Lima bean Nutrient Deficiency: Signs, Causes and the Fertilizer That Fixes It
Lima bean nutrient deficiency is one of the first things to check when the leaves of your patani (lima bean) turn yellow, purple or burnt at the edges. On Philippine farms the usual ones are nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, zinc and boron. This guide shows where each one starts, how to be sure, and the fertilizer that fixes it.
Start with one question: did the change begin on the old leaves or on the young ones? Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium move inside the plant, so a shortage shows on the old, lower leaves first. But manganese, zinc and boron stay where the plant first put them, so the young leaves and the growing tip show it first. After that, the color and the pattern narrow down which lima bean nutrient deficiency you have, and a soil test confirms it. Each one below has its signs, its causes and its fix.
Lima bean nutrient deficiency signs, old leaves and young leaves
Shows first on the old leaves
| Nutrient | Where it starts | What you see | Fix with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen | old, lower leaves, the whole plant | Pale, slow plants whose lower leaves yellow, with few working nodules. | Rhizobium inoculant for lima bean, Urea 46 0 0 |
| Phosphorus | old, lower leaves, the roots | Short, dark bluish green plants, sometimes purple tinted, with few pods. | 16 20 0, Complete 14 14 14 |
| Potassium | old, lower leaves, leaf edges and tips | Edges of the older leaves yellow and scorch. | Muriate of potash 0 0 60, Complete 14 14 14 |
Shows first on the young leaves
| Nutrient | Where it starts | What you see | Fix with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manganese | young leaves and the tip, between the veins | Top leaves turn yellow between green veins, often where the soil was limed too much. | Manganese sulfate |
| Zinc | young leaves and the tip, between the veins | Leaves yellow between green veins, internodes stay short and pod set drops. | Zinc sulfate |
| Boron | young leaves and the tip | New leaves curl and crinkle, and flowers and pods are few. | Borax |
Before you buy fertilizer for a lima bean nutrient deficiency
So use the table to pick the likeliest lima bean nutrient deficiency, then read its section below. Also keep in mind that dry soil, standing water, cold nights, a pest or a disease can look the same. That is why it pays to check the roots and the whole field first.
Nitrogen deficiency in lima bean
Lower leaves turn pale yellow first and the plant stays light green and slow, with few pods. Patani makes most of its nitrogen in root nodules, so this usually means the nodules failed. You see it most at this stage: three to six weeks after planting.
Why nitrogen deficiency happens in patani
In a legume this usually means poor nodulation: no inoculant in a field new to the crop, inoculant killed by sun or heat, very acid soil, waterlogging, hot dry soil, or too much nitrogen fertilizer near the seed, which stops nodules from forming.
How to tell it apart
Manganese deficiency yellows between green veins on young leaves, common on limed soils. Sulfur deficiency starts on the newest leaves. To be sure, dig, do not pull, a few plants 3 to 6 weeks after planting, wash the roots and cut some nodules open. Pink to red inside means they are working, white means not active yet, and brown, grey or mushy means dead. Yellow plants with few or dead nodules point to a nodulation failure, not a lack of fertilizer.
What to apply for nitrogen deficiency
Feed the crop with a light sidedress of Urea 46 0 0 or Complete 14 14 14, following the soil test. Once the crop is up, you cannot add nodules to it. If the nodules failed, 10 to 20 kg of nitrogen per hectare is enough: about half a bag of Urea 46 0 0 beside the rows, before flowering.
- Rhizobium inoculant for lima bean
- Urea 46 0 0
- Complete 14 14 14
Sold here with nitrogen: Atlas Granular Urea (46 0 0) by Atlas Fertilizer, Amigo Planters Ammonium Chloride by La Filipina (25 0 0), Agripower 46 0 0 (Locally Blended) Coated by Green Acres Agri Tech and Calcipro by Ramgo (15.5 0 0 with 18.8 percent calcium). Check the FPA registration on the bag and follow the label rate. For the how and when, see our guide to urea fertilizer, and the page on nitrogen deficiency in every crop. In anee.io, Anee, the smart farm technician, reads a photo of the leaf and tells you which nutrient is short.
To keep it away, inoculate seed with the right Rhizobium inoculant, keep it shaded and avoid heavy nitrogen near the seed. Keep organic matter up with compost, manure or crop residues.
