A -.—.—n .u.... - E‘HE EFFECT OF FERmIZERs CONTAINING BORAX ON SEED GERMINATION AND PLANT GROWTH OF SEVERAL CEREALS Time“ for ého ’35ng of M. S. MiCHi-CAN STATE COLLEGE. Ham-e j. Guist 3.947 q'c . .~ K . J b ‘ ‘ cw ) 1‘1' . "‘ '7. . _‘ ' This is to certify that the thesis entitled "The Effect of Fertilizers Containing Borax 0n Seed Germination and Plant Growth of Several Cereals" presented by Hollie J. Guist has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for 3.8. degree in Soil Science Major professor D‘te 00150136? 7! 1947 ‘ o wbra l _“ , v.4" . .- ..‘ «a .'i' ) $k‘7.“\e.! . a .H .' ," ~ " ‘l I I; I\ V‘ {ML ‘:l~‘eh .:., ~ .I‘ ‘ x. {-7- ._ ~. ._«_ 12311. L 1 ' - .44- a no . B: — f, 345%,. -"§i§‘=g'i$€z ., . ‘- n .‘f l‘ J '0 4'1 ' , -p . _, s .- .- . . s ." . _. ‘ \ j": . | . 2.". ‘1; ”M. Eyre—E by?“ 1 L t .. I l I I I . s a. I | Q I t 1 I I ,r l I J .t u t I I [I A . ‘t '. ‘A I. .‘ 'I v I PLACE IN RETURN BOX to remove this checkout from your record. TO AVOID FINES return on or before date due. DATE DUE DATE DUE DATE DUE Mu. 1‘ ‘ ~11” E .. 2‘"? MSU Is An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution ",,.‘. . 'i -"\ otmz.) “'1 ‘D .V‘IQII I .I, t l I i r I u '1 '9 r .' -. l t I THE EFFECT OF FERTILIZERS CONTAINING BORAX ON SEED GERMINATION AND PLANT GROWTH OF SEVERAL CEREALS by HOLLIE J. GUIST m A THESIS Submitted to the Graduate School of Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Department of Soil Science 1947 THES‘S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The writer wishes to thank Dr. C.E. Millar for his helpful suggestions and guidance throughout the progress of the work. He also wishes to show his gratitude to Dr. Kirk Lawton for his criticism of the manuscript and to Drs. R.L. Cook and L.M. Turk for their kindly assistance and advice. I. II. III. IV. v. VI. CONTENTS IITRODUOTION REVIEW OF LITERATURE PROCEDURE DISCUSSION Plant Symptoms Yield Results SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS LITERATURE CITED '0 16 28 31 THE EFFECTIQE FERTILIZERS CONTAINING BORAX‘QN_SEED GERMINATION AND PLANT GROWTH OF SEVERAL CEREALS I. INTRODUCTION It has long been known that boron is essential to plant growth. Boron was found in the ash of plants as far back as 1857 by Uittstein and Apoiger, according to Muhr (12). Shiva (18) reports that Agulhon and Bertrand were among the first to show the practical significance of boron in agricul- ture. They studied its stimulating effect at low concentra- tions and its toxic effect at higher concentrations. That it is essential for the normal growth of most plants has since been definitely established. Recently, boron deficiency has shown up in this country, due probably to intensive cropping, imprOper rotation and lack of fertilization. IIt is generally accepted that organic manures produced from feed not deficient in plant food, contain small amounts of minor elements in- cluding boron." (ggggguin_ggriculture, (25). With the passing of the use of organic manures, this return has been greatly lowered possibly causing the deficiency. With the problem of a deficiency of a minor element and its solution, new problems are always encountered. What constitutes one is an over supply or a surplus of these ele- ments. Another more specific, can heron containing fertilizers be used on crops other than those for which they were purchased? This latter problem is the basis for the work this author has undertaken. At what point do these boron containing fertilizers become harmful on certain crops? Do excessive amounts of boron -3... affect the yield, germination, and growth of corn, oats and barley? It has been definitely established that different plants require different amounts of boron. Also, they will tolerate widely varying amounts of boron. Literature along these lines is very extensive. Some soils are boron deficient by nature of their geo- grahphical location. According to Whitstone, Robinson and Byers (23), parts of Michigan fall into the boron deficient soil from the plant's standpoint. Cook (6) found that large areas of Michigan upland soils were deficient in available boron to grow good crops. In other work Cook and Hillar (7) showed one soil that had an inadequate supply of boron for 'corn and barley. Special crops have brought forth the use of boron fertilizers on deficient soils and also on soils that are am- ply supplied with boron to grow most crops. The improved quality of product and greater yield, as in the case of sugar beets, resulting from the addition of boron, brings this ques- tion to mind. If boron is so beneficial for sugar beets, why won't it help other crops? The growing acceptance of boron for certain agricultural crops is shown by Drosdoff's (8) report that in 1937 hardly any boron was used as a fertilizer. In 1945 about 3,700 tons were used. The small amounts needed per acre give this amount a widespread acreage. -3— 11. