Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD
Get unlimited access to 10,000+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just
Element deficiencies
Farmer's Weekly
|March 05, 2021
Detecting an element deficiency in a crop can be quite difficult, but it is essential to know whether there are any shortages and treat the plants in good time. A deficiency can lead to a poor or failed crop, says Bill Kerr.
Some element deficiencies are easy to pick up; others are confusing because the symptoms may be very similar to those of other deficiencies. In some cases, toxicity from herbicide residue may also look similar to nutrient shortages.
A PATCHY PROBLEM
Firstly, note the pattern of symptoms in the land. A deficiency of trace minerals never manifests uniformly; deficiencies always develop initially in patches.
If you start to see such patches and cannot figure out the problem, take soil samples from the bad patches and another from areas where the crop is growing well. Using the results of the analysis, you should be able to narrow down the range of possibilities.
This story is from the March 05, 2021 edition of Farmer's Weekly.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM Farmer's Weekly
Farmer's Weekly
Christmas books to charm and delight
During the holiday season, one usually takes a well-earned break from the daily rutt, and there is no better time to catch up on some reading. Patricia McCracken has selected a wide spectrum of titles to tuck into.
4 mins
December 19-26, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
From chance to choice: a women's rise to farming success
Many raisin producers assume that retiring without a son to take over the farm means the end of the family business. Alcois Blaauw, this year's winner of the Raisins SA Female Producer Award, proves that assumption to be wrong. Glenneis Kriel reports.
4 mins
December 19-26, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Grandparents below, and kids upstairs!
Dear Jonno,My wife and I want to escape to the countryside.
1 min
December 19-26, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
The Unseen Protector
The belief in the Unseen Protector or Unseen Shepherd endured for around 600 years, from the 13th century up until the 19th century. The farmer or his wife would provide a bowl of fresh cream and gruel to appease a spirit, whose blessing was imperative for a good summer harvest and animal health and fertility.
2 mins
December 19-26, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
THE HITCHING POST
I am a 67-year-old farmer residing on a farm near Harding in KwaZulu-Natal.
1 mins
December 19-26, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Pet-friendly family accommodation in the Waterberg
With travel time of only a little over three hours from Johannesburg and 30 minutes from Vaalwater, guests will find Waterberg Cottages in Limpopo. Guests can plan a family-friendly holiday or weekend with plenty of activities to keep everyone occupied on this peaceful 2 500ha private game reserve.
4 mins
December 19-26, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
The Shuman legacy continues under the watchful eye of a fifth-generation farmer
Ken Shuman, co-owner of Hilson Shuman Farming, is committed to carrying on his father's towering legacy through innovation and adaptation.
9 mins
December 19-26, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
History's most famous musket
The Brown Bess musket was the standard issue firearm for British forces from 1722 to 1838. As Mike Burgess writes, this much-loved weapon contributed significantly to the consolidation of the British Empire that by 1922 was in control of a quarter of the earth's surface.
4 mins
December 19-26, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
Muddy soil can cause lameness due to footrot
It is important to clean legs and hooves and check for lameness in horses on a daily basis, especially when there is heavy rain
2 mins
December 19-26, 2025
Farmer's Weekly
The role of family farmers in sub- Saharan Africa
As part of the United Nations' recognition of family farming as a vital component of the global agricultural landscape, the decade between 2019 to 1928 was declared the Decade for Family Farming globally. Annelie Coleman compiled this report.
6 mins
December 19-26, 2025
Translate
Change font size