Why Are Paddy Leaves Turning Yellow? Causes, Identification & Solutions
Why are paddy leaves turning yellow? Distinguish nitrogen deficiency, iron chlorosis, root rot and zinc deficiency with symptoms and field remedies.
Visible Symptoms
Older lower leaves turn pale yellow starting from the leaf tip moving down the midrib, or young upper leaves emerge bleached yellow-white in alkaline soils.
Primary Causes
- Nitrogen deficiency (yellowing begins on oldest lower leaves, moving upward).
- Zinc deficiency (Khaira disease: rusty bronze/brown streaks on mid-tier leaves 2–3 weeks after transplanting).
- Iron chlorosis (youngest topmost leaves turn creamy white, common in calcareous or sandy soils with high pH).
- Waterlogged root suffocation / hydrogen sulfide toxicity (blackened rotting roots with rotten egg smell).
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I differentiate nitrogen deficiency from zinc deficiency in paddy?
Nitrogen deficiency turns older bottom leaves uniformly yellow starting from the leaf tip along the midrib. Zinc deficiency causes bronze or reddish-brown rusty patches appearing 2 to 3 weeks after transplanting on third and fourth leaves.
Will spraying urea immediately cure yellow leaves in rice?
Only if the root cause is nitrogen deficiency. If the problem is zinc deficiency or iron chlorosis, adding more urea will not solve the yellowing and can exacerbate vegetative rankness and sheath blight.