BORON IN SUSTAINABLE SOIL FERTILITY

Abstract

Boron is an essential nutrient element for plants. The amount of available boron in the soil should be at a level that can meet the nutritional needs of the plants. Otherwise, boron deficiency symptoms begin to appear in plants. Many abiotic and biotic factors affect the amount of available boron in the soil. Soil reaction (pH) below neutral, increase in soil organic matter, increase in soil parent material in arid and semi-arid regions, smectite clay mineral type, thinning of soil texture, increase in moisture content in soil positively affect the amount of available boron. On the other hand, hydrous iron-aluminum oxides in the soil, salinity increase, liming, and calcium and magnesium increase in the soil reduce the available of boron. Boron is involved in many plant metabolisms such as cell division, carbohydrate metabolism, protein synthesis, oxidative stress, and RNA synthesis in plants. Among plants, plants such as sugar beet, sunflower, grapes, walnuts, peaches and apples are susceptible to boron deficiency, while plants such as barley, wheat, peas, peppers and beans are more resistant. © 2021 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.