Phosphorus deficiency in lima bean
Plants stay short with dark bluish green leaves, sometimes with purple or bronze tints. Growth and flowering are slow and pods are few. You see it most at this stage: seedling to flowering.
Why phosphorus deficiency happens in patani
Acid soils and soils low in phosphorus.
How to tell it apart
Nitrogen deficiency makes plants pale, not dark. To be sure, soil test for phosphorus.
What to apply for phosphorus deficiency
Apply 16 20 0 or Complete 14 14 14 at planting, following the soil test. For a standing crop, give a 2 percent DAP 18 46 0 spray (20 g per liter, 320 g in a 16 liter sprayer) every 15 days for pulses. A usual basal dose is 2 to 3 bags of Complete 14 14 14, or 1 to 2 bags of Diammonium phosphate 18 46 0, per hectare in the furrow at planting.
- 16 20 0
- Complete 14 14 14
- Diammonium phosphate 18 46 0
Sold here with phosphorus: Philphos 18 46 0 (Di Ammonium Phosphate), Atlas Super Gro (16 20 0) by Atlas Fertilizer, Amigo Planters Granular Single Super Phosphate by La Filipina (0 18 0 with 11 percent sulfur) and Triple Super Phosphate by Newman Chemicals (0 46 0). Check the FPA registration on the bag and follow the label rate. For the how and when, see our guide to 16 20 0 fertilizer, and the page on phosphorus deficiency in every crop.
To keep it away, apply phosphorus at planting each season.
Potassium deficiency in lima bean
The edges of the older leaves turn yellow and then scorched and brown. As it gets worse the leaves turn fully yellow and drop. You see it most at this stage: flowering and pod fill.
Why potassium deficiency happens in patani
Sandy soils and soils cropped without potash.
How to tell it apart
Magnesium deficiency yellows between the veins instead of at the edges. To be sure, soil test for potassium.
What to apply for potassium deficiency
Apply Muriate of potash 0 0 60 or Complete 14 14 14 following the soil test. A usual dose is 1 bag of Muriate of potash 0 0 60 per hectare at planting.
- Muriate of potash 0 0 60
- Complete 14 14 14
Sold here with potassium: Atlas Muriate of Potash (MOP) by Atlas Fertilizer (0 0 60), Simplot Sulfate 0 0 50 by Nutranta, Potassium Nitrate by Parafield (13 0 46) and Qrop Mix Production 14 0 23 plus 13 Cao by Farmtech Agriland (14 0 23 with 9.3 percent calcium). Check the FPA registration on the bag and follow the label rate. For the how and when, see our guide to potash fertilizer, and the page on potassium deficiency in every crop.
To keep it away, include potash at planting on sandy soils. Keep organic matter up with compost, manure or crop residues. Split the potash on sandy soil.
Manganese deficiency in lima bean
The top leaves turn yellow between the veins, which stay green. Brown spots can follow. Lima bean is one of the crops that need the most manganese. You see it most at this stage: early to mid growth.
Why manganese deficiency happens in patani
High pH soils, sandy soils limed too much, and soils high in organic matter that stay wet.
How to tell it apart
Iron deficiency turns the veins yellow too. Zinc deficiency looks much the same in beans. To be sure, leaf test for manganese and a soil pH test. In a soil test, less than 1 ppm of manganese is low.
What to apply for manganese deficiency
Give about 5.6 kg of manganese per hectare as manganese sulfate to the soil. Or spray about 1.1 kg per hectare, two or three times when needed. Do not put chelated manganese in the soil. It can make things worse. Spray Manganese sulfate at 0.2 to 0.5 percent (32 to 80 grams in a 16 liter sprayer) two or three times, 10 to 14 days apart.
- Manganese sulfate
Sold here with manganese: Manganese Sulfate by Zetryl Chem (31 percent manganese), Tierramino MN by Unilox Far East Resources (7 0 0 with 12 percent manganese), Multimate by Agway (4 0 0 with 4.5 percent sulfur, 2.8 percent zinc and 1.8 percent manganese) and Nutri Tabble Meta Foliar by NS Northern Organic Fertilizer (12 percent zinc, 9 percent sulfur, 2 percent magnesium and 1.2 percent manganese). Check the FPA registration on the bag and follow the label rate. For the how and when, see our guide to foliar fertilizer, and the page on manganese deficiency in every crop.
