Symptoms of Excess

Chloride toxicity symptoms have been observed in many field, vegetable, and fruit crops (6,56). Curling of the leaf margins, marginal leaf scorch, leaf necrosis, and leaf drop are typical symptoms. Older leaves are usually the first to exhibit symptoms that may progress upward, affecting the entire foliage. Dieback of the terminal axis and small branches may occur in cases of severe toxicity. These symptoms of chloride toxicity occur in the absence of sodium, but they are also similar to symptoms of salt toxicity that occur when chloride is accompanied by sodium. Crops and cultivars within crops vary widely in tolerance to high levels of chloride, with corn being relatively tolerant to chloride (56) compared to soybean (Glycine max Merr.) (57).