Well Archana, there is a wide difference between tomato, maize or apple plants. Appple is a perennial plant with deepest roots while maize is an annual with fibrous/prop roots and toamato is smallest among them wrt root system.However , there are not major diference wrt deficiency of a particular nutrient/element.For instance, n deficiency in all plants appears on lower leaves with light green colour.However some times the pattern of appearance differes.In citrus, deficiency of zinc and some times iron is very clear whereas in maize deficiency of P gives purple discolration .Similarly in apple, any particular element depending upon soil type/ph levels may be exhibiting particular symptoms.In rice, zinc deficiency gives rusty postules on leavesalso called khira diesease but in maize it gives little leaf appearance,also called white bud.

The details for fruit plants is attached for your ready reference.

Functions and Deficiency Symptoms of Essential Elements in Fruit Plants

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Functions and Deficiency Symptoms of Essential Elements in Fruit Plant!

Most of the nutrients required for plant growth and development are usually present in the soil itself.

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C, H, O, N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S are macronutrients because these are needed in large amounts. Out of macronutrients C, H, O is available in gaseous form and there is no dearth of these basic nutrients.

Dry matter of plant contains over 95% of these elements. All the nutrients present in the soil may not be easily available for absorption by the plant roots. Several soil and environmental factors govern their availability. Some secondary nutrients (micronutrients) are also required for maintaining the growth and productivity of fruit trees/plants. These are Fe, Zn, Cu, Bo, Mo, and CI. The functions and deficiency symptoms are briefly discussed below.

Nitrogen N:

Nitrogen is a constituent of amino acids, amides, proteins, enzymes, vitamins, coenzymes and plant hormones. It imparts vigour to the plant and dark green colour to the foliage. Nitrogen is required for cell division and respiration. It delays plant maturity due to which tissues remain succulent in nature. Nitrogen also governs the utilization of phosphorus, potassium and other essential elements. It is a very mobile element.

Deficiency Symptoms:

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Nitrogen deficiency causes drastic reduction in vegetative growth. It causes poor root growth and young plants give spindly appearance. Nitrogen is mobile hence, its deficiency symptoms appear on old leaves. The leaves in the new flushes remain green. In severe deficiency young leaves also become yellow. In bearing fruit trees flowering and fruiting get reduced.

Excess Symptoms:

Excess of N in plant system results in to increased foliage, broader leaves with dark green colour. The plants become susceptible to insects and diseases. The yield is low. Fruits do not develop proper colour. The quality is also not up to mark. Excess of N delays fruit maturity. It also inhibits P uptake.

Phosphorus (P):

Phosphorus is component of sugar phosphates, nucleic acids, nucleotides, coenzymes, phospholipids and phytic acid etc. It is mostly found in younger parts viz. flowers, maturing fruits and seeds. It enhances crop maturity, root growth, activity of rhizobia and formation of nodules in legumes. It plays a key role in reactions involving ATP and cell division. Phosphorus is required in photosynthesis and carbohydrate break down and transfer of energy within plant.

Deficiency Symptoms:

Normally P deficiency has not been observed in fruit trees. It may be due to the rotation of wheat and rice in north India, where diammonium phosphate is added to both the crops. P deficiency can lead to restricted growth of roots and shoots.

The leaves become small with dull green colour the leaves turn bronze coloured later on. Since P is mobile in plants, hence, deficiency symptoms appear on old leaves first. On acute P deficiency purple pigment may develop on the back side of the leaf lamina. In citrus fruit show puffiness.

Excess of P can inhibit the uptake of Zinc and its transport within the plant, prolonged excess can cause Copper, Manganese and Iron deficiencies. In such a situation leaf necrosis, tip die back and ultimately causes shoot death.

