Boron Supplements, Response of Alfalfa to Applications of a Soluble Borate and a Slightly Soluble Borosilicate Glass

Abstract

39) TVA, unpublished research on system Ca0-P205-HF-H20. (40) Wall, F. T., Grieger, P. F., Childers, C. W., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 74, 3562 (1952).(41) Wildermann, M., Z. physik. Chem. 66, 445 (1909).

Glass as a Boron Source, Effect of Composition and Reactivity of Borosilicate Glass on Boron Status of Alfalfa

“…Exploratory vegetative tests in this laboratory and elsewhere (7) show that certain glasses will eliminate a boron deficiency condition of a soil. The influence of a slightly reactive glass persists, Boron content of alfalfa remains in the same range for 2 or more years.…”

“…Boron content of plant tissue was determined by the curcumin method, as described by Dible, Truog, and Berger (6). Procedures followed in determining the compositions of the glasses were ophenanthroline (8) for iron, Versenate titration (4) for calcium and magnesium after separation from manganese by carbamate extraction (5), and ASTM standard methods (7) for other constituents.…”

“…Furthermore, toxic levels are not reached in the crop even when the amounts of boron contained in glass applications are (6) Rediske, J. H., U. S. Atomic Energy Comm. HW-42969 (May 7,1956). (7) Slack, A. V., Com. Fertilizer 95, 28-9, 33, 35-7, 39-40 (August 1957).…”

“…In a greenhouse experiment of the present investigation, six glasses, selected to represent a broad range of reactivity as varied by chemical composition alone, were compared, using borax as a soluble reference material. Basically, the conditions of experimentation were essentially the same as in a previous investigation (7) except for some modification in the method of watering the crop made in an effort to maintain greater uniformity in soil moisture. Alfalfa was grown on a coarse-textured soil to which the test materials had been added.…”