LEAFSPOT OF PEANUT ASSOCIATED WITH MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY

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Abstract
Peanut plants grown in sand culture with the roots completely isolated from the pegging zone were given a complete nutrient soln. on both zones for 75 days. After that period, the rooting medium received a minus Mg soln. while the complete nutrient soln. was continued on the fruiting medium throughout the expt. Mg deficiency symptoms appeared first on the terminal leaves of the minus Mg plants and later progressed to the older leaves. Colorimetric and spectrographic analyses showed a decrease in Mg conc, from basal to terminal leaves. The leaves of the minus Mg plants were very susceptible to leafspot and the progress of the disease followed the same order of development as that of the deficiency symptom. The incidence of leafspot was highly correlated with the area of the deficiency symptom. Control plants and plants grown on a deficiency of elements other than Mg were relatively free of leafspot. Results suggest that the observed leafspot is induced by a deranged metabolism resulting from Mg deficiency.