Diagnostic Techniques for Nitrogen Requirements in Crop Plants - Nitrogen Management in Crop Production - page 115

TABLE 3.1 (continued)
Summary of N Deficiency Symptoms in Principal Field Crop Plants

Crop Species Description of Deficiency Symptoms Reference

Potato The entire potato plant turns a light green to pale yellow when it

first becomes N deficient. As the deficiency increases in
severity, the leaves at the apex become smaller and curl upward.
The lower, older leaves become deep yellow to light brown to
necrotic, and when dry they separate from the stem easily

Ulrich (1993)

Tomato Nitrogen-deficient plants grow slowly. Leaves are small and light

green to yellowish green to pale yellow. Leaves near the top will
be yellow-green with purple veins. Stems are thick and hard.
Flower buds turn yellow and drop off. Fruits may be small and
pale green before ripening. Yields are reduced

Wilcox (1993)

Cucumber,
muskmelon,
and watermelon

Inadequate N supply to these cucurbit plants reduced vegetative
growth and a yellowing of the leaves due to a loss in chlorophyll
will be observed. The loss of the green color occurs first on the
more mature leaves and last on the younger leaves because of
the degradation of N-containing compounds in the older leaves
and movement of N to the young tissue

Locascio (1993)

Onions Deficienct of N in onions can lead to small plants and bulbs and

early maturity. The N deficiency is characterized by a uniformly
light green foliage that becomes increasingly yellow as the
deficiency progresses. The symptoms first appear on the older
outer leaves and move progressively toward the newly emerging
leaves in the center of the plant as N is translocated toward the
stronger sinks near the growing point

Bender (1993)

Source: Bender, D. A. 1993. In: Nutrient Deficiencies and Toxicities in Crop Plants , ed., W. F. Bennett, pp. 131-135. St.
Paul, Minnesota: The American Phytopathological Society; Cassman, K. G. 1993. Cotton. In: Nutrient Deficiencies
and Toxicities in Crop Plants , ed., W. F. Bennett, pp. 111-119. St. Paul, Minnesota: The American Phytopathological
Society; Clark, R. B. 1993. Sorghum. In: Nutrient Deficiencies and Toxicities in Crop Plants , ed., W. F. Bennett, pp.
21-26. St. Paul, Minnesota: The American Phytopathological Society; Fageria, N. K., V. C. Baligar, and C. A.
Jones. 2011a. Growth and Mineral Nutrition of Field Crops , 3rd edition. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press; Gascho,
G. J., D. L. Anderson, and J. E. Bowen. 1993. Sugarcane. In: Nutrient Deficiencies and Toxicities in Crop Plants ,
ed., W. F. Bennett, pp. 37-42. St. Paul, Minnesota: The American Phytopathological Society; Hall, R., and H. F.
Schwartz. 1993. Common bean. In: Nutrient Deficiencies and Toxicities in Crop Plants , ed., W. F. Bennett, pp.
143-147. St. Paul, Minnesota: The American Phytopathological Society; Locascio, S. J. 1993. Cucurbits:
Cucumber, muskmelon, and watermelon. In: Nutrient Deficiencies and Toxicities in Crop Plants , ed., W. F. Bennett,
pp. 123-130. St. Paul, Minnesota: The American Phytopathological Society; Sinclair, J. B. 1993. Soybeans. In:
Nutrient Deficiencies and Toxicities in Crop Plants , ed., W. F. Bennett, pp. 99-103. St. Paul, Minnesota: The
American Phytopathological Society; Smith, D. H., M. A. Wells, D. M. Porter, and F. R. Cox. 1993. Peanuts. In:
Nutrient Deficiencies and Toxicities in Crop Plants , ed., W. F. Bennett, pp. 105-110. St. Paul, Minnesota: The
American Phytopathological Society; Ulrich, A. 1993. Potato. In: Nutrient Deficiencies and Toxicities in Crop
Plants , ed., W. F. Bennett, pp. 149-156. St. Paul, Minnesota: The American Phytopathological Society; Ulrich, A.,
J. T. Moraghan, and E. D. Whitney. 1993. Sugar beet. In: Nutrient Deficiencies and Toxicities in Crop Plants , ed.,
W. F. Bennett, pp. 91-98. St. Paul, Minnesota: The American Phytopathological Society; Voss, R. D. 1993. Corn.
In: Nutrient Deficiencies and Toxicities in Crop Plants , ed., W. F. Bennett, pp. 11-19. St. Paul, Minnesota: The
American Phytopathological Society; Wiese, M. V. 1993. Wheat. In: Nutrient Deficiencies and Toxicities in Crop
Plants , ed., W. F. Bennett, pp. 27-33. St. Paul, Minnesota: The American Phytopathological Society; Wilcox, G. E.
1993. Tomato. In: Nutrient Deficiencies and Toxicities in Crop Plants , ed., W. F. Bennett, pp. 137-141. St. Paul,
Minnesota: The American Phytopathological Society.