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Investigations of boron toxicity were brought about during and immediately after the First World War when injury to crops was traced to potassium fertilizers which contained excessive amounts of borax. Conner (5) reported that crop damage was enormous from these fertilizers obtained from several sources. He discovered that an application of 100 pounds of fertilizer containing two per cent borax when applied in the furrow caused injury in some cases. Also, this caused most damage when applied to the row; increased amounts were necessary to produce the same results when broad- cast. He reported that drilling from 0.5 pounds to 4.0 pounds of anhydrous borax to the acre caused injury, while it required 16.0 to 18.0 pounds anhydrous borax broadcast to cause the same damage. These results were substantiated by Blair and Brown (3), Neller and Horse (15), Plummer and Wolf (16), Muhr (12), and others. Along this same line, Purvis (17) showed that there was a great variation from state to state and between soils. He recommended a maximum of ten pounds of borax per acre for corn, while Eaton and Wilcox (9) gave figures for general use cover- ing the crops. They stated that when the concentration of boron in the soil was greater than 0.5 to 5.0 p.p.m., growth damage usually occurred. On the other hand Blackwell and Collings (2) working - 4 - with potash salt, containing 17.75 per cent boron (NABB4O7) used in quantities varying from twenty-five to a thousand pounds per acre, did not prevent the germination or early growth of young corn plants. They also reported that appli- cations of commercial borax ranging from fifty-four to four hundred pounds per acre on corn had no harmful effects. Their experiments were carried on late in the season, the plantings were followed by heavy rains, and the corn was harvested when eighteen inches high. The lisconsin Agricultural Experimental Station (26) showed that very small percentages of boron in 3-18-9 ferti- lizer reduced corn yields on red clay loam; also, there was a more marked appearance of firing of leaves during drought on the plots which received boron. Skinner, Brown and Reid (19) reported that corn displayed a marked reaction to borox. Imme- diate planting after boron application showed toxicity where only two to three pounds per acre of boron was drilled in. Where the fertilizer was broadcast, it took ten pounds to give the same toxic results. In order to depress the yields, they found that it took four pounds of boron when drilled in and twenty pounds when broadcast. Where applications of fifty pounds of borax to the acre were used, there was practically no plant growth. Brenchley (4) reported that barley showed stimulation to the eye, but this is not borne out by the dry weights when the lower concentrations of boron were used. Sommer (20) found that -5.- boron is necessary for corn and barley. Without it, they will not reach the flowering stage. Haze (11) discovered in the early 1900's that boron was one of the minor elements essential in the growth of Maize. Yokum (24) reports that boron is necessary for cell division. Truog (22) reports that the reduced yields of some fields after the application of lime is really only the lowered availability of boron. The amount present in fertile soils in the available form is usually not more than one to five pounds per acre of plow layer. In some soils, particularly those that are low in organic matter and have been severely leached and exhaustively cropped have such a low content of available boron that liming greatly reduces yield. Naftel (14) was probably the first investigator in this country to show the relationship of over-liming to a deficiency of available boron. Boron deficiencies under field conditions