Identifying Symptoms of Nutrient Deficiency in Corn and How to Prevent and Treat It

The scientific name for nutrient deficiency in corn is nutrient deficiency disorder. It occurs because corn grows in the middle to late stages, when the nutrients in the soil can only meet the needs from the seedling stage to the tasseling stage, and the base fertilizer and topdressing that are thought to have been applied are completely absorbed by the corn, so nutrient deficiency symptoms begin to appear after entering the grain-filling stage. So what should be done about nutrient deficiency in corn? Follow the editor to learn about it.

1. Symptoms of nutrient deficiency

Many farmers believe that nutrient deficiency in corn is mainly caused by a lack of the three major elements nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and that it mainly occurs in the early stage. However, in actual production, seedlings need very little fertilizer in the early stage, and crops generally do not show nutrient deficiency in the early stage. If corn lacks the three elements nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, the leaves must be checked. When nitrogen is deficient, the first leaf below usually shows obvious symptoms, starting from the leaf tip and yellowing relatively evenly toward the leaf stalk; the symptoms of phosphorus deficiency and nitrogen deficiency are the same at the base, except that light purple appears on the edges of the yellow leaves; potassium deficiency usually appears on the leaves above those with nitrogen and phosphorus deficiency. Whenever leaves turn yellow, the areas on both sides of the leaf veins remain green, and the leaf tips look scorched, this is an obvious sign of potassium deficiency

2. Nutrient deficiency

Nutrient deficiency means corn lacks minor and trace elements. Magnesium deficiency and zinc deficiency first appear on old leaves. Magnesium deficiency causes yellow stripes on the old leaves of corn, which spread toward the leaf tip, while the edges and leaf tips turn light purple and then wither and die; zinc deficiency causes wide white bands on both sides of old leaves, while young leaves turn yellow-white and later wither and die. The symptoms of copper, sulfur, iron, boron and other element deficiencies mainly appear on the upper leaves. When copper is deficient, the top heart leaf turns yellow and growth is hindered; when corn is deficient in sulfur, the upper new leaves turn yellow and the leaves become thinner; when iron is deficient, the upper young leaves lose green and turn yellow in stripes; when boron is deficient, the upper leaves turn yellow with yellow-green stripes.

3. Prevention and treatment methods

First, do everything possible to increase the application rate of farmyard manure to ensure that nutrient elements are sufficient and complete and to improve the soil fertility level; second, carry out shallow plowing of 15-20 cm and deep plowing of 30-45 cm to expand the area of turned soil; third, use various nutrient elements according to the time and place and increase the use of micro-fertilizers; fourth, increase the use of blended compound fertilizers and bacterial fertilizers to increase the activity of beneficial bacteria.

The above is an introduction to the symptoms of nutrient deficiency in corn and the prevention and treatment methods. We hope it can help you. To learn more related knowledge, please keep following us.