Boron is an essential nutrient for plant growth and development. It is found in borax and functions in plants to maintain sugar and starch balance, pollination, seed production, cell division, and nutrient transport. Boron deficiency affects plant growth and yields, with symptoms like dying tips, stunted growth, and reduced fertility. Boron is applied to soils using compounds like boric acid, borax, and SoluBor to correct deficiencies.

2. 
Symbol – B
Atomic No - 5
Atomic Weight 10.81
Density 2.46 g/cm3
Melting Point 2075 °C
Boiling Point 4000 °C
Introduction

3. Boron is found in the common mineral
borax, but is rarely seen in pure form, as in
these polycrystalline lumps. While
extremely hard, boron is too brittle in pure
form to have any practical applications.

4. Boron is an essential nutrient for growth
and development of healthy plants. Boron
compounds are used in small
concentrations as micronutrients in
fertilizers. When used in large
concentrations they function as herbicides,
algaecides and other pesticides.

5. 
Functions of boron in
plants
Essential for maintaining a balance between
sugar and starch and helps in the translocation of
sugar and carbohydrates
 Important in pollination and seed production
Necessary for normal cell division, nitrogen
metabolism and protein formation

6. Boron is an essential element for plant’s
development, growth, crop yielding and seed
development. It helps with the transfer of water
and nutrition in plants. Though plants’ boron
requirements are very low in quantity, their
growth and crop yields are severely affected when
soil is boron deficient.

7. 
 Boric acid is commonly used in the agriculture industry as
a source of boron for liquid fertilizers. These liquid boron
fertilizers are typically about 10% boron, and are used for
soil and foliar applications.
 Borates in solid form can be applied directly onto soil,
where in humid conditions they will readily dissolve then
be taken up by the plants’ roots. The commonly used
borates are granular borax pentahydrate (Etibor 48) and
granular ulexite.
Sources

8. Boron-based herbicides are produced
from borax and boric acid. They are
generally mixed with sodium chloride or
other chemicals
Products used in fertilizer include borax
decahydrate and borax pentahydrate

9.  An adequate amount of boron in the soil is
12 mg/kg. If the boron content of the soil drops
below 0.14 mg/kg then boron deficiency is likely
to be observed.
Boron deficiency is a common deficiency of the
micronutrient boron in plants
Boron deficiency affects vegetative and
reproductive growth of plants, resulting in
inhibition of cell expansion, death of meristem,
and reduced fertility.
Boron deficiency in plants

10. 
Symptoms include dying growing tips,
Bushy stunted growth,
In extreme cases may prevent fruit set
 Highly leached sandy soils are also characteristic
of boron deficiency because the boron will not be
retained in the soil
Symptoms

11. 
 Boric acid (16.5%boron), borax (11.3% boron) or SoluBor
(20.5% boron) can be applied to soils to correct boron
deficiency.
 Typical applications of actual boron are about
1.1 kg/hectare or 1.0 lb/acre but optimum levels of boron
vary with plant type.
 Excess boron is toxic to plants so care must be taken to
ensure correct application rate and even coverage.
Treatment