Wade Berry, UCLA

Introduction

Visual nutrient deficiency symptoms can be a very powerful diagnostic tool for evaluating the nutrient status of plants. One should keep in mind, however, that a given individual visual symptom is seldom sufficient to make a definitive diagnosis of a plant’s nutrient status. Many of the classic deficiency symptoms such as tip burn, chlorosis and necrosis are characteristically associated with more than one mineral deficiency and also with other stresses that by themselves are not diagnostic for any specific nutrient stress. However, their detection is extremely useful in making an evaluation of nutrient status. In addition to the actual observations of morphological and spectral symptoms, knowing the location and timing of these symptoms is a critical aspect of any nutrient status evaluation. Plants do not grow in isolation, they are part of the overall environment and as such they respond to environmental changes as that affect nutrient availability. Also, plants do influence their environment and can contribute to environmental changes, which in turn can affect the nutrient status of the plant.

Sources of Visual Symptoms

Stresses such as salinity, pathogens, and air pollution induce their own characteristic set of visual symptoms. Often, these symptoms closely resemble those of nutrient deficiency. Pathogens often produce an interveinal chlorosis, and air pollution and salinity stress can cause tip burn. Although at first these symptoms might seem similar in their general appearance to nutrient deficiency symptoms, they do differ in detail and/or in their overall developmental pattern. Pathological symptoms can often be separated from nutritional symptoms by their distribution in a population of affected plants. If the plants are under a nutrient stress, all plants of a given type and age in the same environment tend to develop similar symptoms at the same time. However if the stress is the result of pathology, the development of symptoms will have a tendency to vary between plants until a relatively advanced stage of the pathology is reached.

Environmental Associations

Plants remove substantial amounts of nutrients from the soil during their normal growth cycle and many long-term environmental changes occur as a result of this process. Effects on the soil go considerably beyond the straight removal or depletion of nutrients. Charge balance must be maintained in the plant-soil system during nutrient uptake. Charge balance is usually achieved by the excretion of proton and/or hydroxyl ions by the plant to replace the absorbed nutrient cations or anions. For example when plants are fertilized with ammonia, they acquire most of their nitrogen in the form of the ammonium cation, rather than from the usual nitrate anion. Because nitrate is the only anion used by the plant in large amounts, the net result of this change is that during normal nutrient uptake the proton excretion will far exceed that of hydroxyl ions. In the case of vigorously growing plants, the amount of excreted protons can be sufficiently large as to decrease the pH of the soil by several pH units. Changes in soil pH of such magnitude can have large implications for a number of soil processes such as soil structure, nutrient availability and leaching of nutrients. The immediate effect on the soil may be favorable for some plants, especially acid-loving plants, in that it tends to make iron more available. However, in the long run, lowering the soil pH can be deleterious to plants in that the availability of nutrients will change. A lower soil pH will allow micronutrients to be more readily leached from the soil profile, eventually resulting in deficiencies of nutrients such as Cu and Zn. Additionally, when the pH of the soil drops much below pH 5, the solubility of Al and Mn can increase to such an extent as to become toxic to most plant growth (see textbook Figure 5.5).

Plants are often thought of as passive in relation to the environment. However this is not always a valid assumption; for there are many plants that clearly manipulate their environment in a fashion that tends to makes certain nutrients more readily available. For example, iron is a limiting nutrient in many agricultural areas, but it comprises about 3% of the average soil which, if available, would be far in excess of the needs of the average plant. Some plants actively excrete protons, and the resulting decrease in pH increases the solubility of iron in their environment. In addition, other plants excrete phytosiderophores that chelate the soil iron rendering it a more available form for the plants (see p. 372 of the textbook).

Pathways of Symptom Development

At first glance, it would appear that the distinction of deficiency symptoms for the 13 known essential mineral nutrients should be relatively simple. But such an assumption is incorrect. In fact, the deficiency symptoms are quite complex because each nutrient has a number of different biological functions and each function may have an independent set of interactions with a wide range of environmental parameters. In addition, the expression of these symptoms varies for acute or chronic deficiency conditions. Acute deficiency occurs when a nutrient is suddenly no longer available to a rapidly growing plant. Chronic deficiency occurs when there is a limited but continuous supply of a nutrient, at a rate that is insufficient to meet the growth demands of the plant.

