The boron and calcium content and yield of three crops receiving various boron and lime treatments

Experiments were conducted to study the effects of additions of B and limestone on the yields of three crops and their B and Ca contents. A corn (Zea mays L.). cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). and soybean (Glycine max) cultivar was grown on a Loring silt loam from 1969 through 1971. Plant and soil samples were taken to determine the Ca and B contents of the plants and the available soil B levels.

Fertilizer B applications significantly increased com yields in two of the three years. The yields of cotton and soybeans were not affected by fertilizer B. Cotton and soybean yields were significantly increased by liming.

In general, the Ca and B leaf content of both crops increased with increasing lime and B levels respectively, although the stage of growth influenced the degree of change. The B content increased with maturity in soybeans, while as cotton matured the leaf B decreased. Soybeans contained greater B than cotton or com while cotton contained more Ca than the other crops. The leaf Ca level of soybeans and cotton varied with the climatic differences of the years.