Potassium (K):

Potassium improves the efficiency of sugar use in plant system. It helps the plants to overcome the stresses due to environment like frost tolerance by decreasing the osmotic potential of cell sap. K regulates the supply of CO2 by controlling opening of stomata. Young leaves, shoot tips and meristematic tissues are rich in K. It is involved in cell division. K is helpful in the fixation of nitrogen by legumes. It improves the colour, flavour and fruit size.

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Deficiency Symptoms:

Potassium is mobile in plants hence deficiency appears on recently matured leaves. Acute K deficiency causes leaf burning from margins and tip. Leaves turn brown in colour and then become scorched. Shoots become thin, plants show stunted growth. In mandarins older leaves show mosaic pattern of green and yellow (speckled appearance). Fruits acquire elliptical shape.

Excess of K causes deficiencies of Mg, Mn, Zn and Fe by checking their uptake. Leaves start falling. Coarse textured fruits in citrus.

Calcium (Ca):

Calcium is present in leaves as calcium pectate. Calcium is required as a cofactor by some enzymes involved in the hydrolysis of ATP and phospholipids. It is very important for chromosome flexibility and cell division. Calcium helps in the uptake of N, Fe, Zn, Mn and Boron. Good calcium nutrition is a pre-requisite for healthy orchard particularly citrus.

Excess of calcium induces alkalinity and reduces uptake of other nutrients.

Deficiency Symptoms:

Calcium deficiency causes dwarfing of plants. Twigs may die, leaves abscise. There may be a growth of multiple buds. Leaves become small and show yellowing. Fruits crack, root growth is restricted and roots may rot. Undersized and misshapen fruits in citrus are the major cause of calcium deficiency. The juice vesicles get shriveled.

Magnesium (Mg):

Magnesium is constituent of chlorophyll and protoplasm. It is involved in photosynthesis. It is an activator of many enzymes. Mg is required non-specifically by large number of enzymes involved in phosphate transfer. It is essential for formation of carbohydrates, fats and vitamins. It also stimulates phosphorus uptake and transport.

Deficiency Symptoms:

Magnesium is very mobile hence the deficiency symptoms first appear in older leaves. The most common symptom is yellowing of leaf margins and then lamina, commonly referred as bronzing or copper leaf. The yellowing starts from the base along the mid ribs of mature leaves. The yellow area enlarge and unite, only the tip and the base of the leaf remain green, showing an inverted v-shaped wedge area pointed on the midrib.

Extreme Mg-deficiency cause the plants may become defoliated completely, while limbs with little or no fruit may not show any deficiency symptom. This is particularly so in citrus.

Excess of Mg may result in K or Ca deficiency in plants.

Sulphur (S):

Sulphur is present in sufficient quantity in leaves. It is a component of cystine, methionine, proteins and fatty acids. Sulphur is also a constituent of lipoic acid coenzymes-A, thiamine, pyrophosphate, glutathione, biotin, adenosine-5′- phosphosulphate and 3′ Phosphoadenosine-5′-phosphosulphate. Sulphur retards protein synthesis, imparts hardness and vigour to the plants.

Deficiency Symptoms:

Sulphur is slightly mobile in the plant system. It is bit difficult to find Sulphur-deficient orchards in north India. Some common symptoms are; the symptoms appear on new leaves. Plants remain stunted and pale green to yellow in colour. Sulphur does not move readily from old to new leaves like N. Leaf area and fruiting is reduced. Leaves fall early. The leaf chlorosis exhibited by S-deficiency usually resembles nitrogen deficiency.

Iron (Fe):

Among the micro-nutrients iron is abundantly present in soils. Iron is a constituent of cytochromes and non-haeme iron proteins. It acts as a catalyst in the formation of chlorophyll and co-factor of several enzymes. It helps in various reactions of respiration, photosynthesis and reduction of nitrates and sulphates. It has a role in N2-fixation also. The improved Fe- polyflavonoid activity enhances the biosynthesis of pigments like xanthophylls and carotenoids.

