Soil Fertility and Nutrient management (1+1)

Functions and deficiency symptoms of Zn

• Zinc is having limited mobility in plants and immobile in soil and plant absorb as Zn2+ form.

  Functions:

  1. Zn is a constituent of several enzymes systems which regulate various metabolic reactions in the plant.
  2. Influences the formation of some growth hormones in the plant like IAA, and Auxin.
  3. Helpful in reproduction of certain plants.
  4. Role in photosynthesis and involved in chlorophyll synthesis, protein synthesis.
  5. Involved in alcohol dehydrogenase activity in fruit trees.

  Deficiency:

  1. Chlorotic and Brown rusty spots on leaves.
  2. Lower Auxin level.
  3. Drastic decrease in leaf area and leaf deformation (Rosetting), stunted growth (shortage of internodes).
  4. Under severe deficiency the shoot apices die (dieback) and diffusive or mottled leaf
  5. The rate of protein synthesis is drastically reduced and amino acids and amides accumulate.
  Zn-deficiency in coffee
  (Leaves not expanding normally; narrow, often strap-shaped; veins visible against a yellow-green background; failure of inter-node to elongate properly, giving plants a compact appearance).