Pale, N deficient wheat on right side of image

N deficient wheat, Havre, 1996. Image by R. Engel

For optimal crop yield, producers need to recognize the symptoms of insufficient (deficiency) or excess nutrients (toxicity) in the soil. Crops are also affected by immediate factors which may appear to be nutrient deficiencies such as weather conditions or injury, excess fertilizer, pesticide drift or insect infestations. It is critical to perform regular soil testing to determine nutrient levels and monitor changes in soil nutrient status. With historic soils data and information on current growing season conditions, producers, extension agents and crop advisers can more accurately assess what is affecting the crop. This page provides information and photos of the more common nutrient deficiencies and some toxicities that Montanan producers may experience.

If you have any questions about soil nutrients contact Dr. Clain Jones. If you think plant growth issues may be related to pesticide (e.g., herbicide residual in compost), please contact Noelle Orloff (994-6297) or Dr. Tim Seipel (994-4783) for assistance.

General Information

Plant Nutrient Functions and Deficiency and Toxicity Symptoms - MSU Extension Bulletin

Plant Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms - MSU Lives & Landscapes article

Nutri-Facts - Fact sheets written by scientific staff of the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) that focus on essential plant nutrients and their use. They discuss limiting conditions and deficiency and toxicity symptoms.

Nutrient Deficiency Assessment Tools

Use the following tools, which present the same information differently, to identify nutrient deficiencies in plants.

Visual Assessment Flow Chart

Mobile Nutrients - Cl, K, Mg, Mo, N, P

Immobile Nutrients - B, Cu, Ca, Fe, Mn, S, Zn

A visual leaf assessment flow chart for identifying mobile nutrient deficiencies. Text version in drop-down below.
Visual flow chart of immobile nutrient deficiencies in plants, text version in drop-down below image.

Right click the images and select Open Image in New Tab to enlarge.

Drop-Down Key

To use, select the most correct answer of each two-statement pair until you identify the deficient nutrient.

Photos of Specific Nutrient Deficiencies

Click on images for enlargement, plant ID and photo credit.

N deficiency is seen as relatively uniform yellowing of lower (older) leaves.

Wheat with yellowing lower leaves due to nitrogen deficiencyA field of wheat with dark green plants on the left and light green plants due to nitrogen deficiency on the rightWheat with yellowing lower leaves from nitrogen deficiency caused by drowningA field of wheat with patches of light green or yellow plants due to nitrogen deficiencyWheat with yellowing lower leaves from nitrogen deficiencyBarley with yellowing lower leaves from nitrogen deficiencyOne healthy barley leaf that is dark green and long, one barley leaf with moderate nitrogen deficiency that is light green, and one nitrogen deficient barley leaf that is short and yellowRows of corn plants in a field with chlorotic lower leavesYoung corn plants with yellowing bottom leaves due to nitrogen deficiency A person holding a canola plant with a yellowing mature leaf due to nitrogen deficiencyCanola plants at the rosette stage with yellowing lower leaves from nitrogen deficiencyPea with light green lower leaves due to nitrogen deficiencyBean with light green leaves due to nitrogen deficiencyPepper plant with light green mature leaves due to nitrogen deficiencyPoppy plants with light green or yellow lower leaves due to nitrogen deficiencyMint with chlorotic leaves due to nitrogen deficiencyRaspberry with light green or yellow leaves due to nitrogen deficiencyA pasture with light green grass from nitrogen deficiencySunflowers in a field with thin stems and light green, yellowing older leaves due to nitrogen deficiencyPotato with yellow older leaves due to nitrogen deficiency

Click on an image to view as a slideshow.

Phosphorus deficient plants appear weak and stunted with delayed maturity. Leaves and stems appear dark green or purple. Older leaves are affected first.

 
Wheat with chlorotic leaves due to phosphorus deficiencyWheat leaf with purpling around the tip and margins due to phosphorus deficiencyYoung canola plant with red or purple leaves due to phosphorus deficiencyA field of canola with healthy, flowering plants on the left and phosphorus deficient, stunted plants on the rightChickpea with reddening lower leaves due to phosphorus deficiency.A young corn plant with purpling leaves due to phosphorus deficiencyTwo alfalfa trifoliate leaves, one healthy and one that is stunted and dark green due to phosphorus deficiencyLettuce with reddish purple leaves due to phosphorus deficiencyPotato plant with mild phosphorus deficiencyTomato plant with purple leaves and stunted growth due to phosphorus deficiencyTwo healthy sunflowers and one with stunted growth and chlorotic leaves due to phosphorus deficiency

Click on an image to view as a slideshow.