occurred more often on alkaline than on acid soils according to Berger and Truog (1). Also, they noted a direct positive correlation be- tween available boron and percentage of organic matter in acid soils. A negative correlation between pH and available boron holding organic matter constant was found in alkaline soils, indicating that pH exggtfaa greater influence on the availability of boron in.alkaline/than does organic matter. Using acid soils, they found that organic matter excited the greater influence. Carrying their studies farther, Berger and Truog (l) us... report that in Wisconsin soils having a pH below 7.3 and contain- ing considerable organic matter usually contain adequate supplies of available boron. All soils containing less than two per cent organic matter and also those containing significant amounts of calcium carbonate are usually low in availatle boron. Eaton and Wilcox (9) state that increasing soil acidity will increase the concentration of boron in the soil solution. III. PROCEDURE Three craps, corn, oats and barley, were grown on four different soils in the greenhouse. In the field corn was the only crop grown on a single soil, Hillsdale sandy loam. The soils that were selected for use in the greenhouse were Miami sandy loam, Conover sandy loam, Hillsdale sandy loam, and Brooks- ton loam. The Hillsdale soil was used in the greenhouse because it was also used in the field plots. The other three soils, Miami, Conover and Brookston, were chosen because they represent- ed soils of the areas where boron containing fertilizers are most used.. The three soils, Brookston, Conover and Miami, were ob- tained from the Dr. R. L. Cook farm in Clinton County, Michigan. The soils were allowed to dry to a good, workable con- dition, then screened to pass a one-quarter inch mesh screen. As soon.as the soil was screened, it was weighed and potted using sixteen kilograms of soil and four-gallon, glazed pots for the corn. For the cats and barley cultures five kilograms of soil were placed in asphalt-coated, one and one-half gallon -7... clay pots. The same procedure was followed for each of the four soils. Each treatment in the greenhouse was set up in tripli- cate. The boron was supplied as N823407 which contains 21.5 per cent boron by weight. The treatments were as follows: 1. 300 pounds fertilizer without boron. 2. 300 pounds fertilizef containing 2§% boron (7i pounds of boron) per acre. 3. 300 pounds fertilizer containing 5% boron (15 pounds of boron) per acre. 4. 500 pounds fertilizer without boron. 5. 500 pounds fertilizer containing 2%% boron (12§ pounds of boron) per acre. 6. 500 pounds fertilizer containing 5% boron (25 pounds of boron) per acre. The fertilizer used on the heavy soils was a 2-16-8; on the Hillsdale an application of 3-12-12 was used. The fertilizers were applied as row applications ina ring inside and below the depth ofplanting of the seeds. The seeds were planted immediately after applying the fertilizer. Eight kernels of corn were planted per jar, using an early hybrid, 523. These were later thinned to three, then to two plants. Marion oats and Wisconsin 38 barley were planted at the rate of thirty seeds per Jar. These were thinned to twelve and were later thinned to nine plants per jar. The optimum moisture content of the soil in the Jars was maintained throughout the growing period. Due to the ex- °Tota1 amount of boron by weight used per acre in greenhouse applications. - g - cessive summer heat in the greenhouse, the cats and barley were moved outside under a protective wire screen. A representative sample of each soil was taken before treatment. Chemical determinations were made on each soil for pH, available phosphorous and potash, by the modified Spurway quick tests (21). Tissue tests were made according to methods prescribed by Dr. R. L. Cook of Michigan State College. In making these tests one corn plant from each jar and three plants from each jar of cats and barley were used. The corn was harvested after a growth period of seventy days, while the cats and barley were allowed to grow for eighty days. The harvested plants were left to air dry for ten.days, then placed in an oven at 85° C. for sixty hours. A 3-12-12 fertilizer with 2.5 per cent and 5 per cent here: was mixed in before applying to the field plots of corn. Borax, containing 11.34 per