Transcript Palm Nutrition and Management

BORON DEFICIENCY
Stunted, necrotic-tipped leave
 Multiple or incompletely opened spear leaves
 Horizontal growth
 Abortion of flowers and fruits
 Death of the meristem
 Affects youngest leaves, etc.

BORON (B) DEFICIENCY
Extremely transient due to rainfall patterns
 Newest leaves show B status four or more
months ago
 Leaf nutrient analysis may not be useful for
determination of current B status

Abnormal opening of
spear leaf.
An open tip indicates that
the deficiency became
worse as the leaf opened.
Puckering leaflet is a
symptom of B deficiency.
Corrugations also a symptom of B
deficiency.
“Accordion leaf” If not corrected soon, this
will result in death of the palm.
“Hook leaf” is an early
symptom of mild B
deficiency.
Normal Queen Palm
Chronic B deficiency
Leaf tips have narrow, short
leaflets. Leaflets may fall off.
B deficiency symptoms appear in young leaves and remain
throughout the life of the leaf. New leaf is okay, so B has been
corrected.
New leaves are
reduced in size
and the leaf tips
appear to be cut
off.
Over production of auxin
results in leaf bending.
One leaf bent = severe leaching of B
due to a very heavy rainfall 4 or 5
months ago
Entire crown bent = chronic B
deficiency
How many B deficiency symptoms can you find?
This Royal
Palm is in
need of
triage!
Flower necrosis on
Queen Palm
Premature fruit drop
Compare with lethal yellowing on
coconut – water soaked spots on
fruit.
NITROGEN (N)

Quite uncommon
 Except
Veitchia sp.
Uniform yellowing or
discoloration of the
foliage
 Reduced growth rate
 Affects older leaves
or entire plant