Deficiency Symptoms:

Iron deficiency causes chlorosis in terminal leaves. In severe cases the fine network of veins is distinctively green and lamina become yellow. Twig die back due to Fe deficiency is most common in citrus. Acute deficiency causes smelling of leaves and leaf abscission. The Fe-deficiency is difficult to distinguish from Mn-deficiency.

Excess of iron has rarely been noticed in the fruit plants, this may be due to less solubility of Fe in the soil solution. However, some toxicity has been found in citrus where intervenial areas shows yellow lesions deposited on the leaf surface.

High P, Mn, Cu or Zn in soil can cause Iron deficiency.

Manganese (Mn):

Manganese accumulates in leaves more than in seeds. It is required for photosynthetic evolution of O2, nitrogen meta­bolism, chlorophyll synthesis and breakdown. It is required for the activity of some dehydrogenase, decarboxylase, kinase, oxidase, peroxidase, and non-specifically by other divalent cation activated enzymes. It is also required for ascorbic acid synthesis. Mn is involved in the production of amino acids and proteins.

Deficiency Symptoms:

Deficiency symptoms appear soon after the leaf is fully expanded and persists for long. Young leaves become chlorotic just like in Zn deficiency, with the only difference that there is no rosetting. The younger leaves show mottled chlorosis with green veins and mesophyll tissue yellow or white this may spread to old leaves. Mn deficiency also resembles Fe deficiency, with only difference that the area near the veins remains green in Mn deficiency. With severe deficiency, develops light green to dull pale green splotches between main lateral veins.

Excess of Mn in soil is due to more solubility of Mn in acidic conditions. Use of acid forming fertilizers and regular sprays of MnSO4 for many years can cause Mn toxicity. The appearance of brown spots on leaves coupled with growth retardation and root decay and finally leaf abscission is the result of Mn toxicity.

Copper (Cu):

Copper is associated with the mechanical strength to cell wall. It is required in oxidation-reduction reactions, photosynthesis, respiration, carbohydrate/nitrogen balance, chlorophyll and vitamin A formation, biosynthesis and ethylene activity in ripening of fruits. Copper proteins have been found in lignifications, anaerobic metabolism, cellular defence mechanism and hormonal metabolism.

Deficiency Symptoms:

Under field condition it is very difficult to say that the plant is deficient in Cu. Copper deficiency can only be detected through biochemical means. The total copper of the leaves may not limit for Cu deficiency. Deficiency is more pronounced with high proportion of iron and manganese.

The reduced growth and a change in colour of the foliage. Twigs become angular in shape and S-shaped more or less drooping with dark green foliage. In severe Cu deficiency the tips of new shoots look shriveled and finally shed off, followed by sprouting of lower buds.

The plants show a bushy growth. Dieback, gum pockets at nodes of twigs and brown excretions on fruit are common copper deficiency symptoms. Fruits have thick peel, lack juice and have insipid taste and rind cracking. In severe deficiency twigs remain covered with reddish brown droplets of gum. Fruits may split at the blossom end particularly in citrus fruits. High soil pH normally cause Cu deficiency in fruit plants on these soils.

Copper excess cause reduced plant and root growth, with less branching. Rootlets become more thick and abnormal in shape.

Zinc (Zn):

Zinc is required for the synthesis of tryptophan which is a precursor of auxin. Indole acetic acid (IAA). It regulates the equilibrium between Carbon dioxide, water and carbonic acid. Zinc is essential for carbohydrate and phosphorus metabolism and synthesis of proteins. It is a constituent of alcohol dehydro­genase, glutamic dehydrogenase, lactic dehydrogenase, carbonic anhydrase, alkaline phosphatase, carboxyl peptidase and other enzymes. Zinc improves integrity of the cell membrane and stabilizes sulfhydryl groups in membrane proteins involved in ion transport.

Deficiency Symptoms:

A variety of symptoms appear in the foliage due to zinc deficiency. Its deficiency causes shortening of internodes, produces small and narrow leaves. A typical intervenial chlorosis in terminal young leaves. Acute deficiency causes rossetting terminal leaves are arranged in whorls.

