The critical period for citrus fruit preservation has arrived, and this is a time of great concern for fruit growers. At this stage, the young tree shoots and the fruiting tree enters the physiological fruit drop stage, and although many people focus on using high-quality gibberellin and phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, the final results may not be satisfactory, and one of the key reasons may be to ignore a vital element - boron. One might wonder if boron fertilizer has already been applied in the winter and is needed again, but there is a very important reason why a good fruit preservation program usually includes a reasonable supplement to boron.
First of all, the content of boron in crops is generally 2/10,000 or 3 to 10,000 percent of the dry weight, and flowers and leaves are the most abundant in all organs of crops. Boron is essential for improving pollination rate at flowering and fruit setting at fruiting stage. During the flowering period, a large number of flowers may lead to increased boron consumption, and the rapid growth of new leaves also requires a large amount of boron. Secondly, even if boron fertilizer is supplemented before flowering, the flowering stage of citrus will consume a lot of nutrients, and various nutrients are at a critical value after flowering, just like the mother is in a weak state after giving birth, and the nutrients of fruit trees, especially nitrogen, boron, zinc, etc., will be consumed in large quantities. Third, although the use of circumcision, hormones and other methods to preserve the fruit can temporarily retain the fruit that should have fallen, it invisibly increases the burden on the fruit tree and consumes more nutrients. If not replenished in time, young fruits may experience nutrient starvation, which in turn will lead to a second physiological fruit drop and a large number of fruits will be shed.
However, there are some common misunderstandings in citrus fruit preservation schemes, which need to be paid attention to by fruit growers:
1. Boron only has a significant effect on high-demand boron crops:
Boron plays a vital role in the reproductive growth of crops, and all crops need boron, but the amount required is different. Even for crops with low boron requirements, boron deficiency can severely reduce yields.
2. Crops have no boron deficiency symptoms and do not need to apply boron fertilizer:
Crops have a hidden need for boron, and even in the absence of boron deficiency symptoms, the application of boron fertilizer can significantly increase yields.
3. Crops only need to be fertilized with boron once a year:
Crops require a continuous supply of boron, and short-term interruptions in the supply of boron can also affect yield and quality. Therefore, boron fertilizer should be applied in combination with foliar fertilizer in small quantities and in multiple doses.
4. Boron fertilizer is mainly applied in the basal way:
The combination of soil basal application and foliar spray with boron fertilizer was the most effective.
5. Boron fertilizer application during the rotation of high-demand and low-boron crops will affect the following:
Studies have confirmed that even when cauliflower is rotated with shelf beans, applying more than the recommended dose of boron fertilizer will not have an effect on the stubble beans.
6. Boron deficiency in crops has only a small impact on yield or quality:
Boron deficiency in crops can result in a loss of all yields and affect the high-end market value of all fruits.
7. Boron is a micro fertilizer and is not as important as N, P and K fertilizers:
Boron has an irreplaceable effect on the flowering and fruiting of crops, and the effects of N, P and K cannot replace boron. Boron is as important as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
8. Boron-magnesium fertilizer can be used as an alternative to boron fertilizer:
Boron-magnesium fertilizers have a low boron content and cannot meet the boron needs of crops, so they cannot replace boron fertilizers.
9. Multi-element foliar fertilizer is better than single trace element boron:
Boron supplementation alone is more effective than using multi-element foliar fertilizers because of the higher demand for boron in crops.
10. When buying boron fertilizer, do not look at the pure boron content of the product:
When purchasing boron fertilizer, you should carefully look at the pure boron content of the product to ensure that you are choosing a high-quality product.
During the critical period of citrus fruit preservation, the correct handling of boron supplementation is key to ensuring a good harvest. Through scientific fertilization management, fruit farmers can increase the fruit setting rate, avoid fruit shedding, and ultimately obtain a more abundant fruit harvest.