Clove (Syzygium aromaticum)
Nitrogen (N)
Symptoms
- Deficiency symptoms will be first noticed in older and lower leaves
- The initial symptoms will be pale green to light green colour change on leaves
- The colour change normally starts from the leaf tip of older leaves
- Depending on the severity of deficiency, the death and / or dropping of the older leaves happen
- Early defoliation is also noticed.
Management
- Add sufficient quantity of organic matter to the soil every year.
- Add bio fertilizers like Azospirillum.
- Check whether the recommended quantity of fertilizers is applied in time.
- Go for soil analysis and understand the extent of deficiency.
- Apply quick release nitrogen fertilizers like urea as per soil test result in split doses.
- As an immediate solution applies urea as foliar spray (10 gram /liter of water) once in 15 days till the deficiency is over.
- Application of organic growth promoters at frequent interval is also advantageous.
Phosphorus (P)
Symptoms
- Root growth will be affected.
- This results in poor uptake of needed nutrients.
- The deficiency symptoms will be first noticed in older and lower leaves.
- The older leaves will have brown spots.
Management
- Phosphorus is best absorbed by the roots in the pH range 6.5-7.5.
- Adjust pH in acidic soils by adding lime/ dolomite.
- Add bio fertilizers containing phosphorous solubilizing bacteria along with organic manure to increase phosphorous availability.
- Check whether the recommended quantity of fertilizers is applied in time.
- An excess of Iron and Zinc may also cause the symptoms of phosphorus deficiency.
- Apply fertilizers such as single superphosphate for immediate correction or bone meal or rock phosphate for long term correction as per the soil test report.
Potassium (K)
Symptoms
- The symptom starts as white, yellow, or orange chlorotic spots or stripes on older leaves starting from the leaf tips and margins.
- In some cases, irregularly distributed chlorotic spots appear, but in all cases symptoms start from the leaf tip.
- The base of the leaf usually remains dark green.
- This is followed by browning and necrosis of leaf margins.
Management
- Optimum availability of potassium is at soil pH above 6.0.
- So correct soil pH in acidic soils by adding lime/ dolomite.
- Add organic matter and wood ash to the soil.
- Check whether the recommended quantity of potash fertilizer is applied in time.
- Go for soil analysis and understand the extent of deficiency. Apply Muriate of Potash (MOP) as per soil test report. Split application is more beneficial.
- As an immediate solution apply Sulphate of Potash (SOP) as foliar spray (10 g /liter of water) during morning hours along with wetting agents.
Calcium (Ca)
Symptoms
- The initial symptom will be browning and necrosis of the growing tips of roots and leaves.
- The young branches show die back symptoms.
Management
- Check the pH of the soil. If the soil is acidic, apply lime (0.5-1 kg/plant of 40 m2 in two split doses). Dolomite can be used as cheap substitute of lime.
- High levels of phosphorous can also induce calcium deficiency.
- In alkaline soil go for application of Gypsum.
- Calcium has little mobility in the plant; hence its availability has to be ensured all the time.
- Boron is needed for calcium utilization.
Magnesium (Mg)
Symptoms
- The predominant symptom is dark green veins with yellow areas between the veins (interveinal chlorosis).
- The interveinal chlorosis is mainly seen in the upper half of the leaf containing the tip.
- Chlorotic leaves generally turn red and then develop spotted necrotic areas.
- An additional symptom of magnesium deficiency may be premature leaf abscission.
Management
- Go for soil analysis and confirm the deficiency.
- Apply Magnesium sulphate (290 gram /plant or 32 kg/ acre) in bands near plants.
- Application of dolomite will also reduce magnesium deficiency in long run. However, magnesium and potassium fertilizers should not be used together.
Sulphur(S)
Symptoms
- Chlorosis followed by general yellowing.
- An acute sulphur deficiency causes the entire plant to turn yellow.
- The affected plants show stunted growth.
- Occasionally, nitrogen deficiency is confused with sulphur deficiency, since they both lead to leaf yellowing. However, sulphur deficiencies appear first in the young leaves, while nitrogen deficiency symptoms are first noticed in the older leaves.
- Sulphur deficient plants are characteristically small, spindly with slender stalks.
Management
- Apply organic matter to increase sulphur availability.
- Avoid burning of organic wastes.
- Application of fertilizers like Factamfos, Ammonium sulphate, Single superphosphate etc. that contain sulphur reduces the deficiency.
- In deficient soils, apply Sulphur dust (190 gram /plant or 10 kg/ acre) in the soil.
- The application of gypsum will also correct the deficiency in alkaline soil.
Boron (B)
Symptoms
- Boron is an immobile element in plant. Hence, boron deficiency is seen mainly in growing points and younger leaves.
- The leaves become brittle with occasional die back. New growth will show aborted symptoms.
Management
- Boron deficiency is seen more in dry soils.
- Apply Borax (40 gram /plant or 4 kg/ acre) into the soil. For immediate result spray Borax (1 gram / litre of water) as foliar spray.
- If calcium and boron have to apply simultaneously, apply calcium in soil and boron as foliar spray.
- Foliar spraying should be done during morning hours.
- The best stage of application is just before flowering.
- Similarly, borax should not be applied with ammonium fertilizers.
Copper (Cu)
Symptoms
- Deficiency exhibits as yellowing of younger leaves
- Rolling of new leaves and have a needle like appearance are noticed.
- Chlorotic streaks are observed on either side of the midribs of the leaves
- Dark brown necrotic lesions on leaf tips
Management
- Application of Copper sulphate (4 gram /plant or 800 gram/ acre) in the soil.
Iron (Fe)
Symptoms
- Leaves become yellowish in colour while veins remain green resulting in iinterveinal chlorosis
- Plants produce smaller leaves and at later stages, entire plant become chlorotic & die
Management
- Iron content in Kerala soils is often high. So, get a soil test to determine the reason for the problem
- Low potassium levels leads to iron deficiency
- Addition of Ferrous Sulphate (75 gram/plant or 6 kg/ acre) into the deficient soils.
Manganese (Mn)
Symptoms
- Manganese is only moderately mobile in plant tissues.
- So, symptoms first appear on those leaves just reaching their full size.
- Manganese deficiency causes a light green mottle between the main veins.
- A band of darker green is left bordering the main veins while the interveinal chlorotic areas become pale green or dull yellowish colour.
Management
- Kerala soils in general have high levels of manganese. High amount of iron may induce manganese deficiency.
- Go for soil testing to understand the real reason for the problem.
- In deficient soils, apply Manganese Sulphate (5 gram /litre of water) as foliar spray.
Zinc (Zn)
Symptoms
- Upper leaves will show interveinal chlorosis with an eventual whiting of the affected leaves.
- Leaves may be small and distorted with a rosette form. Sickle shaped leaves.
Management
- The deficiency is seen more in just filled plots with poor organic matter.
- The ideal pH range for zinc availability is 5 to 7.5.
- Undertake soil testing to confirm deficiency.
- In deficient soils, apply Zinc sulphate (75 g /plant or 8 kg/ acre) in the soil.
- Zinc fertilizers and phosphate fertilizers should not be used simultaneously.
- If available phosphate in soil is high, reduce phosphorous application to correct zinc deficiency.
- In severe cases, foliar spraying of Zinc sulphate (2 gram/litre of water) with Calcium carbonate (2.5 gram/litre of water) can be advocated in morning hours.
