Agriculture Booklet May 2014 Prevention and Cure of Boron Deficiency in Rice

www.borax.com with the 20 Mule Team Borate Fertilizers

Prevention and Cure of Boron

Deficiency in Rice
 Prevention and Cure of Boron Deficiency in Rice May 2014

Overview
As one of the micronutrients that all plants need, boron plays a primary role
in a number of vital processes in rice such as cell wall biosynthesis, structure
and plasma membrane integrity, carbohydrate metabolism, sugar transport,
lignification, nucleotide synthesis, and respiration.

Micronutrients such as boron are of great importance for
a balanced nutrition for rice growth. Figure 1 illustrates
the Liebig’s Law of Minimum, i.e. the nutrient in the
shortest supply, whether it is a macro, secondary or
micro-nutrient, will limit the yield. One can apply the
optimal levels of all the expensive macronutrients like
N, P, K and secondary nutrients like Mg. However, once
boron in rice is deficient, the yield will leak out just
like water flowing out of the barrel. This is imbalanced
nutrition. When one applies all the nutrients in optimal
levels including the micronutrients like boron, the yield
will be maximized. This is the balanced nutrition.

Figure 1 Illustration of the Liebig’s Law of Minimum

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Prevention and Cure of Boron Deficiency in Rice May 2014

Symptoms Associated with Boron Prevention and Cure of Boron

Deficiency in Rice Deficiency in Cotton Using the 20-Mule
Unlike the deficiency symptoms of macronutrients or Team Borate Fertilizers
secondary nutrients which have gradual appearance
as tell-tale signs, boron deficiency symptoms Boron deficiency affects the rice crop throughout its
appear immediately when deficient. Once appeared, growth cycle. Boron removal by rice grain yield is in the
the symptoms will not be alleviated due to the range of 0.01-0.10 kg per ton, with an average of 0.015
morphological abnormalities of the shoots, leaves and kg per ton. The rice crop yielding 6 ton/ha takes about
roots during their development. 0.09 kg B/ha of which over 60% remains in the straw at
maturity.
Boron is relatively immobile in rice plants. Since boron is
not re-translocated to new growth, deficiency symptoms
usually appear first on young leaves which do not
elongate properly but remain short and narrow. A faint
white/yellow chlorosis may possibly develop near the leaf
· 14.3% B
tip. The next emerging leaves will be folded, bent and
almost white. If such leaves open up, a large part of the · 7kg product required
blade will quickly dry up. When the deficiency is severe, for 1kg B
growth stops completely. The older leaves initially
· 2.5mm particle size
remain dark green but later many white chlorotic spots
are likely to develop on both young and old leaves. New
tillers may still develop during severe boron deficiency
but these quickly show the same symptoms and remain
stunted. Complete failure to set seed has been observed
under severe boron deficiency. Roots of severely affected
plants are stubby, tough and light brown in colour. · 15.0% B
· 6.7kb product required
for 1kg B
· Crystalline

· 20.5% B
· 4.9kg product required
for 1kg B
· Powder

Table 1 The 20 Mule team borate fertilizers

Table 1 lists the 20-Mule Team borate fertilizers.

Granubor® 2 is an ideal material for dry blends that are
applied broadcast preplant or sidedressed. Fertibor®
works best in fertilizer suspensions for preplant
broadcasts, sidedressing or band sprayed over the pre-
emergent seed row. Solubor® allows the most flexibility
for applying boron. It can be dissolved alone in water or
in liquid fertilizers and/or pesticides and then applied to
the soil or directly onto the foliage.

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 Prevention and Cure of Boron Deficiency in Rice May 2014

Apply 20 Mule Team borate fertilizers in soluble forms for rapid treatment of The critical soil level for
boron deficiency broadcast and incorporated before planting, topdressed using occurrence of B deficiency is 0.5
Fertibor® or Granubor® or as foliar spray using Solubor® during vegetative rice mg B/kg hot water extraction
growth. (range of critical level 0.1-0.7
mg B/kg).
For foliar application, 10 g of Solubor® in 15 L of water is a recommended With very high yielding rice
concentration of the spray solution. Solubor® can be mixed with the common under a very heavy fertilizer
insecticides or fungicides used in the nursery. Split the boron foliar spray to 3-4 application regime, Fertibor®/
applications along with the insecticidal or fungicidal spraying rounds. Granubor®/Solubor®
application can be higher on a
For soil application, broadcast or topdress 4-6 kg of Fertibor® or Granubor® per regular basis, depending on the
hectare in one time application before planting or split on twice application half leaf analysis results and visual
dosage before planting and half dosage at vegetative growth stage. symptoms in the fields.

Any attempt to correct boron

deficiency must be made with
the great caution as boron
toxicity can be induced. Always
consult the Department of
Agriculture or an Agronomist to
check the appropriate dosage
before application.

There are many benefits using

the 20-Mule Team borate
fertilizers in rice, including
yield increase by 8 to 20%,
grain filling increase, reduce
in chaffness and the speedy
maturity.

Figure 3 Benefits of using the 20-Mule

Team borate fertilizer

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