cent boron by weight, was used in mixing the field fertilizers. The borax was thoroughly ndxed in the fertilizers in a mixing machine, and the corn and ferti- lizer were drilled simultaneously. IV. DISCUSSION All four of the soils used in the greenhouse were tested by the modified Spurway quick test (21) for soil reaction, avail- able phosphorous and potash. The results of the pH test showed all the soils to be on the acid side ranging from pH 5.25 on the Miami to 6.10 on the Brookston. See Table l for the complete results. Table 1. Results of the quick tests on the greenhouse and field soils. Available—Ribspho- Available:Rotash Soils spH rous.Poundsgper Acre Pounds Per Acre Brookston 6.10 66.0 208 Conover 5.60 22.4 148 Miami 5.25 30.8 176 Hillsdale 5.65 49.6 76 Hillsdale‘ 5.60 14.0 34 ‘TTIn the field)“ Berger and Truog (1) report that boron deficiencies are more common in the field on alkaline than acid soils. They also found a positive correlation to exist between available boron and per cent of organic matter in acid soils. This did not hold true on alkaline soils. In Wisconsin soils, having a pH below 7.3 and containing considerable organic matter, usually contain adequate supplies of available boron. All soils, con- taining less than two per cent of organic matter, and also those, containing significant amounts of calcium carbonate, are invariably low in available boron. Plant Sympt oms The plants grown in the greenhouse on the treatments where boron was applied developed toxic signs in eight days or less depending upon the strength of the boron treatment. An edge scorch or browning of the leaf edges appeared shortly after emergence and increased in intensity until harvest time. These symptoms according to HUNGER SIGNS IN CROPS (27) indicate boron toxicity on corn. The amount of leaf edge scorch was dependent upon the amount of boron in the treatment. See Plate 1. Plate 1. Corn leaves showing degree of edge scorch according to treatment. 1. Boron at the rate of 25 pounds per acre. 2. Normal leaf without boron. 3. Boron at the rate of 15 pounds per acre. Symptoms similar to the corn also appeared on the cats where boron had been applied at the rate of seven and one-half pounds to the sore. These signs appeared within the first two —11— weeks of growth on all treatments where boron was applied. According to Dr. R. L. Cook of Michigan State College, these are the usual symptoms of boron toxicity on oats. These symp- toms remained and spread somewhat as the plant grew and were very evident at the time of harvest. See Plate 2. Plate 2. Cat plant showing signs of toxicity where twenty- five pounds per acre of boron was applied. - 13 - Differing in appearance were the barley plants where boron was used in the treatment. Here, as was the case before, the symptoms of excess boron, brown spots on the leaves, appeared within the first ten days of growth. These symptoms increased as the plant grew and were very much in evidence at the time of harvest. See Plate 3. Plate 3. Barley plants showing the brown spotting of the leaves where twenty-five pounds to the acre of boron was used. -13.... The symptoms of boron toxicity on all three crops were very similar to those of potassimaiieficiency. Jones and Scarseth (10) reported that there was a relationship of boron and potassium with the presence of potassium influencing the response of the plant toward boron. This work and the resem- blance of symptoms to potassium deficiency prompted the test- ing of the green tissue of the growing plants for a deficiency in the elements, potassium, nitrogen and phosphorous. The re- sults of the tests show no deficiencies in potassium where the toxic symptoms appear. See Table 2. This bears out the above work that the presence of potassium influences the plant toward the boron. In only three cases was a deficiency evident, that of nitrogen on the Brookston soil where only three hundred pounds of fertilizer were used. This probably was due to the rapid growth of the plant which tied up all the available nitrogen. The corn in the field developed no toxic symptoms even where borax was applied at the rate of twenty-five pounds to the sore. There was, however, a definite growth difference in the plants all through the season. This is shown very clearly in the yield results, Table 3, of the different treatments. This