Re: Boron in Soil questions
- To: pumpkins@mallorn.com
- Subject: Re: Boron in Soil questions
- From: R*@aol.com
- Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1999 14:14:05 EST
Boron is an essential nonmetallic micronutrient and exits in the soil in a
number of primary and secondary nutrients. It is absorbed by plants as boric
acid (H3BO3) or one of the borate anions.
Agronomics: Boron is essential for germination of pollen grains and growth of
pollen tubes and is essential for seed and cell wall formation. Boron forms
sugar/borate complexes associated with sugar translocatiion and affects
protein formation. Boron deficiency generally results in stunted plant
growth--the growing point and the younger leaves first because of lack of
mobility in the plant. In many crops the symptoms of boron deficiency are
well defined and quite specific such as crooked and cracked stem in celery,
corky core in apples, black heart in beets, hollow heart in peanuts, and
ringed or banded leaf petioles in cotton. Alfalfa, especially susceptible to
boron deficiency, shows a rosetting (yellow top), then death of the terminal
bud. Coarse-textured sandy soils low in organic matter are typically low in
minerals that contain boron and boron availability. Organic matter is an
important source of soil boron. High soil pH also limits boron availability.
Deficiencies of this element can be determined by soil and plant
analysis.....No idea what acceptable levels are......Thats what I read anyway.
Russ
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