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There's general agreement that 16 nutrients are essential for plant growth.   Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen are supplied by water and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.  The remaining 13 must be supplied by the soil and/or fertilizer (organic or inorganic).  There are some situations when corn shows some symptoms that a nutrient is deficient.  An identification key that shows the various deficiency symptoms that can be found in Minnesota corn fields follows.

The original idea for this key comes from Dr. George Simkins, Aventis Crop Science.   George deserves all of the credit for putting the concept together.

The colored photos were taken by various faculty members (past and current) of the Department of Soil, Water and Climate.

Identification Key: Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms in Corn (PDF)