Potassium deficiency does not immediately result in visible symptoms. Initially there is reduced growth, with chlorosis and necrosis occurring in older leaves in later growth stages. Older leaves show mottled or chlorotic areas with leaf burn at the margins, usually leaving the midrib alive and green.

Alfalfa trifoliate leaf with yellowing around the tip and margins due to potassium deficiencyAlfalfa trifoliate leaf with yellowing around the tip and margins due to potassium deficiencyFlowering alfalfa with potassium deficiencyWheat with yellowing around leaf tip and margins due to potassium deficiencyWheat with yellowing around leaf tip and margins due to potassium deficiencyField of barley with healthy, green plants on the left and yellowing plants on the right due to potassium deficiencyBarley leaf with yellowing around the leaf margins and browning around the tip due to potassium deficiencyCorn with stunted internodes and yellowing leaves due to potassium deficiencyCorn leaves with yellowing around leaf margins and browning tips due to potassium deficiencyA corn leaf with browning at the tip and yellowing along the margin due to potassium deficiencyMature corn field with healthy plants on the left and stunted potassium deficient plants on the right. Deficient plants yielded half as much.Potato plants with chlorotic leaves due to potassium deficiencyPotato leaf with yellow and chlorotic patches due to potassium deficiencyCanola leaf with yellowing around the margin due to potassium deficiencyCanola at the rosette stage with yellowing leaves due to potassium deficiencySugarbeet plant with yellowing and curling leaves due to potassium deficiency

Click on an image to view as a slideshow.

Sulfur deficiency resembles N deficiency except yellowing occurs in new, younger leaves, rather than old, lower leaves.

Chlorotic canola seedlings due to sulfur deficiencyCanola plants at the rosette stage with curling, yellowing leaves due to sulfur deficiencyCanola with yellowing leaves and early bolting due to sulfur deficiencyCanola with yellowing leaves and early bolting due to sulfur deficiencyFlowering canola with yellowing leaves due to sulfur deficiencyField of flowering canola with pale green flowers due to sulfur deficiencyA healthy flowering canola plant on the right and a sulfur deficient plant with few flowers on the rightA healthy alfalfa plant on the left and a stunted plant with light green leaves from sulfur deficiency on the rightA healthy corn plant on the left and a stunted plant with light green leaves from sulfur deficiency on the rightWheat with pale green leaves due to sulfur deficiencyWheat with pale green, yellowing leaves due to sulfur deficiencyA healthy wheat plant on the right and a stunted plant with pale green leaves on the left due to sulfur deficiencyBarley plant with yellowing upper leaves due to sulfur deficiencyA field of peas with yellowing upper leaves from sulfur deficiencyPea plant with pale green and yellowing upper leaves due to sulfur deficiencyPotato plants with yellowing upper leaves due to sulfur deficiency

Click on an image to view as a slideshow.

 Magnesium deficient plants have interveinal chlorosis with green mid-ribs. Leaf margins become yellow or reddish-purple. 

Magnesium deficiency in alfalfa 
(photo courtesy of PPI)
Alfalfa leaves deficient in Mg with spotted leaves
Magnesium deficiency in corn 
(photo courtesy of PPI)
brown and yellow margins and green veins on Mg deficient corn leaf
Magnesium deficiency in wheat 
(photo courtesy of PPI)
Wheat leaves with yellow interveinal chlorosis from Mg deficiency

Magnesium deficiency in tomato with characteristic leaf curl 
(image by P. Gilabert, IPNI)
Green tomato leaves with yellow interveinal chlorosis from Mg deficiency

Boron deficient plants have chlorotic young leaves and death of the main growing point. Leaves may develop dark brown, irregular lesions. Whitish-yellow spots may also form at the base of the leaves. Leaves may become thickened, distorted and curled. Stems may be stunted and flower buds may fail to form or be misshapen.  
 
Mustard leaf with yellow and orange spots between veins from B deficiency

Canola plants with yellow and orange spots on lower leaves from B deficiency

Boron deficient canola
(photos courtesy PPI)
 
 Alfalfa leaves with browning from B deficiency 
Boron deficient alfalfa
(image by Glen Shewmaker, Univ. of Idaho)
 
Corn leaves with distorted growth near tips from B deficiency
Boron deficient corn
(image courtesy IPNI)

Strawberry leaf with brown and misshapen leaves concentrated around margin from Ca deficiency

Calcium deficient strawberry leaf, likely caused by insufficient water. Image by K. Olson-Rutz

Chloride deficient plants show chlorotic and necrotic spotting along leaves with abrupt boundaries between dead and alive tissue. Wilting of leaves along margins and highly branched roots are also seen in Cl deficient plants.
 
