Question

White bud in Maize indicates an acute deficiency of.
(a) Sulphur
(b) Potassium
(c) Zinc
(d) Magnesium

Answer 1

A chemical element having an atomic number of 30 with silvery grey in appearance. The properties of this metal include brittleness. They are found to be the first element to be placed in the group 12 of the periodic table.

Complete answer
Trace elements are commonly known as the micronutrient and defined as any element required by living organisms in minute amounts (that is a smaller amount than 0.1 percent by volume, usually as a part of an important enzyme. The required amount is different in various species. The trace element of plants includes manganese, boron, copper, zinc, and molybdenum. If these trace elements are not present in the required amount then they will lead to certain diseases in the plants. The deficiency of zinc in the plants especially in the case of the maize will lead to causing the white bud diseases. In this disease the buds or the young leaves of the maize will become white, colorless, or chlorotic, thus showing white bud disease.

Additional information
-Sulphur causes chlorosis in leaves that are young because veins do not hold a green color and can be much darker in certain cases than the interveinal tissue. They can be obtained from the amino acids-cysteine and methionine.
-Potassium deficiency will lead to the dark spots developing on the leaves. This will result in the prevention of the protein synthesis. They are required in large quantities in meristematic tissues, leaves, buds, and tips on the root.
-Deficiency of Magnesium will result in the presence of the necrotic spots, interveinal chlorosis, and yellow or reddish-purple leaf margins while the midrib remains green. There will be distinct mottling in wheat as yellowish-green patches, and the alfalfa leaves can curl and have reddish undersides. They can be obtained from the component of chlorophyll.

So, the correct answer is ‘Zinc’.

Note:
The Khaira disease is caused by rice plants due to the deficiency of a very important nutrient in the soil. It is a micronutrient known as zinc. So, it is a type of disease in paddy crops which is caused by abiotic factors instead of biotic factors. This disease is common in densely or intensively planted rice fields.