lack of symptoms of toxicity might be due to the fact that heavy rains fell immediately after planting. Skinner, Brown and Reid (19) reported that injury was modified according to rainfall. The work of Blackwell and Collings (2) also supports this theory. There is no explanation for the higher yields where the treat- ment was 12.5 pounds of borax over the 7.5 pounds treatment. Table 3. Yields of the various treatments of corn grown on a Hillsdale sandy loam. Treatmegts in_Rounds per Acre 1 Yields in 1 2; 5 4 5 6 pounds of 300; 305; ‘EDDF “ROOF ROOF 500? green 5-12-12 3-12-12 3-12-12 5-12-12 3-12-12 5-12-12 CHECK fodder 7.5#B I§#B 12.5#B 25#B lgt Plot 292 258 255 293 321 165 200 329 Plot 297 __224 240 322 258 190 --— TOTAL 589 532 505 §;5_ 579 555 200 Most noticeable in the field, however, was the number of plants missing in the plots where the boron was applied. A plot one hundred feet long was laid out and the number of plants standing per row in each treatment were counted before harvest- ing. The six rows of each treatment were averaged, and it was found that there was an average of ninety-nine plants per row in the number four treatment and only 57.5 plants in the number six treatment where twenty-five pounds of ©0183 were used per acre. See Table 4. The yield on these same treatments varied from 615 pounds.on treatment four to 355 pounds where twenty- five pounds per acre of borax was applied. This is a 42 per cent reduction in plants standing and 43 per cent reduction in yield. In the controlled greenhouse work on the corn the results were much more pronounced. Here, except for one soil, Brookston, boron seemed to have a very depressing effect on the yield, even where only 7.5 pounds of boron per acre were applied. _ 15 - Results of the tissue tests run on Corn, Cats and Barley grown in the greenhouse. Table 2. Conover O Brookston :: Hillsdale :: Treatment . TE: x AL M x x x N a IX Hx H Xi H r "a "e .. O .0 Q. D. O. O. "s .m 5-12-123 P :E L 500# u H ”n ex M w“ .x L. an “M VL .L as r. .4 .n M; n“ .x .L an "x M n“ "n on .LT 1» r“ vi "u "n rs .b an ex .Lfi n“ M vi "a "M '4 "m "u a; "u VA H“ "M H x MLH x L H "A an ya "a “u re .L "n M on .LJ M VA .L M "u re .4 "h vs .L an em w" b. "a w" b. we 3-12-12' 25# Boron O - Nitrogen Absent H - High M - Medium X - Nitrogen L - Low Amounts Present: See table below for explanation of symbols. N - Nitrogen P - Phosphorous K - Potash Elements: - 15 - Table 4. Plant count of the corn grown on the Hillsdale soil in the field. Aim. No. of:Plants pe£:Row in Each Trgatment 4 _1_. 3 ___. __________ No B 7735 1535 No B 12—57;... B 2‘55 No Fer- per gigper A. per A. per A. per A. per A. tilizer l_s_t Pl ot 101 83 82 102 101 50 79 2nd Plot 94 95 83 96 75 65 -- Average 97.5 89 82.5 99 88 57.5 79 Yield Results The corn in the greenhouse germinated and emerged within a week after planting. A difference in growth was noted in about ten days after emergence. This difference remained very notice- able until the time the corn tasselled, and showed up in the yield records even though it was not as noticeable at harvest time. The greatest difference in growth was shown on the Miami soil, see Plates 4 and 5. Corresponding differences in growth were noted on the Conover and gillsdale soils, sec Plates 6, 7, 8 and 9. The greatest growth at the end of this thirty-day period was on the Brookston soil, see Plates 10 and 11. The detrimental effect of added boron on crop growth in different soils varied greatly as is seen in the respective plates and yields. The greatest growth of all the treatments on the Miami, Conover, and Hillsdale soils resulted when 500 pounds of ferti- lizer with no boron was used. See Table 5. On the Brookston soil there was a slight decrease in treatments two and three where boron was used over one where no boron was applied. -17.. Plate 4. Corn on liami soil showing the depressing effect boron has on early growth. Boron applied at the rates of O, 7.5 and 15 pounds per acre. g ,.___“..~.___ Plate 5. Corn on Miami soil showing the depressing effect boron has on early growth. Boron applied at the rates of 0, 18.5 and 35 pounds per acre. -13.. w‘ 0 o r.