FUNCTIONS AND DEFICIENCY SYMPTOMS

2. Absorbed - NO3
- and NH4
+
FUNCTIONS
Present in protein molecule
Found in important molecules - purines,
pyrimidines, porphyrins and cytochromes.
Constituent of certain hormones and
chlorophyll.
Cytochromes - electron carrier in
photosynthesis and respiration processes.

3. Yellowing of leaves (chlorosis).
Symptoms appear first in older leaves
Stiff and erect leaves – cereals and detach later.
Cereals show characteristic ‘V’ shaped yellowing at tip of
lower leaves.
Stunted growth is the manifestation.
Tobacco or beans - lowermost leaves dries
Tomato due to nitrogen deficiency - purple colour in leaf
petioles and veins was noticed.
Reduction- flowering, crop yields, lower protein content.
DEFICIENCY

4. Yellowing of tomato leaves and Stunted growth in Groundnut

5. N- def in Tobacco leaves N- def in Tomato leaves

6. Stunted growth in Spinach and
Paddy
V shaped yellowing

7. Succulence of plant increases.
Taller plants and heavier heads- lodging.
More susceptible to insect pest and disease attack
Blossom abortion and lack of fruit set
Burned tips of leaves
TOXICITY

8. Succulence in leaves Burned tips Lodging

9. Absorbed – H2PO4
- and HPO4
2-
FUNCTIONS
Constituent of nucleic acid, phospholipids, the
coenzyme NAD & NADP.
Constituent of ATP and other high energy compounds.
Stimulates root development and growth.
Meristematic cells show high P concentration where P
is involved in nucleoprotein synthesis.
Involved in activation of amino acids.
Responsible for early establishment of seedlings.

10. Essential for cell division and development.
Strengthens the straw and decreases lodging.
Brings about early maturity.
Counteracts the effect of excessive nitrogen.
Increases grain to straw ratio.
Improves the quality of food grain.
Increases rhizobial activity, increases the formation
of root nodules thus helping in more N - fixation

11.  Older leaves show the deficiency symptoms first.
 Leaves- Small, erect, unusually dark green with greenish red /
brown / purplish tinge.
 Rear side develops bronzy appearance.
 Cause premature leaf fall and purple – red anthocyanin
pigmentation.
 Development of necrotic areas on the leaves, petioles or fruits.
 Severe restriction of root growth.
 Thin, erect and spindly plants with sparse and restricted
foliage.
 Suppressed lateral bud production.
DEFICIENCY

12. Purple colouration in Tomato
leaves
Bronzing

13. Purple colouration in maize Necrotic on apple fruit

14. Purplish tinge in mustard, maize and stunted growth in Paddy

15. Excess of P causes trace
element deficiency
particularly Fe and Zn.
TOXICITY

16. Absorbed – K+
FUNCTIONS
Essential for the process of respiration and photosynthesis
Acts as an activator of many enzymes involved in
carbohydrate metabolism and protein synthesis
Regulates stomatal movement
Improves drought tolerance.
Enhances crop quality, shelf life of fruits and vegetables.
Reduces lodging of crops, enhances winter hardiness.
Imparts disease resistance
Regulates water balance

17.  Chlorosis first occurs on the leaves followed by the development
of necrotic areas at the tip and margin of leaf.
 First symptom on the older leaves due to translocation of K into
new leaves.
 Scorching and browning of tips of older leaves
 There is a tendency for the leaf tip to curve downward in potato
and French bean.
 Shrivelled fruits and seeds.
 Reduced crop yields - hidden hunger.
 Decrease in resistance to certain plant diseases
 Decrease in the quality of fruits and vegetables.
 Stunted growth due to shortening of internode was also noticed in
K deficient plants.
DEFICIENCY

20. TOXICITY

22. Absorbed – Ca2+
FUNCTIONS
Constituent of cell wall in the form of calcium pectate.
Middle lamella -composed of calcium and magnesium
pectates.
Calcium in small amounts is necessary for mitosis.
Formation of cell membranes
Stabilize the structure of chromosome
Activation of many enzymes
Favours the assimilation of nitrogen

23. Meristematic regions of stem, leaf and root tips are
greatly affected and die.
Roots may become short, stubby and brown in calcium
deficient plants.
Chlorosis occurs along the margins of younger leaves,
areas become necrotic.
Malformation or distortion of the younger leaves was
also noticed.
Hooking of leaf tip is also seen.
Deficiency symptoms appear first in younger leaves
and growing points due to immobility of calcium.
DEFICIENCY

