The familiar tomato (or tomato) is native to the western part of Central and South America. It is academically the fruit of the tomato plant and belongs to the fruit, but it is often used as a vegetable in cooking. Therefore, some people think that tomatoes are both fruits and vegetables.
Israeli agricultural expert Omar said that if the tomato plant growth environment lacks elements such as iron, manganese and magnesium, the leaves will appear yellow. Since people often confuse the difference in their symptoms and have problems with improper handling, I hope to take this opportunity to explain the symptoms and differences of tomato plants when each element is lacking, and how to avoid damage caused by defects.
Symptoms of lack of iron, manganese and magnesium
In any planting season, iron and manganese deficiency are common phenomena at all stages of tomato plant growth. The extreme deficiencies of iron and manganese often occur in lime-rich soils and impermeable soils. In such soils, excessive water will lead to a lack of oxygen in the root area and ions to be filtered out.
Iron deficiency in tomato plants
Iron is necessary for the reduction of nitrate and sulfate, and is related to the formation of chlorophyll and photosynthesis, and is an enzyme cofactor in plants. If it is only iron deficiency, the characteristic of tomato plants is that the whole leaves including the veins will be generally shiny. Initially, signs of iron deficiency appeared near the base of the leaf, and then quickly spread to the tip of the leaf.
Manganese deficiency in tomato plants
Manganese is an essential element for the construction of chloroplasts. If only manganese is lacking, then the characteristic of the plant is that the yellowish spots on the leaves will expand and gradually connect to form a common chlorosis. In the absence of manganese, leaf veins remain green.
The feature of the lack of both iron and manganese in tomato plants is the appearance of chlorosis on the newer leaves of the upper part of the plant. In extreme cases, it can cause necrosis and desiccation of seedlings, as well as degeneration of plant tips.
Magnesium deficiency in tomato plants
Magnesium is an important part of chlorophyll and an important plant pigment in plants. If there is a magnesium deficiency in tomato plants, the distinguishing feature is that the mature leaves in the lower and middle parts of the plant are yellow, but at the same time the veins remain green.
Magnesium deficiency is common in autumn and winter, when the soil temperature will drop significantly, especially in areas with low magnesium content in the water. Magnesium deficiency is also common when high concentrations of potassium lead to high EC values in the root zone.
Corresponding treatment method recommendations
Regarding the problem of iron and manganese deficiency, Omar said that the conventional solution is to use compound fertilizers that also contain nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and trace elements for tomato plants, or add 80-100 cubic centimeters of commercial fertilizer to 1 cubic meter of irrigation water. Compound trace element mixture. If the iron and manganese deficiency is severe, it is recommended to use one or two whole portions of 5-10 kilograms of iron chelate (6% iron) per hectare of farmland, together with two liters of chelated manganese (13% manganese). Then, according to the previous conventional methods, until the symptoms disappear.
For the problem of magnesium deficiency, it is recommended to increase the magnesium content in the water through the use of fertilizers that also contain magnesium or the magnesium compound injected by another pump when adding fertilizers to the irrigation water. After the start of the planting season, the magnesium content in the irrigation water should not be less than 40-50 ppm.
