One of the main signs of nitrogen deficiency in hemp plants is the yellow color in the older leaves
Nitrogen is in a range of 1 to 4% of the plant’s dry body weight, it is absorbed by the plant in nitric and ammonic form and its balance is of utmost importance
The role of nitrogen in metabolism is vital as it is an essential element in the cytoplasm of cells, therefore it has a great influence on vegetative growth. Indispensable in the synthesis of chlorophyll, transfer of metabolic energy, and photosynthesis. It manifests with green color in plants because of greater production of chlorophyll mainly in young tissue. Nitrogen is used for the synthesis of amino acids, the main component of proteins. The incorrect application of this nutrient during some point of the growth cycle can present nitrogen deficiency symptoms and can cause damage to the health of the plant and reduce the quality and quantity of the harvest. Nitrogen is vital for the health of the plant, luckily it is easy to detect.
One of the main signs of nitrogen deficiency in hemp plants is the yellow color in the older leaves and in the lower part of the plant where they can wilt and fall. This is because the younger leaves on top of the plant will begin to take up the nitrogen from the older leaves. The plant will focus on its upper part because it receives more sunlight, and this contributes to photosynthesis. It is normal at the end of the cycle for the lower leaves to turn yellow and fall off as nitrogen is diverted to the flowers. The worrying thing is chlorosis in a medium vegetative state in full growth. If the yellowing starts to move from the bottom of the plant to the middle and continues up, we have a problem.
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The solution is a constant monitoring every 2 weeks of tissue analysis to control the nitrogen levels in the plant according to its vegetative cap to be able to provide it with balanced nutrients and thus guarantee that the nitrogen levels are healthy throughout its growth. Hemp is a relatively new crop in California and a common practice that we have observed is the exaggeration of nitrogen in the soil that can cause toxicity mainly during the flowering phase, with symptoms of shiny dark green leaves, weak stems, slow growth, and deformation of the leaves mainly at the tip. This phenomenon can be affected if strong winds occur which would cause the plant to bend easily. Farmers need to be aware of the level of nutrients, temperature, optimal levels of irrigation, and any factor or the sum of several factors that can induce a state of stress to the plant can cause peaks in THC levels that can exceed 0.3% and as a result, have a hot crop. Monitoring the levels of THC and CBD every two weeks after the first flowers appear will allow us to navigate during the floral development of the plant with greater control of the amount of CBD and compliance with the THC levels.
Tissue analysis is the most appropriate method to diagnose the nutritional status of the plantation and evaluate the availability of plant reserves. The soil analysis provides complementary information on the characteristics of the soil that affect the behavior of the fertilizers and the availability of nutrients assimilable by the plant. The analytical data of the irrigation water allow evaluating its quality and content in mineral salts.
The results of water, tissue, and soil will give us a clear understanding of Nutrient elements found in irrigation water and soil, elements that plants are absorbing correctly, the existence of antagonisms between ions or other interferences that impede absorptions of some nutrients.
AGQ Labs can help you monitoring your Industrial Hemp production. Do not hesitate to visit our website.
