Patrick H. Brown

R.W. Bell

Benjavan Rerkasem

Heiner Goldbach

Monika A. Wimmer

Michel Thellier

This book comprises the contributions of the international workshop Boron 2001 which was aimed at gathering all relevant information on recent developments in boron research in soils, plants, animal and men over the past years. Review articles and original contributions deal with both applied and basic aspects in this area, comprising topics such as methods for B determination, the physiological functions of boron in plant and animal metabolism, including use of 10B for diagnostic purposes and cancer treatment. Genetic and molecular aspects of boron efficiency and tolerance to toxic levels in plants and the early physiological reactions to boron deprivation are further important topics of this volume. The role of boron for reproductive development is dealt with in further contributions. Furthermore, improved methods for the diagnosis of the available boron status in soils, plants appropriate timing and leaf fertilizer application are addressed. Special emphasis is given in the contributions to highlight the most recent developments in the aforementioned areas.

Boron in Plant and Animal Nutrition

The economic significance of boron (B) in agriculture, horticulture, and forestry has been beyond dispute for several decades. Even in the last two decades, the areas where B deficiency limits plant production has grown with increased reports from China, south Asia and southeast Asia. The present volume is reflective of the growing awareness of the significance of low soil B with reports from Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, north, central and southern China, India, Nepal, and the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan contained herein. Boron deficiency also continues to be a problem for crop yield and quality in areas where B deficiency has been known for some time, for example in Germany and the USA. The problem of low soil B is not limited to effects on field crop yield, with papers reporting on depressed wood yield and quality in timber trees (Lambert et al. ), and depressed fruit quality (Dong et al. ; Smith et al. : Zude et al. ) also appearing in the present volume. Globally, Shorrocks (1997)1 estimates that ?? tonnes of B fertiliser is applied annually in agriculture. The economic benefits from the use of B fertiliser have not been quantified but are clearly enormous. Paradoxically, the clear economic imperatives for using B fertiliser on low B soils are not matched by a similar clarity of understanding of the role and functions of B in plants.

Benjavan Rerkasem

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