Boron deficiencies
Boron has numerous indispensable functions within the plant that are important for the internal quality and yield of the crop. Adequate boron has a positive effect on calcium uptake, the formation and transport of sugars, the strength of cell walls, and flower, fruit, and seed development.
Crops with a high boron requirement include sugar beet, silage maize, potatoes, alfalfa, and cabbage. Examples of boron deficiencies in these crops include heart rot in sugar beet, hollow stems in cabbage, and poor cob formation in silage maize.
Causes
Boron is highly susceptible to leaching and is difficult to retain in soils with limited buffering capacity (CEC) and low organic matter content. Soiltech’s own research has shown that boron leaches almost twice as fast from sandy soil containing 1.3% organic matter compared to the same sandy soil with 4.2% organic matter, and more than 10 times faster than from clay soil containing 9.3% organic matter. The risk of leaching is only increasing due to more extreme rainfall events caused by climate change.
Another cause of boron deficiencies is a negative nutrient balance. This occurs on many arable farming soils due to high crop production levels combined with restrictive fertilization regulations. In other words, more nutrients are removed than can be replenished. This is particularly true for boron, zinc, calcium, and sulfur.
Solution
Given the limited availability of boron, supplemental boron fertilization is necessary in most arable crops. Soiltech offers Optima Soil Humi-B, a user-friendly and effective soil fertilizer that combines the benefits of boron and humic acid.
Optima Soil Humi-B is a pure humic acid product containing 2.3% complexed boron. The humic acid buffers nutrients in the soil and stimulates root growth. The addition of complexed boron also promotes sugar transport toward the roots. In addition, boron plays an important role during pollen formation in the reproductive process.
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