Diagnosis and correction of iron deficiency in field crops ‐ an overview

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Abstract
Iron deficiency resulting in severe Fe chlorosis of field crops in Texas generally occurs on calcareous, alkaline soils. On the other hand, field crops grown on the acid soil areas seldom exhibit Fe chlorosis problems. Soil properties most commonly associated with the occurrence of Fe deficient crops are alkaline pH and substantial CaCO3 content or caliche outcrops. Severe Fe chlorosis has occurred frequently on alkaline soils in Texas on the following field crops: sorghum, oat, wheat, corn, peanut, rice, and flax. The Fe chlorosis symptoms generally appear at early growth stages in most of these crops. The chlorosis develops interveinally in the new leaves. The area between the veins becomes light green, then turns yellow as the deficiency advances. The veins usually remain green except with extremely severe deficiency where the entire leaf becomes white and translucent after which necrosis results in dead brown tissue. The severity of Fe chlorosis in these field crops ranges from slight deficiencies which can be corrected by a one‐time foliar spray application to extreme situations which require several successive foliar applications at 10 day intervals. If uncorrected, severe Fe chlorotic plants generally succumb to the deficiency and die before reaching mid^way in the reproductive life cycle. Several Fe sources were investigated as soil applications (ferrous and ferric sulfates, chelates, lignosulfonates, finely powdered ele‐rrental Fe by‐products, and acidified mine tailing wastes). Most sources were somewhat effective in alleviating Fe chlorosis when soil applied at sufficiently high rates, however, few were economically feasible in severe Fe chlorosis situations. Seme soil applied Fe sources show long lasting residual effects in pot studies, but this beneficial result may not continue under field plot conditions where the Fe is subsequently mixed with larger quantities of soil.

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