Yellow maize seedlings: nitrogen, zinc, herbicide, waterlog — pick one
Old-leaf yellow, new-leaf stripe, a spray pattern, or wilt by day.
- Yellow between veins on new leaves, short internodes — more zinc. Even yellow on old leaves — more nitrogen.
- A spray time, twisted heart leaves, irregular spots.
- Don’t greet every yellow with urea; don’t treat four yellows with one bottle.
- Seedling nitrogen: Little and split, follow a soil test. Only on the nitrogen-shortage path
- Name what you see before you feed.
- If leaves, roots and the surface disagree, stop.
- One urea bag does not cover four roads.
- Leaf position, root, soil surface, spray history — then act.
What you see in the field
Maize seedling yellow splits: old-leaf uniform like N; striping like zinc; twist like herbicide; wet roots like waterlogging.First the leaf position: new or old, even yellow or between the veins. If that does not match, do not fertilise yet. Pull one plant and read whether the roots are white, brown or foul.
Tap to enlarge. The caption says what to photograph. Missing field photos are marked as to-be-added.
Why it looks like this
The field looks like this because the root cannot take water or nutrients the usual way. Fix the soil condition first — drainage, salt, acidity, compaction or a salt of fertiliser — then a thin feed. Rates live in the range on this page; confirm with a local station and the label.
Easy to mix up
Looks like “Zinc-white seedlings”
Yellow between veins on new leaves, short internodes — more zinc. Even yellow on old leaves — more nitrogen.
Looks like “Herbicide injury”
A spray time, twisted heart leaves, irregular spots.
Do this / don’t do that
- 1Compare the worst plants with a neighbour ridge. Photograph whole plant, close-up and soil surface before you add fertiliser.
- 2Match roots, leaves and the soil surface to this guide. If they do not line up, do not copy a bag count.
- 3Use the rate range on this page only as a range. Confirm with a local station and the product label.
Don’t do this first
- Don’t greet every yellow with urea; don’t treat four yellows with one bottle.
Rate range
Seedling nitrogen
Little and split, follow a soil test
Only on the nitrogen-shortage path.
Foliar zinc
The labelled lower rate
Only on the zinc-shortage path.
These are ranges. Confirm with your local extension station and the product label.
When you see Maize seedling yellow splits: old-leaf uniform like N; striping like zinc; twist like herbicide; wet roots like waterlogging, test. Take soil from the bad patch and from a greener neighbour, separately.
Lesson video
2026-03-02 · Li Zeyu · For learning. Serious damage: local agronomist or a soil test.
For learning only. Fertiliser and pesticide decisions need a local agronomist and a soil test.
Not sure? Photograph the field to identify the problem