THESE THREE (3) CONDITIONS MAKE PLANT LEAVES TURN YELLOW

Crop production is very essential; the greatest joy of every farmer is the ability to contribute positively to the society, through food production. Farmers are often faced with many challenges; majorly, pests and diseases. Aside from these two, the environmental conditions are also vital to the success of any farm; they determine the rate of growth of the crop.

Plants show different reactions to indicate their present condition and state of being, whether healthy or not. The beaming green color of plants is the major sign of good health status; any color aside from this means there is a deviation in the normal state of health of the plant, thus, reducing their growth rate. Most times, the health status of any plant is known by the color exhibited by the plant through its leaves; it could be any color. 

As a farmer, it is crucial to respond actively to this change. Change in color of plants’ leaves can be exemplified to the behavioral patterns exhibited by animals. Plants show different colors but yellow is quite common; yellowing of plants’ leaves is a common condition often seen on the farm. Many farmers cannot really pin point the main causes of this condition; most times, they accord it to the lack of certain nutrient. This is quite correct in some cases but not in all conditions. In case you do not know the other causes of the yellowing of plants’ leaves; here they are: 

1.     Lack of Nitrogen in the soil: This is the common perception of most farmers. As said earlier, it is quite true; when nitrogen is not present or not in adequate quantity in the soil, the leaves of the plant tend to turn yellow. The yellowing starts at the tip of the leaf and smears along the middle of the leaf. It is calledCHLOROSIS.

2.     Lack of water or inadequate water supply: This is another reason the leaves of plants turn yellow. When water is not adequately present in the soil, it leads to drying up or wilting of the leaves but prior to this, the leaves of the plants turn yellow and at times look jaded and wrinkled.

3.     When there is excess water in the soil: Truly, plants need water to survive but too much of water could be detrimental to some plants. Plants have individual water requirement. When water is much in the soil, the roots of some plants get rotten; this will lead to drying up and eventually death of the plant. But before this happens, the leaves first turn yellow. This is why it is important to keep the soil damp and not waterlogged.

When your plants show any sign or change in color; the first thing you should do is to check the water consumption of the plants. If found adequate, check the orientation of the color to know if the soil is deficient in nitrogen. Crop production is very lucrative; proper preventive and control measures of pests and diseases have to be practiced.