Nickel guide
Nickel is the micronutrient the plant needs in the smallest amount. It is part of urease, the enzyme that breaks down urea inside the...
Read the full guideNickel deficiency symptoms: mouse-ear and leaf tip burn
What nickel deficiency looks like, why it is rare in Indian fields, and how to tell it from urea burn and other leaf tip problems.
Nickel deficiency is rare in the field. Where it happens, leaf tips burn because urea is not broken down, new leaves at shoot tips grow small and rounded (mouse-ear), and seeds germinate poorly. Because it is rare and excess is toxic, confirm it with a leaf test before treating.
By Gafar Laiya and the Gujarat Bio Organics team. Updated November 2026.
Crop by crop
| Crop | What you see |
|---|---|
| Legumes | Leaf tip necrosis from urea build-up and weaker nitrogen use. |
| Cereals | Poor seed viability in severe cases. |
| Tree crops | Mouse-ear: small, rounded, blunt leaves at shoot tips, best known in pecan. |
| Crops sprayed with urea | Leaf tip burn where urea is not broken down. |
Look-alikes
- Urea spray burn from too strong a spray: shows within a day or two on the whole sprayed area.
- Boron excess: burns leaf edges of older leaves.
- Salt damage: burns tips and edges on saline water.
What to do
- Rule out the common causes first.
- Test a leaf sample at a lab that tests trace elements.
- Treat only if confirmed.
Confirm and correct
- Confirm with a soil or leaf test before you spend.
- Read the full nickel 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
Nickel and urea: why plants need nickel to use urea
How the nickel enzyme urease lets plants use urea, what happens without it, and why it matters for crops fed mainly with urea.
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.
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 nickel deficiency look like in legumes?
Leaf tip necrosis from urea build-up and weaker nitrogen use.
What does nickel deficiency look like in cereals?
Poor seed viability in severe cases.
What does nickel deficiency look like in tree crops?
Mouse-ear: small, rounded, blunt leaves at shoot tips, best known in pecan.