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Interaction Effects of Boron and Lime on Barley
Author(s) -
Gupta Umesh C.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1972.03615995003600020036x
Subject(s) - lime , chemistry , boron , straw , hordeum vulgare , soil ph , zoology , nuclear chemistry , horticulture , agronomy , soil water , poaceae , biology , inorganic chemistry , organic chemistry , paleontology , ecology
A greenhouse study involving six levels of B and four levels of lime was conducted on barley ( Hordeum distichon L., cultivar ‘Herta’). Boron toxicity symptoms occurred at 0.5 to 4.0 ppm applied B, with the most severe symptoms occurring at 4.0 ppm B level at soil pH 5.3. At 0.5 ppm B, no visible symptoms occurred at pH values of 6.3 and 6.8, and at 1.0 ppm B no symptoms occurred at pH 6.8. There was a highly significant soil pH × B interaction, in which high rates of B were more detrimental to kernel yields at lower pH than at high pH values. The highest kernel yields were recorded with 0.25 ppm B at soil pH 5.8. An application of 4.0 ppm B at soil pH 5.3 and 5.8 did not produce any kernels. The B concentrations of boot stage tissue (b.s.t.) and straw showed a B × pH interaction resulting in decreased B with increasing rates of lime. The lowest concentrations of 1.9 to 5.1 ppm B were found in the B 1 treatments. A B concentration of about 12 ppm in the b.s.t. and of 7 ppm in straw at soil pH 5.8 appeared to be related to maximum yields. Boron deficiency was related to B concentrations of about 2 to 5 ppm and Ca/B ratios of about 540 and higher in the b.s.t. A Ca/B ratio of about 180 appeared to be optimum, while ratios of 10 to 45 were in the severe B toxicity range. The Ca/B ratios of > 697 in straw were associated with B deficiency. A Ca/B ratio of 260 appeared to be sufficient and ratios of 7 to 22 were related to severe B toxicity. A range in the B concentration of 1.4 to 9.9 ppm and in Ca/B ratio of 343 to 1,159 in the b.s.t. collected from Prince Edward Island fields indicated a deficiency of B in many soils for growing barley. However, no visible B deficiency symptoms were found either under greenhouse or field conditions.