Download A FEW IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS WHEN YOU DIAGNOSE

A FEW IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS WHEN YOU DIAGNOSE
NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES IN YOUR CROPS
To be healthy, plants need large amounts of some nutrients and small
amounts of others. Nutrients needed in large amounts are: nitrogen,
phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulphur. Nutrients
needed in small amounts are: iron, zinc, copper, boron, molybdenum,
manganese, and chlorine. Plants obtain these nutrients from the soil. If
there are not enough nutrients in the soil, the plant will not be able to get
enough nutrients.
It can be difficult to diagnose specific nutrient deficiencies because:

Many nutrient deficiencies can look the same

A plant may not be able to get other nutrients if it does not have
enough of one nutrient

Typical symptoms may not occur if there is more than one problem

Too much of a nutrient can cause a plant to be unhealthy

Plants may not show symptoms of a nutrient deficiency until it is too
late
Tips to help you diagnose visual symptoms:

Know what the healthy plant looks like

Carefully identify where the symptoms appear:
o Are the problems on the new leaves or old leaves?
o Are the problems on the edges of leaves or along veins?

Compare the symptoms to a chart (like the cover) or a picture

Consider other factors such as disease or bad weather that might
cause the problem

If possible, use leaf or soil analyses to confirm difficult visual
diagnoses

Talk with other farmers or agricultural extension agents

Contact a resource person listed below
*Be sure to follow the application procedure when you apply fertilizers.
Consult an extension agent to learn the correct procedure. Improper
application can burn the seeds or damage plants and result in low yields.
RESOURCES
Rocks for Crops
C/o Peter van Straaten
University of Guelph
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
N1G 2W1
Telephone: 1-519-824-4120 ext 52454
Email: [email protected]
http://rocksforcrops.lrs.uoguelph.ca/
World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)
C/o Bashir Jama
United Nations Avenue, Gigiri
PO Box 30677-00100 GPO
Nairobi, Kenya
Telephone: +254 20 722 4000
Email: [email protected]
http://www.worldagroforestrycentre.org
Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI)
C/o Ms. Eva Gacheru
Kiboko Research Centre
P.O. Box 12,
Makindu, Kenya
Telephone: 045-22366/7/8
Email: [email protected]
http://www.kari.org/
This calendar was sponsored by:
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© 2005 Christine Gibb and Heidi Renkema, Rocks for Crops