Boron in Soils and Crops

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the various methods of analyzing the amount of boron present in plants and soil. The early methods of analysis for boron were designed chiefly to detect large amounts and involved separation and estimation by gravimetric or volumetric procedures. Typical of these procedures are those that involve the distillation of the methyl ester of boric acid followed by titration or weighing. Some of these procedures include titrimetric procedures, spectroscopic methods, colorimetric methods, and biological methods. The chapter also discusses various factors affecting the availability of boron in soil and the requirement of boron in plants. Although it has been found that boron availability is decreased in many cases by an excess of lime, the greatest areas of boron deficiency are found in the humid regions where the soil is generally acidic. Another factor that contributes to the loss of boron in soil is leaching. Boron plays a major role in the development of plants. It is essential to cell division in the meristematic tissues and in the cambium. Boron deficiency leads to the death of the terminal growing point of the stem, breakdown of the conducting tissues of the stem, brittleness of the stem and petiole, and an extremely poor growth of roots, which tend to develop an unhealthy brownish color.