Key Facts & Symptoms of Micro nutrient Deficiency

Essential elements which plants need in relatively small amounts are called Micro-nutrients.

The Micro-nutrients are Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Boron,  Copper, Chlorine,Molybdenum, and Nickel. Composting organic matter such as grass clippings and tree leaves is an excellent way to provide micro-nutrients.

Iron (Fe)

 Key Facts

    •  Required for formation of chlorophyll in plant cells. Essential for respiration

 Deficiency Symptoms

    • Twig dieback
    • Reduced growth and death in severe
    • Yellow-green colour, but veins remain green

Treatment – See Table 1

Manganese (Mn)

  Key Facts

    •  Vital for photosynthesis and respiration.
    • Assists iron in chlorophyll formation and serves as activator for enzymes in growth process.
    • Deficiency is common on alkaline soils

 Deficiency Symptoms

    • Poor root development
    • Reduced photosynthetic efficiency
    • Interveinal chlorosis and mottling of leaves
    • Yellow-green color of young leaves, but no sharp distinction between veins and interveinal areas as with iron.

 Treatment – See Table 1

Zinc (Zn)
 Key Facts
    •  Involved with the production of growth hormones
    • Necessary for starch formation and proper root development
    • Constituent in several plant enzymes
 Deficiency Symptoms
    • Yellowing of leaves
    • Decrease in stem length
    • Twig Die-back after first year
    • Reduced fruit bud formation
    • Rosetting of terminal leaves
    • Changes to leaf morphology
Treatment – See Table 1
Boron
Key Facts
    • Regulates metabolism of carbohydrates in plants.
    • Critical for new growth in plants
    • Assists in flower pollination, fertilization, fruit set

 Deficiency Symptoms

    • Poor growth
    • Reduced crop quality
    • Death of terminal growth
    • Thickened, curled, wilted leaves
    • Poor fruit and flower set / development

 Treatment – See Table 1

Copper (Cu)

Key Facts

    •  Essential for fertilization
    • Important in carbohydrate and protein metabolism
    • Important in lignin formation and structural integrity of plants
    • Contributes to flavour and sugar content and intensifies colour

 Deficiency Symptoms

    • Wilting
    • Stunted growth
    • Death of leaf tips
    • Distortion of leaves
    • Dieback of terminal shoots in trees

Treatment – See Table 1

Treatment

The chief sources of micronutrients available in organic matters include FYM, compost, dungs of various animals, poultry manure, green manure and crop residues in farm fields. Content of total micronutrients in some organic sources are given in Table 1

 Table 1 

Micronutrient Contents of various Organic Matter – Dr S.K.Sahu & Dr P.K.Samant, Dept of Soil Science & Agriculture Chem, Bhubaneswar

S.No

Organics

Micronutrient mg /kg

Fe

Zn

Mn

Cu

B

1

City Compost

7000

400

560

150

15

2

Goat / Sheep Manure

6500

2570

150

61

4600

3

Sewage Sludge

8500

2459

262

643

9.0

4

FYM

1788

34

137

2.5

4.6

5

Poultry Manure

1400

90

210

7.1

5.0

6

Rural Compost

3600

85

200

14

10

7

Pig Manure

1200

50

70

8.9

3.5

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