Most of the classic deficiency symptoms described in textbooks are characteristic of acute deficiencies. The most common symptoms of low-grade, chronic deficiencies are a tendency towards darker green leaves and stunted or slow growth. Typically most published descriptions of deficiency symptoms arise from experiments conducted in greenhouses or growth chambers where the plants are grown in hydroponics or in media where the nutrients are fully available. In these conditions, nutrients are readily available while present, but when a nutrient is depleted, the plant suddenly faces an acute deficiency. Thus, hydroponic studies favor the development of acute deficiencies.

In experiments designed to study micronutrient deficiency symptoms, micronutrients are usually omitted from the nutrient solution. Micronutrients are often present in the seed or as contaminants in the environment, so a plant of adequate size will exhaust these trace amounts of micronutrient and develop characteristic acute deficiency systems. When deficiency symptoms of macronutrients are sought, the macronutrient is removed suddenly from a suitable sized rapidly growing plant. Alternatively the plant can initially be given a one-time supply of the nutrient that is sufficient for a limited amount of growth. Because macronutrients are continuously required in relatively large amounts by rapidly growing plants, the available nutrients will be rapidly depleted, resulting in an acute deficiency.

In natural systems, the plant encounters many degrees and types of stresses that result in different types of symptoms occurring over time. Perhaps the most common nutrient deficiency in natural environments is the case of a limited nutrient supply that is continuously renewed at a low rate from soil weathering processes. In such cases, the limited nutrient availability results in chronic nutrient deficiency symptoms.

Effect of Nutrient Mobility on Symptom Development

The interaction between nutrient mobility in the plant, and plant growth rate can be a major factor influencing the type and location of deficiency symptoms that develop. For very mobile nutrients such as nitrogen and potassium, deficiency symptoms develop predominantly in the older and mature leaves. This is a result of these nutrients being preferentially mobilized during times of nutrient stress from the older leaves to the newer leaves near the growing regions of the plant. Additionally, mobile nutrients newly acquired by the roots are also preferentially translocated to new leaves and the growing regions. Thus old and mature leaves are depleted of mobile nutrients during times of stress while the new leaves are maintained at a more favorable nutrient status.

The typical localization of deficiency symptoms of very weakly mobile nutrients such as calcium, boron, and iron is the opposite to that of the mobile nutrients; these deficiency symptoms are first displayed in the growing regions and new leaves while the old leaves remain in a favorable nutrient status. (This assumes that these plants started with sufficient nutrient, but ran out of nutrient as they developed). In plants growing very slowly for reasons other than nutrition (such as low light) a normally limiting supply of a nutrient could, under these conditions, be sufficient for the plant to slowly develop, maybe even without symptoms. This type of development is likely to occur in the case of weakly mobile nutrients because excess nutrients in the older leaves will eventually be mobilized to supply newly developing tissues. In contrast, a plant with a similar supply that is growing rapidly will develop severe deficiencies in the actively growing tissue such as leaf edges and the growing region of the plant. A classic example of this is calcium deficiency in vegetables such as lettuce where symptoms develop on the leaf margins (tip burn) and the growing region near the meristems. The maximal growth rate of lettuce is often limited by the internal translocation rate of calcium to the growing tissue rather than from a limited nutrient supply in the soil.

When moderately mobile nutrients such as sulfur and magnesium are the limiting nutrients of the system, deficiency symptoms are normally seen over the entire plant. However the growth rate and rate of nutrient availability can make a considerable difference on the locations at which the symptoms develop. If the nutrient supply is marginal compared to the growth rate, symptoms will appear on the older tissue, but if the nutrient supply is very low compared to the growth rate, or the nutrient is totally depleted, the younger tissue will become deficient first.

Plant Competition and Induced Deficiencies

When the observed symptoms are the direct result of a nutrient deficiency, the actions needed for correction are relatively straight-forward. However symptoms are often the result of interactions with other environmental factors limiting the availability of the nutrient whose symptoms are expressed. The classic instance is that of iron deficiency induced by an excess of heavy metals in the environment. Transition metals such as Cu, Zn Cr and Ni compete with Fe and each other for plant uptake. Competition for uptake is not specific to Fe and heavy metals but is true for all mineral nutrients that are chemically similar and have similar uptake mechanisms. For example if the availability of Cu or Zn is relatively less than that of Fe, then excessive concentrations of some other metal such as Ni or Cr will induce a deficiency of one of these nutrients rather than Fe. In the case of the macronutrients, excessive amounts of Mg will compete with K for uptake and can possibly induce a K deficiency. The barrenness of serpentine soils is the result of such competition, with the high Mg of these soils inducing a Ca deficiency. The toxicity of a low pH soil is another example of a basic nutrient deficiency. Low pH has a two-fold effect on soil nutrients: It enhances the leaching of cations, reducing their availability in the soil, and the relatively abundant protons in the soil compete with Ca and other cations for uptake. Thus, nutrient deficiencies can be induced by a number of different mechanisms often working in concert to limit the availability of a nutrient.

