Manganese guide
Manganese is a micronutrient the crop needs to split water in photosynthesis, to switch on enzymes and to build lignin, which strengthens...
Read the full guideManganese deficiency symptoms crop by crop
How manganese deficiency looks in wheat, citrus, sugarcane, pulses, potato and paddy, how to tell it from iron and magnesium, and how to confirm it.
Manganese deficiency shows on young and middle leaves as pale areas between the veins, with broad green bands along the veins and often small grey or brown spots. Wheat on light soils after paddy, citrus on alkaline soils and sugarcane on calcareous soils are commonly affected.
By Gafar Laiya and the Gujarat Bio Organics team. Updated November 2026.
Crop by crop
| Crop | What you see |
|---|---|
| Wheat | Pale stripes between veins and grey-brown specks on middle leaves, common on light soils after paddy. |
| Citrus | Pale areas between veins with broad green bands, a softer pattern than zinc or iron. |
| Sugarcane | Pale stripes between veins of young leaves. |
| Soybean and pulses | Pale leaves with green veins and weak growth on alkaline soils. |
| Potato and vegetables | Pale young leaves with small brown spots. |
| Paddy | Pale, short plants on highly alkaline, low organic matter soils. |
How to tell it apart
| Nutrient | Leaves affected | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | Young and middle | Pale between veins, broad green bands, small spots |
| Iron | Youngest | Yellow with a fine green vein net, no spots |
| Magnesium | Oldest | Yellow between veins, often reddish tints |
| Zinc | Young | Small, narrow, bunched leaves |
When to look
- Four to eight weeks after sowing wheat on light soils.
- On new flushes of citrus.
- During cool, dry weather.
Confirm and correct
- Confirm with a soil or leaf test before you spend.
- Read the full manganese guide for causes and correction.
- Use the symptom guide to compare with other nutrients.
Doses depend on the crop, soil and product, so this page gives methods, not amounts. Take the dose from your soil test report, the product label or your local agriculture officer or KVK. Results differ from farm to farm with soil, weather, crop and management. Farmer experiences on this site are their own reports, not a promise of results.
Read next
Manganese deficiency in wheat after paddy
Why wheat sown after paddy on light soils often runs short of manganese, how to spot it early, and how growers correct it.
Read the full guideHow Gujarat Bio Organics can help
Since 2006, lakhs of farmers from Kashmir to Kanyakumari have used Immunity products on almost every crop: from the mango farms around Somnath to the apple orchards of Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir, the tea estates of Assam and Darjeeling, and the banana, coconut and cardamom farms of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. Each Special is one formula made for one crop and its common problems. Tell us your crop, soil test and what you see, and our team will tell you what to check, whether a micronutrient correction is needed, and which Special fits your programme.
- Wheat and cereals guide and Immunity Dhanya Special
- Citrus guide and Immunity Citrus Special
- Sugarcane guide and Immunity Sugarcane Special
- Potato guide and Immunity Potato Special
Results differ from farm to farm with soil, weather, crop and management. Farmer experiences on this site are their own reports, not a promise of results.
Questions
What does manganese deficiency look like in wheat?
Pale stripes between veins and grey-brown specks on middle leaves, common on light soils after paddy.
What does manganese deficiency look like in citrus?
Pale areas between veins with broad green bands, a softer pattern than zinc or iron.
What does manganese deficiency look like in sugarcane?
Pale stripes between veins of young leaves.