Zinc (Zn) deficiency symptoms

Zinc (Zn) deficiency symptoms:

• Narrow pointed and chlorite young leaves, bunchy top crowns are the symptoms of zinc deficiency which is often falsely identified as BBTV by the farmers.
• The young emerging leaves have high amount of anthocyanin pigment on the lower side of the leaves, which often disappears as the leaf unfolds.
• Leaves are narrow with yellow to white stripes between the secondary veins.
• Later on oblong, brown or necrotic patches develop on the yellow striped areas.
• The leaves of the young suckers may become distorted, comprising of mid-rib and serrated narrow lamina only.
• Bunches developing on such plants have twisted fingers with prominent light green tip.
• The characteristics symptoms appear in young leaves which become significantly smaller in size and more lanceolate in shape.

Control Measures:

1. Manual application of Zinc sulpahte @ 2g/plant.

                                                (OR)

2. Spray chelated Zinc @ 2-3 g/1 of water at 7-10 days interval till deficiency symptoms disappear.
3. For ratoon crop apply the above preparation 45 days after cutting the mother plant.

The bunchy top crowns shown in the picture below are the symptoms of zinc deficiency which is often falsely identified as BBTV by the farmers.