- _I|.a.. ‘_ t - r _7 g _, _,___ Plate 6. Corn on Conover soil showing the depressing effect boron has on early growth. Boron applied at the rates of 0, 7.5 and 15 pounds per acre. Plate 7. Corn on Conover soil showing the depressing effect boron has on early growth. Boron applied at the rates of O, 13.5 and 25 pounds per acre. - 19 - Plate 8. Corn on Hillsdale soil showing the depressing effect boron has on early growth. Boron applied at the rates of 0, 7.5 and 15 pounds per acre. Plate 9. Corn on Hillsdale soil showing the depressing effect boron has on early growth. Boron applied at the rates of O, 13.5 and 35 pounds per acre. Plate 10. Oorn on Brookston soil showing the depressing ef— fect boron has on early growth. Boron applied at the rates of O, 7.5 and 15 pounds per acre. Plate 11. Corn on Brookston soil showing the depressing ef- fect boron has on early growth. Boron applied at the rates of 0, 13.5 and 25 pounds per acre. - 31 - Table 5. Yields of corn grown in greenhouse on four different soils. Wiight in_g;ams of oven driedftissfie Tr°atment8 Brookston Miami ;fiillsdale Conover 1. 500#/A Fert. No Boron 394 g§9 331 297 2, 300#[A Fert. 2&% I 377 251 g§9 254 3. 300#/A Fert. 5% u ’ 377 247 305 245 4. 500#/§g§ert. No Boron 395 309 355 306 5. 500*[A Fert._g§% « 399 249 307 297 6. 500#/A FBrt. 5g' n 414 231 273 25;___ The Brookston soil showed the least differences in growth between the different treatments. In actual yield the boron did not seem to affect the growth at all. According to the weights it would seem as though with the heavier applications of ferti- liaers, treatments 4, 5 and 6, the boron was not toxic and pos- sibly slightly stimulating. There is no logical explanation to this. Neither is there a reason for the increase in yield on treatment 3 of the Hillsdale soil. Where the seven and a half pounds of boron per acre were used, there was a reduction in yield of 43 grams, but this reduction was only 36 grams from the check plot where fifteen pounds of borax per acre was applied. The growth and yield in the cats varied greatly from soil to soil. Greatest growth occurred on the Brookston soil, while the Conover yielded the least. Poor germination of the first planting necessitated a second planting. The number of seeds that germinated from the first planting could not be -22.- counted, but the germination in the Jars where boron was applied was as low as forty per cent. The average on the treatments without boron was 85 per cent or better. There seemed to tn a gradual decrease in germination as the rate of boron increased. On all soils the 500 pounds to the sore application of ferti- lizer without boron yielded the most. In the lighter treat- ments, 1, 3 and 3, there was hardly any difference in yields as indicated in Table 6. In the heavier treatments of ferti‘ Table 6. Yields of cats grown in green- house on four different soils. Weight in grams of oven dried tissue TreatmentB Eggpkston Miami Hillsdale dBEEVgi 1. 300#[A Fegt, No soron 23.5 15.0 19.5 11.5 2. 30041; Fert, gig I 24.5 _';9.0 20.0 13.0 3. soofilngert. 5% " 23.0 16.0 23.0 :;9.0 4. 500&/A Fert. No Boron g9.5 _19.0 27.0 _15,0 5. 500#[§_Fert. 21% v 1137.0 17.0 .gg.5, 14.0 5. soofili Part. 5% I 20.0 13.5 22.5 10.0 lizer, 4, 5 and 6, there seemed to be a general trend of toxi- city as the boron was applied. This decrease in yield ranged from thirty-three per cent on the Conover soil to sixteen per cent on the Hillsdale. Plates 11-14, inclusive, show the cats at seventy-five days of growth. Results with barley were similar to those of the cats, though not as pronounced. Here again, it was found that germina- tion was low but not as low as cats. The symptoms of toxicity - 33 - .s Plate 11. Oats on Conover 9011 showing the effect of boron treatments: 1) 300# fertilizer without boron, 3) 7.5# B, 3) 15# B, 4) 500* fertilizer without B, 5) 13.5# B, 6) 35* B per acre. ' I . H I 1 \ . ‘ ’ O t i . . f _. ’ I; " ’ I .“ y ‘ . ‘ I \‘ . \ _ ‘\ t , ‘ | . ‘ ~ ' ‘ \ ’1" ' u . .‘ \ .‘ ' . r b ' 4‘- 5 ' N ‘ | ’7 ‘ {V t i \ ‘ " . ’ p a | v ' ' ’I | I ‘ I 1 I 1‘ 7"." . ' t In. ' - ”Mil/I Plate 13. Cats on Miami soil showing the effect of boron treatments: 1) 300# fertilizer without boron, 2) 7.54.1 B, 3) 15# s, 4) 500* fertilizer without B, 5) 13.5'} B, 6) 35* B per acre. r1142?!” r-r— . ,. .. .‘ air;| ' q - 34 _ g the effect of boron fertiliser without boron, 4) 500# fertilizer without 35# 8 per acre. 0# 3, treatments: .5} B, 3) B, 5) 12.5# B Cats on Hil 139919 soil tshowin 2) 7 Plate 13. 