To keep it away, do not over lime, and test soil pH before each crop. Test the soil every two or three years.
Zinc deficiency in lima bean
Leaves turn yellowish between green veins and dead patches appear if it is severe. Internodes stay short and leaves small, and fewer pods set. You see it most at this stage: early growth to flowering.
Why zinc deficiency happens in patani
Soils above pH 6.5, over limed sands and heavy phosphorus.
How to tell it apart
Manganese deficiency is very hard to tell apart in beans. A leaf test settles it. To be sure, leaf test for zinc and a soil pH test. In a soil test, less than 0.8 ppm of zinc is low.
What to apply for zinc deficiency
Give 5 to 10 kg zinc sulfate per hectare to the soil or a 0.5 percent zinc sulfate spray (5 g per liter, 80 g in a 16 liter sprayer) for beans. Keep zinc sulfate sprays at about 0.7 kg per hectare so the leaves do not burn. Give the soil dose at planting or when the rains begin, and sprays on young growth.
- Zinc sulfate
Sold here with zinc: Harvester Zinc Sulphate Heptahydrate by Universal Harvester (22 percent zinc), Petbowe Zinc Sulphate Monohydrate (33 percent zinc), Tierramino ZN by Unilox Far East Resources (7 0 0 with 10 percent zinc) and Liquid Chelate Zinc with Sulfur by Sagrex (10 percent zinc and 5 percent sulfur). Check the FPA registration on the bag and follow the label rate. For the how and when, see our guide to fertilizer with zinc, and the page on zinc deficiency in every crop.
To keep it away, mix zinc into the basal fertilizer on high pH soils. Test the soil every two or three years. Do not overdo phosphorus.
Boron deficiency in lima bean
Young leaves curl and crinkle and the growing tip stays small. Flowering and pod set suffer. You see it most at this stage: flowering.
Why boron deficiency happens in patani
Sandy soils low in organic matter, high pH soils and drought.
How to tell it apart
Virus diseases also crinkle leaves, but with a mosaic pattern. To be sure, leaf or soil test for boron. In a soil test, less than 0.5 ppm of boron is low.
What to apply for boron deficiency
Give a 0.2 percent borax spray (2 g per liter, 32 g in a 16 liter sprayer) for beans. Never place boron in the seed row. A band is toxic to bean seed. A usual soil dose is 5 to 10 kg of Borax per hectare (0.5 to 1 kg of boron), mixed evenly with the basal fertilizer.
- Borax
Sold here with boron: Etifert 11 (Borax Decahydrate) by Zetryl Chem (11 percent boron), Fertibagra 15G by Unilox Far East Resources (14.6 percent boron), B17 (Boric Acid) by Newman Chemicals (17 percent boron) and Better Yield by Bacphil Planters Fertilizer (0 0 0.9 with 10 percent boron). Check the FPA registration on the bag and follow the label rate. For the how and when, see our guide to foliar fertilizer, and the page on boron deficiency in every crop.
To keep it away, keep organic matter up and water evenly at flowering. Test the soil every two or three years.
A soil test is the surest check for any lima bean nutrient deficiency. Before you buy, ask your Municipal Agriculture Office where to send a soil sample. The DA regional soil laboratories test soil, and the result says how much of each fertilizer your patani needs. That saves money, because extra fertilizer is money lost.
Open the Nutrient Deficiency Finder, pick patani, say where the leaves changed first and what you see, and get the fertilizers sold here that fix it.
- Anee, the smart farm technician, reads a photo of the leaf
- The cropping calendar dates every fertilizer application of your season
Lima bean nutrient deficiency questions
Why are my patani leaves turning yellow?
What fertilizer fixes nitrogen deficiency in lima bean?
What fertilizer fixes phosphorus deficiency in lima bean?
What fertilizer fixes potassium deficiency in lima bean?
How do I know which nutrient my patani lacks?
Find the missing nutrient and fix it
With Libre + Anee, read the whole guide: how to tell the deficiency from look alikes, how to be sure, what to apply, and the fertilizers sold here that supply it.
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