Summary
The relationship between nutrient concentration and yield, when properly used, is a powerful tool for diagnosing the nutritional status of annual crops for B, Cu, Mn, Mo, Zn and occasionally Fe. Imbalance between P and Zn may affect interpretation of plant Zn data at high levels of P. Also, lack of adequate field calibration, especially that involving recently matured leaves, within geographical regions at various yield levels makes the interpretation of data for some crop-element situations difficult. Mobility of elements in plants during growth should be considered when selecting tissues for analysis. Although there undoubtedly will be exceptions, fertilization of most annual crops in the year of diagnosis is unlikely to be based on plant analysis. Successful use of plant analysis for diagnosing the micronutrient status of plants demands careful attention to plant sampling, processing of samples, and laboratory techniques. These aspects and problems with calibration and interpretation of data are discussed in detail. Sap tests would appear to have only a small role to play in diagnosis of field micronutrient problems, but they may be of assistance in studying Mn toxicity and deficiency.
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Moraghan, J. 8. Plant tissue testing for micronutrient deficiencies and toxicities. Fertilizer Research 7, 201–219 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01049001
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01049001