MOLYBDENUM DEFICIENCY OF THE CITRUS PLANT

Abstract

Rooted Eureka lemon cuttings were highly purified with respect to Mo. The original Mo content of the cuttings was 0.3 p.p.m. in the dry matter; when this supply of Mo had been diluted to 0.02 p.p.m. by the growth of the plants, characteristic deficiency symptoms developed on the new growth. These deficiency symptoms were very similar to those reported for tomatoes by Arnon and Stout and for plums by Hoagland. The deficiency was easily and quickly corrected either by the additions of small quantities (0.01 p.p.m.) of Mo to the culture solns. or by spraying a few mgs. of a soluble Mo compound on only a portion of the foliage. Analyses for Mo were made by a method combining a chemical extraction with spectrographic identification and measurement.