Nutrient Demand and Use Efficiency

Although all plants of the same species respond similarly to nutrient stress, plants of similar species will often show significant differences in their nutrient use efficiency. This results from differences in growth rate, root distribution, phase of development, and efficiency of nutrient uptake and utilization. This implies that in any given location, plants from one species may become nutrient-deficient, while those from another species growing in the same environment right next to them, may not show any deficiency symptoms.

Growth rate also affects nutrient status. When the nutrient supply is barely inadequate for growth under existing environmental conditions, many plants adjust their growth rate to match that supported by the available nutrient supply without displaying typical visual deficiency symptoms.

Agricultural systems differ from natural systems in that crop plants have been selected primarily for rapid growth under low stress conditions. This rapid growth rate results in a high nutrient demand by these plants and a higher incidence of nutrient deficiency unless supplemental fertilizers are supplied. It is not uncommon to find agricultural crops showing severe signs of nutrient stress, with native plants growing in the same area showing little or no indication of nutrient stress. In agriculture systems chronic deficiency symptoms develop mostly in crops with little or limited fertilization. Acute nutrient deficiency symptoms most often occur when new crops with a higher nutrient demand are introduced, or less productive lands are brought under cultivation for the production of rapidly growing crop plants.

Uniformity of Nutrient Status

Not all tissues of a plant are at the same nutrient status during times of stress. Leaves on the same plant that are exposed to different environmental conditions, (such as light), or those of different ages may have considerable differences in nutrient status. Mineral nutrients are for the most part acquired by the roots and translocated throughout the plant. The distance of any part of the plant to the roots will influence nutrient availability, particularly in the case of the less mobile nutrients. In plants recovering from nutrient deficiency, the root and conductive tissues recover first. For example, in the case of recovery from Fe deficiency, it is common to see the veins re-green while the interveinal tissue remains chlorotic and Fe-deficient.

In order to maintain rapid, optimal growth, all plant tissues must have a favorable nutrient status. Although a plant may be marginally low in a number of nutrients, only one nutrient at a time will limit overall growth. However, if the supply of that limiting nutrient is increased even slightly, the resulting increase in growth will increase the demand for all other nutrients and another nutrient, the next lowest in availability, will become limiting.

Other Diagnostic Tools

Although visual diagnostic symptoms are an extremely valuable tool for the rapid evaluation of the nutrient status of a plant, they are only some of the tools available. Other major tools include microscopic studies, spectral analysis, and tissue and soil analysis. These methods all vary in their precision, rapidity and their ability to predict future nutrient status. Because of the close interaction between plant growth and the environment, all predictions of future nutrient status must make assumptions about how the environment will change in that time frame.

The principle advantage of visual diagnostic symptoms is that they are readily obtained and provide an immediate evaluation of nutrient status. Their main drawback is that the visual symptoms do not develop until after there has been a major effect on yield, growth and development.

Tissue analysis is nutrient-specific but relatively slow; tissues must be sampled, processed, and analyzed before the nutrient status can be determined. An analysis of the mineral nutrient content of selected plants tissues, when compared against Critical Level values (which are available for most crop plants, see textbook Figure 5.4), can be used to evaluate the plant nutrient status at the time of sampling with a relatively high degree of confidence and can be extrapolated to project nutrient status at harvest. Soil analysis is similar to tissue analysis but evaluates the potential supplying power of the soil instead of plant nutrient status. Plant analysis provides information as to what the plant needs, while soil analysis provides information about the status of the nutrient supply.

Spectral analysis of nutrient status is still in its infancy and is presently used primarily in the inventory of global resources and in specialized studies. Microscopic studies are most valuable in looking at the physiological aspects of nutrient stress rather than the evaluation of plant nutrient status on a whole plant or crop basis.

