Published Apr 23, 2015

RESEARCH REPORT: Soybeans show little response to boron fertilizer
By Stefan Gailans

Recent interest in micronutrients, such as boron, has farmers curious about yield impacts of in-season, foliar applications of these micronutrients to commodity crops.

Intrigued by an article he read in Wallaces Farmer a few years ago and learning that deficiencies in micronutrients are typically localized, farmer-cooperator, Duane Johnson of Lohrville in Calhoun County, compared soybeans that received a foliar application of boron with those that received no boron. The results are in a report entitled, “Soybeans show little response to boron fertilizer.”

Layout of experimental strips that ran the length of the field at Duane Johnson's farm.

Layout of experimental strips that ran the length of the field at Duane Johnson’s farm.

 

Among the key findings:

  • There was no measured effect of foliar boron fertilizer on soybean yield.
  • Thus, the cost of the boron fertilizer was not warranted in this case.

For more information about this study and other studies as part of PFI’s Cooperators’ Program, contact Stefan Gailans at stefan@practical farmers.org.

The full report can be read here.