Chloride deficiency in wheat
(photos courtesy of R. Engel)
yellow leaf spotting on Cl deficient wheat

 

yellow leafs spots on Cl deficient wheat

 

yellow leaf spots on Cl deficient wheat

Copper deficient plants have chlorotic younger leaves, stunted growth, delayed maturity, excessive tillering, lodging and sometimes brown discoloration. Copper deficient plants are prone to increased disease. 
 
Copper deficiency in barley
(photo courtesy of PPI)
Barley with yellowing leaves from copper deficiency
Copper deficiency in wheat
(photo courtesy of PPI)
yellow brown leaf tips of copper deficient wheat
Copper deficiency in wheat
(photo courtesy of PPI)
yellow poorly filled grain heads of copper deficient wheat
Copper deficiency in wheat
(photo courtesy of PPI)
Yellowing wheat leaves from copper deficiency
Copper deficiency in wheat
(photo courtesy of PPI)
Yellowing wheat leaves from copper deficiency
Copper deficiency in wheat; brown discoloration in the field.
(photo courtesy of R. Engel)
brown discolored wheat grain in section of field from copper deficiency

Iron deficiency is characterized by interveinal chlorosis with a sharp distinction between veins and chlorotic areas. The entire leaf may become whitish.

Click on image for enlargement, plant ID, and photo credit.

Wheat with chlorosis due to iron deficiency caused by cold weatherFour wheat leaves ranging from healthy and dark green to yellow and severely iron deficient, characterized by inter veinal chlorosisChlorotic wheat leaves due to iron deficiencyAlfalfa leaf with inter veinal yellowing due to iron deficiencyUpper pea leaves yellowing due to iron deficiencyTomato leaf with yellowing between veins due to iron deficiencyMelon leaves yellowing between veins due to iron deficiencyPepper leaves yellowing between veins due to iron deficiencyPotato plant with chlorotic upper leaves due to iron deficiencyCorn plants with inter veinal chlorosis on the upper leaves due to iron deficiencyCorn plant with chlorotic upper leaves due to iron deficiencyCorn plant with yellowing between veins due to iron deficiencyCharacteristic yellowing between veins on a corn leaf due to iron deficiency

Click on an image to view as a slideshow.

Corn leaves with interveinal chlorosis from Mn deficiency

Mn deficient corn.

These images show manganese (Mn) deficiency. Manganese toxicity can occur in low pH soils. We currently do not have images specifically of Mn toxicity. See the acidic soil/Al toxicity page for photos of fields affected by low soil pH.

Whiteish yellow spots on wheat leaves from Mn deficiency

Mn deficient wheat. Photo courtesy of PPI.

White and yellow spots on wheat leaves from Mn deficiency

Mn deficient wheat. Photo courtesy of PPI.

Similar to sulfur deficiency, but stripes/bands are more white.

Zinc deficiency in corn
(photo courtesy of PPI)
Two yellowish white bands of discoloration along both sides of the midrib on a corn leaf from Zn deficiency
Zn deficient corn leaf
(photo courtesy of IPNI)
 Two yellowish white bands of discoloration along both sides of the midrib on a corn leaf from Zn deficiency
Zn deficiency in wheat
(photo courtesy of PPI)
Whiteish yellow patches on wheat leaf sheathes from Zn deficiency
Zinc deficiency in barley
(photo courtesy of University of Idaho)
Zn deficient barley leaves characterized by pale green and yellow chlorosis 
Zn deficient bean plants with characteristic shortened internodes
 Two dry bean plants with short internodes from Zn deficiency

Soil acidification can cause aluminum and manganese toxicity. See the Soil Acidification page for more information on the topic.

Large patch of dead or small wheat within a field due to soil acidity

Wheat field with low pH soil. Image provided by R. Engel.

Patch of wheat within a field that is yellow and very small

Wheat on low pH soil. Poor growth likely due to Al toxicity. Image by R. Engel.

 Durum wheat roots that are short and stubby due to Al toxicity

Durum wheat roots stunted by Al toxicity. Image by R. Engel

 A field of safflower with large patches of no plants due to crop failure from low soil pH

Safflower field with low soil pH. Images by R. Engel

 Safflower roots on the left that are short and stubby from Al toxicityHealthy safflower roots with many finer roots branching off the main taproot

Safflower roots with Al toxicity (left) and healthy (right)