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Title: Boron

Author
item WIMMER, MONIKA - University Of Bonn
item GUPTA, UMESH - Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada
item Goldberg, Sabine

Submitted to: Handbook of Plant Nutrition
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/21/2014
Publication Date: 5/19/2015
Citation: Wimmer, M.A., Gupta, U.C., Goldberg, S.R. 2015. Boron. In: Barker, A.V., Pilbeam, D.J., editors. Handbook of Plant Nutrition. 2nd edition. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. p. 305-345.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Boron is an essential micronutrient element required for plant growth. Boron deficiency is wide-spread in crop plants throughout the world especially in coarse-textured soils in humid areas. Boron toxicity can also occur, especially in arid regions under irrigation. Plants respond directly to the B concentration in soil solution and only indirectly to the amount of B attached to soil surfaces. Therefore, the soil adsorption complex acts as both a source and a sink for dissolved B and can mitigate phytotoxic soil solution B concentrations. Plant B response is affected by many aspects of B soil chemistry. In this review we will treat several of these topics: i) uptake of boron by plants; ii) physiological responses of plants to boron supply; iii) concentration of boron in plants and plant parts; iv) diagnosis of boron status in plants; v) forms and concentrations of boron in soils; vi) measurement of boron in soils; and vii) boron fertilizers.