Nutrient Deficiency/Toxicity Diagnosis

Abbreviations used below are: N=non-technical text or presentation, T=technical text or presentation, G=guide, explains "how-to" in the text or presentation, R=reference, charts, easy to look up information, O=describes organic practices, C=describes conventional/non-organic practices, +=a free publication that is highly recommended, *=our choice for the best publication to buy if you can only get one title in this section (three choices given, depending on your crops). While an item might refer to non-organic practices for fertility or pest management, the other information provided is applicable to organic production, and that is why the item is included.

Karl K. Crouse. 1998. Plant analysis sampling instructions. Mississippi State University Extension Service, P-1224 (4 pp., freefree, or download here). A publication which explains how to take a plant sample for nutrient analysis. Specific directions are included for field, vegetable, fruit, nut, and ornamental crops. The soil testing lab or your Mississippi county agent can provide the laboratory form (F-700) to submit with the sample. Most land grant universities in other states provide the same service. [N G]

*R. G. Weir and G. C. Cresswell. 1993. Plant nutrient disorders. Vol. 1. Temperate and subtropical fruit and nut crops. Inkata Press, Australia, ISBN 0-909605-89-0 (soft cover, 93 pp., US$47.00, note: this book is out of print, but you may be able to find used copies online, or call AgScience Books at 863-967-8898 to order). This is an excellent, clear, mineral-by-mineral description of nutrient deficiencies and toxicities, featuring excellent color pictures of foliage and fruit. The book includes an appendix of leaf tissue analysis deficiency and toxicity levels of various species. [N R]

*R. G. Weir and G. C. Cresswell. 1995. Plant nutrient disorders. Vol. 2. Tropical fruit and nut crops. Inkata Press, Australia, ISBN (soft cover, 101 pp., US$47.00, call 941-967-1342 to order). A mineral-by-mineral description of nutrient deficiencies, featuring excellent color pictures. [N R]

*R. G. Weir and G. C. Cresswell. 1993. Plant nutrient disorders. Vol. 3. Vegetable crops. Inkata Press, Australia, ISBN 0-909605-91-2 (soft cover, 105 pp., US$47.00, out of print, but call 941-967-1342 to order from remaining stock). This is an excellent, clear, mineral-by-mineral description of nutrient deficiencies, featuring excellent color pictures of foliage, roots, and fruit. The book includes an appendix of leaf tissue analysis deficiency and toxicity levels of various species. [N R]

C. Bould, E. J. Hewitt, and P. Needham. 1983. Diagnosis of mineral disorders in plants, Volume 1, Principles. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London (distributed by Unipub in the USA), ISBN 0112408052 (hard cover, 174 pp., US$20.95), Chemical Publishing Co., ISBN 0820603066 (hard cover, 174 pp., US$66.50). This book contains a technical mineral-by-mineral explanation of deficiencies and toxicities in crops, along with color photographs of various plants showing characteristic symptoms. [T R]

Alan Scaife and Mary Turner. 1983. Diagnosis of mineral disorders in plants. Vol. 2. Vegetables. Her Majesty's Stationary Office, ISBN 0112408044 (hard cover, 96 pp., US$20.95, still in print but indefinitely out of stock), Chemical Publishing Co., ISBN 0820603120 (hard cover, 96 pp., US$75.00). This is similar to Vol. 1 (Principles) but is arranged crop-by-crop and considers brassicas, broad bean, carrot, celery, leek, lettuce, summer squash, onion, parsnip, peas, beans, radish, beets, spinach, sweet corn and watercress. [T R]

Geoffrey Winsor and Peter Adams. 1987. Diagnosis of mineral disorders in plants. Vol. 3. Glasshouse crops. Her Majesty's Stationary Office, ISBN 0112427235 (hard cover, 168 pp., out of print), Chemical Publishing Co., ISBN 0820603112 (hard cover, 168 pp., $75.00). This is similar to Vol. 1 (Principles) but is arranged crop-by-crop and considers cucumber, lettuce, pepper, tomato, carnation, chrysanthemum, and poinsettia. There is very little overlap between Vol. 2 and Vol. 3. [T R]

William F. Bennett, editor. 1993. Nutrient deficiencies and toxicities in crop plants. APS Press, ISBN 0890541515 (hard cover, 202 pp., US$49.00, call 800-328-7560 to order). This book contains a technical crop-by-crop description of mineral deficiencies and toxicities, along with color photographs of various plants showing characteristic symptoms. [T R]

J. P. N. L. Roorda van Eysinga and K. W. Smilde. 1981. Nutritional disorders in glasshouse tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce. 1981. Centre for Agricultural Publishing and Documentation, Netherlands, ISBN 90-220-0737-5 (hard cover, 130 pp., US$53.00). An atlas of nutritional deficiency symptoms (in color pictures) of the major greenhouse vegetable crops. [T R]

Albert Ulrich, M. A. E. Mostafa, and William W. Allen. 1980/1992. Strawberry deficiency symptoms, a visual and plant analysis guide to fertilization. University of California, Bulletin 1917, ISBN 0931876370 (soft cover, 58 pp., US$15.00, call 510-642-2431 to order). This is an excellent, clear, mineral-by-mineral description of deficiencies in strawberries, along with color photographs showing characteristic symptoms. [N R]