excessive leaching on coarse-textured low organic matter soils in areas where air pollution is low (minimal levels of SO2 in the air)
Ca Mg Excessive leaching on coarse-textured low organic matter soils
Soils where large amounts of K have been applied
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Micronutrient Deficiencies Soils
Element Soil Factor Causing Deficiency
Fe Poorly drained soils, Low organic matter soils, pHgt7.0, Soils high in P
Zn Cold wet soils low in organic matter and highly leached, High pH soils (pHgt7.0), Soils high in P, Exposed subsoils
Cu Peat and muck soils, High pH, sandy soils, Soils heavily fertilized with N
B Excessive leaching on coarse-textured low organic matter soils, Soils with pHgt7.0
Mn Excessive leaching on coarse-textured low organic matter soils, Soil with pHgt6.5
Mo Soils high in Fe oxides, high adsorption of molybdenum, Soil cropped for a long time
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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/Nutr
ient_Deficiency_Pages/soy_def/SOY-N1.JPG
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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/tom
atox2.jpg
http//www.ext.vt.edu/news/periodicals/viticulture
/04octobernovember/photo3.jpg
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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/an
tonio004f.jpg
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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/Blos
somEndRot.JPG
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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/de
ficiencies/-Mgcq.jpg
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Deficiency Symptoms - S

• Leaves uniformly light green, followed by
  yellowing and poor spindly growth.
• Uniform chlorosis does not occur

http//www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/aginfo/entomology/nds
ucpr/Years/2007/june/7/soils.jpg
http//www.ces.ncsu.edu/plymouth/cropsci/graphics/
sulfur2.jpg
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Deficiency Symptoms - Cu

• Leaves wilt, become chlorotic, then necrotic.
• Wilting and necrosis are not dominant symptoms.

http//images.google.com/url?qhttp//ipm.ncsu.edu
/Scouting_Small_Grains/Grain_images/fig4.jpgusgA
FQjCNE2vzRwrqp65VR_xKRlo2LQOgWI3g
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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/2003Art
icles/Graphics/iron20chlorosis.jpg
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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
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Deficiency Symptoms - Zn

• Leaves may be abnormally small and necrotic.
• Internodes are shortened.

http//agri.atu.edu/people/Hodgson/FieldCrops/Mirr
or/Nutrient20Def_files/slide24.jpg
http//plantsci.sdstate.edu/woodardh/soilfert/Nutr
ient_Deficiency_Pages/corn_def/CORN-ZN1.JPG
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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
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Crops Highly Susceptible to Deficiencies
Element Crops
Mn Soybean, Small Grain Peanuts
Cu Wheat Corn
Zn Corn
Mo Soybeans Cauliflower
B Alfalfa, Apples, Peanuts, Tobacco Tomatoes
Fe Ornamentals, Fruit Trees, Soybeans, Grain Sorghum Some Grasses
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Thanks