1) 30 “‘3 ,9 o O r C ,. n z 8 ._ .1. .1 .. W 1 I O .1 6 an p , B B 1.1 .1 , 3.... a ,, 80 3 n 3 O 6 t)1 ..o .. ......~...,...~,,!..v_. . ., 8 1 , r... fight k )B .p- Haw; _91» o «a «that ...b. A ,1» wins... . .. e. ,. 1...... ..,.,W,..M.m... .3... m 8 a” ..e (a. B t B O n 3 n 6&1 O m t O) 8 £75 .7... e , a r) 0. 0...» BB ut 9 g the effect of boron er without boron B, 4) 500* fertilizer witho Plate 14. -35.. appeared shortly after emergence and increased as the plant grew. The barley was allowed to stand for ninety days, yet they were not fully headed out.’ See Plates 15-18, inclusive, for barley at seventy-five days of growth. As has been the case before, the yield on the Conover was much lower than the other three soils. 0n the barley the boron seems to have had a depressing effect on all soils, though not as great as on the corn and cats. The greatest decrease was on the Brookston where 7.5 pounds of boron was applied. No explanation can be given for this fact and the increase over the check of the Conover at twenty-five pounds of boron. See Table 7. Table 7. Yields of barley grown in the green- house on four different soils. Weight'In grams of oven dried tissue Treatments __grookston :giami Hillsdale Conover 1. 500i/A Fert. No Boron 30.0 25.0 30.5 13,§__ 2. 300#[A Fert. 24% n _;5.0 23.0 29.0 14.0 3. 3004/4 Fert. 5% ' 25.0 25.0 24.5 10.0 4. 5004/4 Fert. N0 Boron 29.0 29.0 29.5 14.0 5. 500#4LF81‘t. 2% n 29.0 329.5 29.0 14.5 5. 500414 Fert. 5% n 25.0 24.0 29.0 15.0 Plate 15. Plate 16. - 26 - Barley on Conover s 11 showing the effect of boron treatments: 1) 500# fertiliser without boron, 2) 7.5# s, 3) 15# 9, 4) 500# fertilizer without B, 5) 13.5# B, 6) 35# B.per acre. Barley on Miami soil showing the effect of boron treatments: 1) 300# fertilizer without boron, 3) 7.5! B, 3) 153 B, 4) 500* fertilizer without B, 5) 13.5# B, 6 25# B per acre. Plate 17. Plate 18. «a 44., :3 :4 Barley on Hillsdale soil showing the effect of boron treatments: 1) 300# fertilizer without boron, 3) 7.5# B, 3) 15# B, 4) 500* fertilizer without B, 5) 13.5} B, 6) 35# B per acre. Barley on Brookston soil showing the effect of boron treatments: 1) 3009 fertilizer without boron, 3) 7.5# B, 5) 15# B, 4) 500# fertilizer without B, 5) 13.5# B, 6) 35# B per acre. V. SUMMARY’ANgacaNCLUSIONS Several different cr0ps were grown in the greenhouse and in the field with commercial fertilizers containing various amounts of boron to determine whether the use of boron was detrimental to the craps and at what boron levels toxicity would occur. Corn was grown on Hillsdale sandy loam in the field and on Brookston, Miami, Conover and Hillsdale soils in the green- house. The treatments consisted of 500 and 500 pounds of ferti— lizer, alone and with 2.5 and 5 per cent boron in the greenhouse. In the field borax was used at the rate of 2.5 and 5 per cent in the fertilizer. A 5—12-12 commercial fertilizer was used on the field and in the greenhouse on the Hillsdale soil. On the other three heavier soils 9 standard 2-16-8 fertilizer was used. The boron was supplied in the field by borax containing 11.34 per cent heron by weight. In the greenhouse sodium borate (N92B4O7) con- taining 21.5 per cent boron by weight was used. The field work was set up in dUplicste and planted June 20. The corn and fertilizer were drilled at the same time. The num— ber of plants per hundred feet of row were counted and the stand tabulated from that. Harvesting was completed by cutting two rows of the average number of plants. Weights of the green fod- der were taken immediately after cutting. Three cr0ps were grown in pot cultures on four different soils. The treatments were the same on each as that used on the corn in the field. Each treatment was grown in triplicate with _ 29 _ two corn plants and nine cat and barley plants reapectively harvested from each pot. Green tissue tests were made on each of the cr0ps after boron toxicity symptoms appeared. These tests were completed when the plants were sixty days old. Harvests of the pot cultures were made when the corn and cats were eighty days and the barley eighty-five days old. The plants were allowed to air dry for several days; then they were oven dried at eighty-five degrees Centigrade for sixty hours. The results of these eXperiments may be summarized as follows: 1. Boron toxicity symptoms appeared on plants when a slight excess of boron was present. They may also be present even if there is no depressing effect on yield. 