Whitish chlorotic streaks appear between veins in older leaves and whitening of upper leaves, characterized by irregular green bands along the midrib and main Vein on a back ground of light yellow to almost white. The leaves become pointed, narrow and stand upright. The die- back of twigs starts. If the deficiency is not checked trees become filled with deadwood. Trees become unproductive.

In citrus Zn deficiency shows irregular and chlorotic leaf spots causing mottle leaf. The area near midrib and lateral veins remain green, the rest of the area become very pale yellow. Root growth get restricted. The symptom may disappear as the season advances. High levels P, Ca and Mg in soil induce zinc deficiency in plants.

Excessive additions of zinc fertilizers or zinc sprays can cause toxicity, which can be cured by addition of lime or by applying super phosphate to soil.

Molybdenum (Mo):

Molybdenum plays an important role in nitrogen metabolism. It is a constituent of nitrate reductase and xanthine oxidase. Mo assists in the formation of proteins, starch, amino acids and vitamins. It helps in the fixation of atmospheric N in legumes.

Deficiency Symptoms:

The leaf blade may fail to expand in the growing leaves. Yellow spots develop on the lamina and gum on the lower leaf surface which turns black. Large intervenial chlorotic spots appear on mature leaves. The severely affected leaves may fall and tree may become completely defoliated. In citrus fruits large spots similar to those caused by sun-burn appear. The yellow patches on leaves coalesce into larger areas, extending all along the leaf margin, leaving the central portion yellowish green. No toxicity of Mo has been reported in fruit trees.

Boron (B):

It is immobile in plant system. It plays a role in flowering, pollen germination, pollen tube growth and fruiting. It helps in the translocation of sugars from leaves to enhance photosyn­thesis. Boron also acts as a catalyst in physiological processes viz, cell division, differentiation and development.

Deficiency Symptoms:

The terminal buds fail to sprout and twigs show die back. Terminal leaves turn necrotic, shed prematurely-rosetting and apical meristems turn black. Leaves are dark green, boat like, brittle and fall early. Fruits show gummy granules in the fruit albedo with hard fruits. Seeds fail to develop with deposits around the fruit axis. The skin of citrus the fruit become hard. In some citrus cultivars fruits may crack.

Boron toxicity in lemon and grapefruits has been reported. In lemons the leaf tips burn and base of this burn is at right angle to the midrib. In grapefruit scattered yellow spots on the upper leaf surface and gummy spots on the lower surface and edge or tip burn is seen. Premature wilting in trees occur inspite of sufficient moisture in the soil.

Chlorine (CI):

Chlorine is involved in the evolution of O2 in primary reactions of photosynthesis, cell multiplication and turgor production in guard cells.

Deficiency Symptoms:

Chlorine deficient plants show chlorosis, necrosis and bronze discoloration of leaves. Plants show wilting.

Excess chlorine results in to stunted growth, burning of tips of leaves and leaf abscission.

The attachment shall be useful to you.

Dr Kulvir Singh is right. Apple, maize, tomato are different at many scales. Zn will exhibits its deficiency where it has a critical role.

I feel, one of the triggering factors is the presence of other nutrients in different concentrations , thereby , delivering the masking effect of deficit of one nutrient over other , unless such symptoms are examined under similar fertility conditions of growing medium...

Question is intelligently placed...

Mani is right in his statement.

Deficiency symptoms of nutrient like Zn, Fe, Mn do not differ much , because of their moderate mobility within plants , while boron has bimodal mobility through xylem as well as phloem cells...

You are right. Plants differ each other in many characters such as monocotyledon, dicotyledon, c3, c4, winter plants, spring plants and so on and because of this their physiology aren"t similar each other. If all of them be similar, there in"t necessary follow science. The excepts have made science exciting.

Thank you all for a nice discussion on my query......