24. Blossom end rot in tomato Blossom end rot in pepper Cavity spot in carrot
Bitter pit in apple Black head in celery Internal browning in brussels
sprouts

25. TOXICITY

26. Absorbed – Mg2+
FUNCTIONS
Constituent of chlorophyll molecule
Activator of enzymes involved in carbohydrate
metabolism.
Activates the enzymes involved in synthesis of
nucleic acids (DNA, RNA) from nucleotide
phosphates.
Important role in binding ribosomal particles
during protein synthesis

27. Interveinal chlorosis in leaves.
Initially yellowing is seen in the basal leaves, as
the deficiency becomes more acute the yellowing
is seen in new leaves also.
Chlorosis is sometimes followed by the appearance
of anthocyanin pigments in leaves.
Acute deficiency - necrotic spots may be seen over
leaves
Affected leaves - small in final stage, curve
upwards at the margins
DEFICIENCY

28. Necrotic symptom in tomato
Interveinal chlorois

29. Tobacco- upward curling Oak- interveinal
chlorosis and
pigmentation
Interveinal chlorosis
and upward curling

30. Coppery colour along the
margins of tea leaves
TOXICITY

31.  Absorbed – SO4
2-
FUNCTIONS
 Main function – part of sulphur bearing amino acids viz; cystine,
cysteine and methionine.
 Necessary for chlorophyll formation.
 Stabilize the protein structure
 Important constituent of vitamin i.e biotin, thiamine and coenzyme A
 Sulphhydryl groups are necessary for the activity of many enzymes.
 Present in onion, mustard, cabbage and cauliflower as polysulfides.
 Increases oil content - flax, soybean, groundnut etc.
 Sulfhydryl groups in plants are related to increased cold resistance.
 Required for N fixation in legumes and is a part of nitrogenase enzyme.

32. Chlorosis in leaves
Plants show chlorosis on the younger leaves first.
Tips and margins of the leaf roll in ward
Shoot growth is restricted.
Stem and leaf petiole may become brittle and may
collapse.
Reduced synthesis of proteins and oil.
Stem becomes hard due to the development of
sclerenchyma.
DEFICIENCY

33. Spoon like leaf
deformation in mustard

34. Anthocyanine pigment on
Mustard
Coppery colour along the
margins of tea leaves
Maize leaf

35. Absorbed – Zn2+
FUNCTIONS
Involved in biosynthesis of auxins.
Activator of several enzymes like carbonic
anhydrase, superoxide dismutase.
Acts as an indicator of some phosphorus
transferring enzymes, such as hexose, kinase or
triose phosphate dehydrogenase.
Synthesis of IAA, metabolism of gibberellic acid
and synthesis of RNA.

36. Interveinal chlorosis of leaves starting at tips and
margins.
Leaves smaller, internode shortened resulted in
stunted growth.
Distorted appearance of leaves is also one of the
deficiency symptoms referred as little leaf disease.
Seed production in beans and peas and
development of fruit in citrus is also affected
adversely in Zinc deficient plants.
DEFICIENCY

38. Khaira disease in rice
Mottle leaf or Frenching of
citrus

39. Little leaf of brinjal, mango

40. Absorbed – Fe2+ and Fe3+
FUNCTIONS
Required in the synthesis of chloroplast proteins and
enzymes involved in chlorophyll synthesis.
Component of various flavoproteins, metalloproteins
involved in biological oxidations.
Fe-S proteins in which Fe is coordinated with thiol group Eg
: Ferredoxin.
Plays an essential role in the nucleic acid metabolism
Found in iron – porphyrin proteins, like cytochromes,
peroxidases and catalases.

41. Interveinal chlorosis in leaves.
Younger leaves are most affected.
Mature leaves - no chlorosis - immobility.
Chlorosis sometimes followed by chlorosis of veins so
that whole leaf becomes yellow.
In later stage burning of the chlorotic leaves start from
the tips and margin, spread inwards.
Leaves with large necrotic areas fall off and twigs
defoliate.
Lack of iron may inhibit formation of chloroplasts
through inhibition of protein synthesis - leaves even
become white with necrotic lesions.
DEFICIENCY

42. Severely affected
plants - stunted
with thin spindly
stems
Chlorosis in paddy leaf

43. Interveinal chlorosis

44. Absorbed – Mn2+
FUNCTIONS
Activator of enzymes involved in the respiration and
nitrogen metabolism.
Enzymes of Krebs cycle, malic dehydrogenase and oxalo
succinic decarboxylase requires the presence of manganese
as an activator.
Activator for enzyme nitrate reductase and hydroxyl amine
reductase.
Involved in electron transfer from water to chlorophyll
during light reaction of photosynthesis.
Evolution of oxygen during photosynthesis

