The protection of citrus fruit is once again a top priority in agricultural management, especially during this period, when the new shoots of young trees begin to grow rapidly and the physiological shedding of fruit trees is gradually revealed. Although many growers focus on the use of gibberellin and phosphorus and potassium fertilizers in their agricultural management, they often overlook one crucial element: boron. It may be asked why boron fertilizer needs to be supplemented at this time when boron fertilizer has already been applied in winter, but it is no coincidence that an effective fruit protection program usually includes boron supplementation.
First of all, the content of boron in crops is generally between 2 and 1 percent of dry weight, and among the various organs, flowers and leaves are the most abundant. Boron is essential for increasing pollination rate at flowering and fruit setting at fruiting stage. After flowering, a large number of flowers begin to fall and new leaves are supported by large amounts of boron. Secondly, even if boron fertilizer is applied before flowering, citrus trees still consume a lot of nutrients during the flowering and budding stage, and all kinds of nutrients are at a critical value after flowering, just like the weakness of the mother after childbirth. Nutrients such as nitrogen, boron, and zinc are consumed in large quantities. In addition, the use of circumcision, hormones and other methods to preserve the fruit, although it can temporarily preserve the fruit that would have fallen, but it invisibly increases the burden on the fruit tree, resulting in more nutrient consumption. By supplementing boron in time, the nutritional starvation of young fruits can be avoided and the occurrence of the second physiological shedding can be reduced. Therefore, the use of hormones, circumcision and other methods with high-quality leaf fertilizer can achieve better fruit protection effect.
In the use of boron fertilizer, there are some common misunderstandings, which need to be paid close attention to by fruit farmers.
Top 10 misunderstandings of boron fertilizer
1. Boron only has a significant effect on high-demand boron crops
Some people believe that boron only has a significant effect on crops with high boron requirements, such as oilseed rape, cotton, citrus and other fruit trees. However, boron plays a vital role in the reproductive growth of crops, and all crops need boron, albeit in different quantities. Even in crops with low boron requirements, boron deficiency symptoms can have a significant impact on yields.
2. Crops have no boron deficiency symptoms and do not need to apply boron fertilizer
It has been suggested that boron fertilization is only necessary if crops show symptoms of boron deficiency. However, experiments have shown that there is a hidden need for boron in crops, and the application of boron fertilizer can significantly increase yields even in the absence of boron deficiency symptoms.
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 multiple sprays.
4. Boron fertilizer is mainly applied basally
In the early days, the boron fertilizer introduced in agricultural production was mainly industrial borax, which could only be used by basic application and could not be effectively sprayed. Boron fertilizers are best used in combination with soil basal and foliar sprays.
5. Boron application will affect the future when crops with high and low boron requirements are rotated
Studies have confirmed that even when crops with high boron requirements are rotated with crops with low boron requirements, the rational application of boron fertilizers does not negatively affect the subsequent crops.
6. Boron deficiency in crops has only a small impact on yield or quality
Boron deficiency in crops can lead to the loss of all yields, affecting the high-end market value of all fruits, such as taste, color, etc., and this effect is not easily recovered.
7. Boron is a micro fertilizer and is not as important as N, P and K fertilizers
Boron has an irreplaceable effect on crop flowering and fruiting, and cannot be replaced by the action of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Therefore, boron is as important as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and focusing only on the application of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers and ignoring boron fertilizers will lead to a decrease in yield and quality.
8. Boron-magnesium fertilizer can be used as an alternative to boron fertilizer
Boron-magnesium fertilizer contains far less boron than it can replace boron fertilizer with high boron content, so you need to carefully identify the product when purchasing.
9. Multi-element foliar fertilizer is better than single trace element
BoronFor boron-deficient crops, boron supplementation alone is more effective than foliar fertilizers with multiple elements, as the trace amounts of boron contained in many foliar fertilizers cannot meet the crop's boron requirements.
10. When buying boron fertilizer, do not look at the pure boron content of the product
When buying boron fertilizer, you should pay attention to the pure boron content of the product, inferior or counterfeit boron fertilizer often does not indicate the pure boron content, only vaguely indicates the purity of the product, so it is important to recognize the product when buying and choose a product that is marked with pure boron content.
By correctly understanding and avoiding these boron pitfalls, growers are better able to manage their crops and improve citrus yields and quality.