Soil Boron Content and the Effects of Boron Application on Yields of Maize, Soybean, Rice and Sugarbeet in Heilongjiang Province, P R China

Abstract

Using the Systematic Approach methodology, 8 out of 21 soils tested from Heilongjiang province were deficient in boron (B). In field trials, using borax application as basal fertilizer with maize (Zea mays), soybean (Glycine max), rice (Oryza sativa) and sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris) on the eight soils, yields increased by an average of 8.5%, 4.0%,6.6% and 10.2%, respectively. Boron application increased the rate offruiting of the grain crops and reduced physiological disorders of sugarbeet. The capacity of the soils to adsorb boron was not very strong, especially when the concentration of boron added was more than 0.5 mg B kg-l .