45. Appearance of chlorotic and necrotic spots on the
interveinal areas of the leaves.
Symptoms first appear on young leaves in some species,
whereas in some species on older leaves.
Veins remain green.
Tomato leaves due to Mn deficiency, chloroplasts lose
chlorophyll and starch grains, become yellow green in
colour, vacuolated and granular and finally disintegrate.
DEFICIENCY

46. Grey speck of oats Speckled yellow of sugar
beet
Marsh spot of peas

47. Pahala blight of sugar cane
Frenching Interveinal chlorosis

48. Absorbed – Cu2+
FUNCTIONS
Component of phenolases, ascorbic acid oxidase.
Constituent of several oxidizing enzymes
Chloroplasts possess a copper containing protein called
plastocyanin that is essential as an electron carrier in
photosynthesis.
Important in imparting disease resistance.
Enhances fertility of male flowers.

49. Deficiency brings Exanthema disease that is
characterized by Gummosis accompanied by dieback
and glossy brownish blotches on leaves and fruits.
Reclamation disease of cereals and characterized by
chlorotic leaf tips and failure to set seeds.
Causes a necrosis of tip of young leaves that proceeds
along the margin of leaf and gives it a withered
appearance.
Under more severe conditions leaves may be lost and
whole plant may appear wilted.
Shoot apex may cease to grow, resulting in the
development of several auxiliary buds
DEFICIENCY

50. Tip drying and bluish
green leaf tip in rice
Empty glumes in wheat
Exanthema and die back in citrus

51. Absorbed – H3BO3
FUNCTIONS
Involved in carbohydrate transport within the plant.
It also plays an important role in DNA synthesis in
meristems.
Important for cellular differentiation and development
Imparts drought tolerance to the crops.
Plays a role in pollen germination and pollen tube growth.
Facilitates the transport of K in guard cells as well as
stomatal opening

52. Death of root and shoot tip due to its requirement for
DNA synthesis.
Leaves may have thick coppery texture and some curl
and become quite brittle.
Flowers do not form and root growth is stunted.
Disintegration of internal tissues results in abnormalities
Uptake and translocation of sugar is retarded in Boron
deficient plants.
DEFICIENCY

53. Heart rot of sugar beet Browning or hollow stem of cauliflower.

54. Top sickness of tobacco Internal cork of tomato

55. Cracked stem in celery
Cracking in pomegranate Tip burn in lettuce

56. Absorbed – MoO4
2-
FUNCTIONS
Acts as catalyst in the reduction of nitrates.
Required for functioning of enzyme nitrate reductase.
Drop in the concentration of ascorbic acid in the plant.
Involved in phosphate metabolism.
Essential for flower formation and fruit set
Involved in carbohydrate metabolism and sugar
formation

57. Causes chlorotic interveinal mottling of leaves, followed
by marginal necrosis and infolding of leaves.
Severe conditions - mottled areas may become necrotic
and may cause leaf to wilt.
Flower formation is inhibited, if forms then drops down
before fruit setting.
Whip tail disease in cauliflower
Citrus plants develop ‘yellow spot’.
DEFICIENCY

59. Yellow spots in citrus Whiptail disease in cauiflower

60. Absorbed – Cl-
FUNCTIONS
Necessary for photosynthesis.
Acts as an activator of enzymes concerned with
photolysis of water.
Accelerates activation of amylase which
converts starch into soluble sugars.
Essential for roots, for cell division in leaves
and as an osmotically active solute.
Essential role in stomata regulation

61. Reduced growth, wilting and development of chlorotic
and necrotic spots.
Leaves may attain a bronze colour.
Roots become stunted in length but thickened or club
shaped near the tip.
DEFICIENCY

63. FUNCTIONS
It is part of enzyme urease which catalyses
hydrolysis of urea to CO2 and NH4
+.
It is also essential for germination of seeds

64. Deficiency causes necrotic spots on leaves
due to increase in ureides concentration in
leaves.
Causes decrease level of hydrogenase activity
in nodules of soybean.
DEFICIENCY

65. FUNCTIONS
Important for osmoregulation
Responsible for drought tolerance in Sugarbeet
Show chlorotic and necrotic symptoms
Growth ceases
DEFICIENCY

66. FUNCTIONS
Essential for rice and maize
Reduces lodging in rice
Required for development of strong roots, stems
and leaves.
Involves in biosynthesis of lignin.

67. Reduced grain yields
Increased occurrence of diseases
Causes lodging in rice
Leaves and culms become soft and droopy
DEFICIENCY