Symptom Descriptions

It is unusual to find any one leaf or even one plant that displays the full array of symptoms that are characteristic of a given deficiency. It is thus highly desirable to know how individual symptoms look, for it is possible for them to occur in many possible combinations on a single plant. Most of the terms used below in the description of deficiency symptoms are reasonably self evident; a few however have a distinct meaning in the nutrient deficiency field. For example, the term chlorotic, which is a general term for yellowing of leaves through the loss of chlorophyll, cannot be used without further qualification because there may be an overall chlorosis as in nitrogen deficiency, interveinal, as in iron deficiency, or marginal, as in calcium deficiency. Another term used frequently in the description of deficiency symptoms is necrotic, a general term for brown, dead tissue. This symptom can also appear in many varied forms, as is the case with chlorotic symptoms.

Nutrient deficiency symptoms for many plants are similar, but because of the large diversity found in plants and their environments there is a range of expression of symptoms. Because of their parallel veins, grasses and other monocots generally display the affects of chlorosis as a series of stripes rather than the netted interveinal chlorosis commonly found in dicots. The other major difference is that the marginal necrosis or chlorosis found in dicots is often expressed as tip burn in monocots.

Web Figures 5.1.A–M show deficiency symptoms for macronutrients and micronutrients in tomato.

Magnesium. The Mg-deficient leaves (Web Figure 5.1.A) show advanced interveinal chlorosis, with necrosis developing in the highly chlorotic tissue. In its advanced form, magnesium deficiency may superficially resemble potassium deficiency. In the case of magnesium deficiency the symptoms generally start with mottled chlorotic areas developing in the interveinal tissue. The interveinal laminae tissue tends to expand proportionately more than the other leaf tissues, producing a raised puckered surface, with the top of the puckers progressively going from chlorotic to necrotic tissue. In some plants such as the Brassica (i.e., the mustard family, which includes vegetables such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, kohlrabi, mustard, rape, rutabaga and turnip), tints of orange, yellow, and purple may also develop.

Web Figure 5.1.A   Magnesium deficiency symptoms in tomato. (Epstein and Bloom 2004)

Manganese. These leaves (Web Figure 5.1.B) show a light interveinal chlorosis developed under a limited supply of Mn. The early stages of the chlorosis induced by manganese deficiency are somewhat similar to iron deficiency. They begin with a light chlorosis of the young leaves and netted veins of the mature leaves especially when they are viewed through transmitted light. As the stress increases, the leaves take on a gray metallic sheen and develop dark freckled and necrotic areas along the veins. A purplish luster may also develop on the upper surface of the leaves. Grains such as oats, wheat, and barley are extremely susceptible to manganese deficiency. They develop a light chlorosis along with gray specks which elongate and coalesce, and eventually the entire leaf withers and dies.

Web Figure 5.1.B  Manganese deficiency symptoms in tomato. (Epstein and Bloom 2004)

Molybdenum. These leaves (Web Figure 5.1.C) show some mottled spotting along with some interveinal chlorosis. An early symptom for molybdenum deficiency is a general overall chlorosis, similar to the symptom for nitrogen deficiency but generally without the reddish coloration on the undersides of the leaves. This results from the requirement for molybdenum in the reduction of nitrate, which needs to be reduced prior to its assimilation by the plant (see textbook Chapter 13). Thus, the initial symptoms of molybdenum deficiency are in fact those of nitrogen deficiency. However, molybdenum has other metabolic functions within the plant, and hence there are deficiency symptoms even when reduced nitrogen is available. In the case of cauliflower, the lamina of the new leaves fail to develop, resulting in a characteristic whiptail appearance. In many plants there is an upward cupping of the leaves and mottled spots developing into large interveinal chlorotic areas under severe deficiency. At high concentrations, molybdenum has a very distinctive toxicity symptom in that the leaves turn a very brilliant orange.

Web Figure 5.1.C   Molybdenum deficiency symptoms in tomato. (Epstein and Bloom 2004)

Nitrogen. The chlorotic symptoms (Web Figure 5.1.D) shown by this leaf resulted from nitrogen deficiency. A light red cast can also be seen on the veins and petioles. Under nitrogen deficiency, the older mature leaves gradually change from their normal characteristic green appearance to a much paler green. As the deficiency progresses these older leaves become uniformly yellow (chlorotic). Leaves approach a yellowish white color under extreme deficiency. The young leaves at the top of the plant maintain a green but paler color and tend to become smaller in size. Branching is reduced in nitrogen deficient plants resulting in short, spindly plants. The yellowing in nitrogen deficiency is uniform over the entire leaf including the veins. However in some instances, an interveinal necrosis replaces the chlorosis commonly found in many plants. In some plants the underside of the leaves and/or the petioles and midribs develop traces of a reddish or purple color. In some plants this coloration can be quite bright. As the deficiency progresses, the older leaves also show more of a tendency to wilt under mild water stress and become senescent much earlier than usual. Recovery of deficient plants to applied nitrogen is immediate (days) and spectacular.

