After successful completion of 5 Units in this Lesson, you will be able to answer:

1. Under what soil conditions the deficiencies of each micronutrient occur?

2. Describe the plant symptoms due to nutrient deficiencies of each micronutrient nutrient in sorghum crop?

Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics

Lesson 4. Deficiency Symptoms of Micronutrients

Course on Sorghum ProductionPractices

Module VI: Plant Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms

The 5 Units in this Lesson are:

Unit 1: Iron Deficiency Symptoms

Unit 2: Zinc Deficiency Symptoms

Unit 3: Boron Deficiency Symptoms

Unit 4: Copper Deficiency Symptoms

Unit 5: Manganese Deficiency Symptoms

Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics

Lesson 4. Deficiency Symptoms of Micronutrients

Course on Sorghum ProductionPractices

Module VI: Plant Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms

Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics

Lesson 4. Deficiency Symptoms of Micronutrients

Course on Sorghum ProductionPractices

Module VI: Plant Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms

Unit 1: Iron Deficiency Symptoms

After successful completion of this Unit, you should be able to answer:

1. Under what conditions iron deficiency results in sorghum?

2. Describe the leaf symptoms due to iron deficiency in sorghum?

3. Which micronutrient deficiency is similar to iron deficiency with regard to plant symptoms? How do you distinguish these plant symptoms?

Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics

Lesson 4. Deficiency Symptoms of Micronutrients

Course on Sorghum ProductionPractices

Module VI: Plant Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms

Unit 1: Iron Deficiency Symptoms

Iron (Fe) deficiency is common in calcareous soils (more than 7.5 pH) and in poorly drained soils.

Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics

Lesson 4. Deficiency Symptoms of Micronutrients

Course on Sorghum ProductionPractices

Module VI: Plant Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms

Unit 1: Iron Deficiency Symptoms

Severely iron deficient sorghum plants will be stunted and become pale green, yellow or almost white in color with thin stems.

Sorghum crop showing severe iron deficiency.

Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics

Lesson 4. Deficiency Symptoms of Micronutrients

Course on Sorghum ProductionPractices

Module VI: Plant Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms

Unit 1: Iron Deficiency Symptoms

The chlorosis begins in interveinal tissues near the base of the leaf blade and eventually extends the full length of the blade.

The distinctive striping of the leaf is caused by the sharp boundaries between the dark green veins and the yellow interveinal tissues.

Observe interveinal chlorosis.

Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics

Lesson 4. Deficiency Symptoms of Micronutrients

Course on Sorghum ProductionPractices

Module VI: Plant Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms

Unit 1: Iron Deficiency Symptoms

Systemic infection by sorghum down mildew may produce yellow and white streaks and stripes on young leaves which resemble the symptoms of iron deficiency.

The presence of downy white fungal growth on the under surface of infected leaves distinguishes attack by sorghum downy mildew from iron deficiency.

Downy mildew like yellow and white streaks.

Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics

Lesson 4. Deficiency Symptoms of Micronutrients

Course on Sorghum ProductionPractices

Module VI: Plant Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms

Unit 1: Iron Deficiency Symptoms

The chlorosis or yellowing between the veins also results due to zinc deficiency.

Iron chlorosis extends to full length of leaves where as chlorosis due to zinc deficiency occur mainly on the lower half of the leaves.

Iron deficiency Zinc deficiency

With this, the Unit 1 on Iron Deficiency Symptoms in this Lesson concludes.

In the subsequent units in this Lesson deficiency symptoms of other micronutrients in sorghum are explained.

Select Unit 2 of Lesson 4 from Module VI contents

Virtual Academy for the Semi Arid Tropics

Lesson 4. Deficiency Symptoms of Micronutrients

Course on Sorghum ProductionPractices

Module VI: Plant Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms