Question

Match List-I with List-II

List-I (Essential element)	List-II (Deficiency symptoms)
(A) Nitrogen	(I) Leaf scorching/tip burning
(B) Phosphorus	(II) Failure of terminal bud formation
(C) Potassium	(III) Pale yellow to brown necrosis
(D) Calcium	(IV) Brozing of leaf margin

• A. (A)-(IV), (B)-(II), (C)-(III), (D)-(I)
• B. (A)-(II), (B)-(I), (C)-(III), (D)-(IV)
• C. (A)-(I), (B)-(II), (C)-(IV), (D)-(III)
• D. (A)-(III), (B)-(IV), (C)-(I), (D)-(II)

Hint:

- Mobile nutrients (N, P, K, Mg) show deficiency symptoms on older leaves first.
- Immobile nutrients (Ca, B) show deficiency symptoms on younger leaves and terminal buds first, often causing tip dieback.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Plants require seventeen essential nutrient elements to complete their life cycle.
A deficiency of any of these elements leads to specific, characteristic morphological symptoms in plants, which depend heavily on the mobility of the nutrient within the plant tissues.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us match the essential nutrients with their characteristic deficiency symptoms:
- (A) Nitrogen:
Since nitrogen is highly mobile within the plant, deficiency symptoms first appear on older leaves.
The symptoms include uniform chlorosis (loss of chlorophyll), where leaves turn pale green to light yellow, followed by brown necrosis under severe deficiency as tissues die.
Thus, (A) matches with (III).
- (B) Phosphorus:
Phosphorus deficiency leads to a reduction in growth and causes older leaves to develop a dark green color, followed by the accumulation of anthocyanin pigments, producing purple, reddish, or bronzing tints on leaf margins.
Thus, (B) matches with (IV).
- (C) Potassium:
Potassium is essential for turgor regulation and stomatal control.
Its deficiency causes marginal chlorosis followed by severe leaf scorching, necrosis, and tip burning, particularly starting from the edges of older leaves.
Thus, (C) matches with (I).
- (D) Calcium:
Calcium is highly immobile in plants, meaning it cannot be retranslocated to growing tissues.
Its deficiency affects the rapidly dividing cells of meristems, leading to the death of growing tips and the failure of terminal bud formation.
Thus, (D) matches with (II).
Combining these matches, we obtain the sequence: (A)-(III), (B)-(IV), (C)-(I), (D)-(II).

Step 3: Final Answer:
The correct matching sequence corresponds to Option D.