2. Boron applied at the rate of 2.5 per cent per acre had a depressing effect on yield under the conditions of this eXperiment. 3. Boron had a marked depressing effect on germination in corn, oats and barley. 4. A depressing effect on yields was found for corn even though no toxic signs appeared in the field work. 5. There is a correlation between available potassium and the plants' reaction to boron. When potassium is readily available, boron is also readily accessible on most soils. - 30 - 6. Yields may be increased by the additions of slight amounts of boron, being careful not to use enough to be toxic. 7. Maturity in the corn is delayed by an excess of boron. This was as much as ten to fourteen days in the field. 8. Barley after eighty-five days was not headed out when excessive amounts of boron were added to the soil. 10. 11. 12. 13. - 31 - VI. LITERATURE CITED Berger, K. C. and Truog, E. Boron Availability 13 Relation 39 Soil Reaction and Organic Matter Content. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc. 10:1 3- 1 . 1845. Blackwell, C. P. and Collings, G5 A. Trona Potash: ,g Progress Report. 8. C. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 302. 1920 Blair, A. W. and Brown, B. W. The Influence of Fertilizers Containing Boron on the Yield of Potatoes and Corn — Season 2;,1930. Soil Science 11:369—383. 1931. Brenchley, W. E. On the Action of Certain Compounds 9; Zinc, Arsenic and—Boron on the— Growth of Plants. Ann. Bot. 28: 383-301. 1914. Conner, S. D. The Injurious Effect of Borax in Fertilizers 93 Corn. Proc. _Ind. Acd. Sci. pp. “195-199— 191 . Cook R. L. Boron Deficienc in Michi an Soils. Soil Sci. Soc. P’ro‘o". 2—5—‘21: 75-39 . '1'9‘7—3 . ‘8" Cook, R. L. and Miller, C. E. Some Soil Factors Affectin Boron.Avai1ability. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc. 4: 297-501. 1939. Drosdoff, Matthew. The Use 2£_Minor Elements. U.S.D.A. Yearbook of Agr. 1943-47, p. 579. Eaton, F. M. and Wilcox, L. V. The thavior‘gf Boron in Soils. U. S. D. A. Tech. Bul. 696. 5 . Jones, R. E. and Scarseth, G. D. The Calcium - Boron Balance in Plants as Related to Boron Needs. _fl-w—i 8011 801. 57:25-36. 1944 Maze, P. Influences respectives des elements de la solution minerals sur le develogment du mais. Ann. Inst. -Pasteur. 38: 31-68. 1914. Muhr, Gilbert R. Some Effects of Borax u the Growth, Appearance and Ch hemical Composition of ertain Plants. Thesis or the Degree of h. . Michigan State Collg e. 1940 Naftel, James A. 8011 Limin Investigations: V. The Relation g; Boron De f c encym to .0ver-leing InJur~ . Emer. Soc. of Agron. 30ur. 1 8 . 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 33. 24. 25. 26. 27. - 33 - Naftel, J. A. The Influence Lf Excessive Liming Ln Boron Deficienc! in Soils. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. —Proc. 3: 383. 1937. Neller, J. R. and Morse, W. J. Effects Upon the Growth .2; Potatoes, Corn and Beans. Soil Sci. 13:79-133. 1931. Plummet, J. K. and Wolf, F. A. Injurx‘pp_0rops p1 Borax. N. 0. Dept. Agr. Bul. V41. 30 pages. 1930. Purvis, E. R. The Present Status p§_Boron in American Agriculture. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc. Ear—1 331. 1931. Shive, J. W. Boron in Plant Life - A Brief Historical Survez. Soi1 Sci .‘éo‘fli- 53. 1945‘.” Skinner, J. J., Brown, B. F. and Reid, J. F. The Effect of Borax on the Growth and Yield Lf Crops. U.S.D.A. Dep‘t‘T‘hu'H. "1'1'26'. April, 193‘3"""" Sommer, A. L. The Search for Elements Essential in 0n1 Small Amounts f or P1ant5roth.ScI. 66: 483-484. 1 37. Spurway, C. H. Soil Testin - A Practical Sgstem Lf Soil Diagnosis. Mich. State Agr. Exp. Sta. Tech. Bul. .132. 1933. Truog, Emil. The Liming Soils. U.S.D.A. Yearbook of Agr. 1943-47, pp. 5 67. Whitstone, R. R., Robinson, W. 0. and Byers, H. G. .Boron Distribution in Soils and Related pat . U.S.D.A. Bur. Plant Indus. Tech. Bul. 79?. 1943. Yocum, L. E. Plant Growth. Jacques Cattell Press. 304 pages. p. 169. 1945. . Boron in Agriculture $Rev.) Pacific Coast Borax Company, p. 6. 1944. . What's New inA Agr riculture: Boron. Wis. Agr. Exp. Sta. 56th Ann. Rpt., Mar. 1940. pp. 7-8, 1939. . Hunger Signs 1p,Crgps. Amer. Soc. Agron. and Nat. Fert. Assoc. pp. 3-73 1941. flICHIGQN STQTE UNIV. LIBRARIES III III lllllll llllllll llllllll LHII 3129300104914