Web Figure 5.1.D   Nitrogen deficiency symptoms in tomato. (Epstein and Bloom 2004)

Phosphorus. These phosphorus-deficient leaves (Web Figure 5.1.E) show some necrotic spots. As a rule, phosphorus deficiency symptoms are not very distinct and thus difficult to identify. A major visual symptom is that the plants are dwarfed or stunted. Phosphorus deficient plants develop very slowly in relation to other plants growing under similar environmental conditions but without phosphorus deficiency. Phosphorus deficient plants are often mistaken for unstressed but much younger plants. Some species such as tomato, lettuce, corn and the brassicas develop a distinct purpling of the stem, petiole and the under sides of the leaves. Under severe deficiency conditions there is also a tendency for leaves to develop a blue-gray luster. In older leaves under very severe deficiency conditions a brown netted veining of the leaves may develop.

Web Figure 5.1.E   Phosphorus deficiency symptoms in tomato. (Epstein and Bloom 2004)

Sulfur. This leaves (Web Figure 5.1.F) show a general overall chlorosis while still retaining some green color. The veins and petioles show a very distinct reddish color. The visual symptoms of sulfur deficiency are very similar to the chlorosis found in nitrogen deficiency. However, in sulfur deficiency the yellowing is much more uniform over the entire plant including young leaves. The reddish color often found on the underside of the leaves and the petioles has a more pinkish tone and is much less vivid than that found in nitrogen deficiency. With advanced sulfur deficiency brown lesions and/or necrotic spots often develop along the petiole, and the leaves tend to become more erect and often twisted and brittle.

Web Figure 5.1.F   Sulfur deficiency symptoms in tomato. (Epstein and Bloom 2004)

Zinc. This leaves (Web Figure 5.1.G) show an advanced case of interveinal necrosis. In the early stages of zinc deficiency the younger leaves become yellow and pitting develops in the interveinal upper surfaces of the mature leaves. Guttation (see textbook Figure 4.5) is also prevalent. As the deficiency progress these symptoms develop into an intense interveinal necrosis but the main veins remain green, as in the symptoms of recovering iron deficiency. In many plants, especially trees, the leaves become very small and the internodes shorten, producing a rosette like appearance.

Web Figure 5.1.G   Zinc deficiency symptoms in tomato. (Epstein and Bloom 2004)

Boron. These boron-deficient leaves (Web Figure 5.1.H) show a light general chlorosis. The tolerance of plants to boron varies greatly, to the extent that the boron concentrations necessary for the growth of plants having a high boron requirement may be toxic to plants sensitive to boron. Boron is poorly transported in the phloem of most plants, with the exception of those plants that utilize complex sugars, such as sorbitol, as transport metabolites. In a recent study, (see Brown et al. 1999) tobacco plants engineered to synthesize sorbitol were shown to have increased boron mobility, and to better tolerate boron deficiency in the soil.

Web Figure 5.1.H   Boron deficiency symptoms in tomato. (Epstein and Bloom 2004)

In plants with poor boron mobility, boron deficiency results in necrosis of meristematic tissues in the growing region, leading to loss of apical dominance and the development of a rosette condition. These deficiency symptoms are similar to those caused by calcium deficiency. In plants in which boron is readily transported in the phloem, the deficiency symptoms localize in the mature tissues, similar to those of nitrogen and potassium. Both the pith and the epidermis of stems may be affected, often resulting in hollow or roughened stems along with necrotic spots on the fruit. The leaf blades develop a pronounced crinkling and there is a darkening and crackling of the petioles often with exudation of syrupy material from the leaf blade. The leaves are unusually brittle and tend to break easily. Also, there is often a wilting of the younger leaves even under an adequate water supply, pointing to a disruption of water transport caused by boron deficiency.

