Availability of Boron in Various Boronated Fertilizers
1968
Mortvedt, J. J. (John J.)
Rates of B dissolution from various boronated fertilizer granules in soil increased with the level of water-soluble B in the fertilizers. Effectiveness of B for alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) was similar whether partially dehydrated borax (Na₂B₄O₇ · 5H₂O) was either mixed alone with the soil or incorporated with various fertilizers and applied to the soil in a greenhouse experiment. Uptake of B increased with rate of applied B, but forage yields were not affected. Plant uptake of B correlated well with a combination of the level of water-soluble B in the fertilizers and the number of granules applied, but not with either parameter alone. This suggests that dissolution of B from boronated fertilizers and distribution in the soil are important for optimum application of B with macronutrient fertilizers. Forage yields and P uptake by corn (Zea mays L.) and alfalfa were increased with rate of P applied as concentrated superphosphate (CSP) in another greenhouse test. The inclusion of various concentrations of B as borax in CSP granules did not affect yields or P uptake by either crop, indicating that borax can be incorporated into this fertilizer without impairing its effectiveness as a P source.
Show more [+] Less [-]AGROVOC Keywords
Bibliographic information
This bibliographic record has been provided by National Agricultural Library