Magnesium deficiency — Maize

Symptoms

Characteristic symptom: Interveinal yellow striping on older leaves. Symptoms begin on older, lower leaves. Yellow or whitish bands develop between the veins, often running parallel to the midrib. The veins remain greener than the surrounding yellow tissue, creating a striped appearance. As the deficiency progresses, the yellow areas may develop reddish, purple or rust-brown discolouration. Leaf tips and margins may turn brown, dry and die in severe cases. Older leaves may eventually become severely damaged and hang down. Younger leaves are often less affected during the early stages.