Calcium. These calcium-deficient leaves (Web Figure 5.1.I) show necrosis around the base of the leaves. The very low mobility of calcium is a major factor determining the expression of calcium deficiency symptoms in plants. Classic symptoms of calcium deficiency include blossom-end rot of tomato (burning of the end part of tomato fruits), tip burn of lettuce, blackheart of celery and death of the growing regions in many plants. All these symptoms show soft dead necrotic tissue at rapidly growing areas, which is generally related to poor translocation of calcium to the tissue rather than a low external supply of calcium. Very slow growing plants with a deficient supply of calcium may re-translocate sufficient calcium from older leaves to maintain growth with only a marginal chlorosis of the leaves. This ultimately results in the margins of the leaves growing more slowly than the rest of the leaf, causing the leaf to cup downward. This symptom often progresses to the point where the petioles develop but the leaves do not, leaving only a dark bit of necrotic tissue at the top of each petiole. Plants under chronic calcium deficiency have a much greater tendency to wilt than non-stressed plants.

Web Figure 5.1.I  Calcium deficiency symptoms in tomato. (Epstein and Bloom 2004)

Chloride. These leaves (Web Figure 5.1.J) have abnormal shapes, with distinct interveinal chlorosis. Plants require relatively high chlorine concentration in their tissues. Chlorine is very abundant in soils, and reaches high concentrations in saline areas, but it can be deficient in highly leached inland areas. The most common symptoms of chlorine deficiency are chlorosis and wilting of the young leaves. The chlorosis occurs on smooth flat depressions in the interveinal area of the leaf blade. In more advanced cases there often appears a characteristic bronzing on the upper side of the mature leaves. Plants are generally tolerant of chloride, but some species such as avocados, stone fruits, and grapevines are sensitive to chlorine and can show toxicity even at low chloride concentrations in the soil.

Web Figure 5.1.J   Chloride deficiency symptoms in tomato. (Epstein and Bloom 2004)

Copper. These copper-deficient leaves (Web Figure 5.1.K) are curled, and their petioles bend downward. Copper deficiency may be expressed as a light overall chlorosis along with the permanent loss of turgor in the young leaves. Recently matured leaves show netted, green veining with areas bleaching to a whitish gray. Some leaves develop sunken necrotic spots and have a tendency to bend downward. Trees under chronic copper deficiency develop a rosette form of growth. Leaves are small and chlorotic with spotty necrosis.

Web Figure 5.1.K   Copper deficiency symptoms in tomato. (Epstein and Bloom 2004)

Iron. These iron-deficient leaves (Web Figure 5.1.L) show strong chlorosis at the base of the leaves with some green netting. The most common symptom for iron deficiency starts out as an interveinal chlorosis of the youngest leaves, evolves into an overall chlorosis, and ends as a totally bleached leaf. The bleached areas often develop necrotic spots. Up until the time the leaves become almost completely white they will recover upon application of iron. In the recovery phase the veins are the first to recover as indicated by their bright green color. This distinct venial re-greening observed during iron recovery is probably the most recognizable symptom in all of classical plant nutrition. Because iron has a low mobility, iron deficiency symptoms appear first on the youngest leaves. Iron deficiency is strongly associated with calcareous soils and anaerobic conditions, and it is often induced by an excess of heavy metals.

Figure 5.1.L   Iron deficiency symptoms in tomato. (Epstein and Bloom 2004)

Potassium. Some of these leaves (Web Figure 5.1.M) show marginal necrosis (tip burn), others at a more advanced deficiency status show necrosis in the interveinal spaces between the main veins along with interveinal chlorosis. This group of symptoms is very characteristic of K deficiency symptoms.

Web Figure 5.1.M   Potassium deficiency symptoms in tomato. (Epstein and Bloom 2004)

The onset of potassium deficiency is generally characterized by a marginal chlorosis progressing into a dry leathery tan scorch on recently matured leaves. This is followed by increasing interveinal scorching and/or necrosis progressing from the leaf edge to the midrib as the stress increases. As the deficiency progresses, most of the interveinal area becomes necrotic, the veins remain green and the leaves tend to curl and crinkle. In some plant such as legumes and potato, the initial symptom of deficiency is white speckling or freckling of the leaf blades. In contrast to nitrogen deficiency, chlorosis is irreversible in potassium deficiency, even if potassium is given to the plants. Because potassium is very mobile within the plant, symptoms only develop on young leaves in the case of extreme deficiency. Potassium deficiency can be greatly alleviated in the presence of sodium but the resulting sodium-rich plants are much more succulent than a high potassium plant. In some plants over 90% of the required potassium can be replaced with sodium without any reduction in growth.

For additional images of plant nutrient deficiency symptoms, visit the IPM Images website.