Currently, around 30% of Indian soil is boron deficient.1 Boron deficiency varies depending on soil type, weather conditions, and cropping. Because of this, regions and states experience different levels of boron deficiency. For example:
- About 5-10% of cultivated soils in Punjab are boron deficient2
- Assam’s alluvial soil has a greater magnitude of boron deficiency (~44%), compared to lateritic soils (~34%)3
- Around 56-65% of soil in orchards (fruit crops) is boron deficient
- Between 42-47% of soil under field crops in India has tested as boron deficient1
In addition, India’s soil also is deficient in plant-available zinc due to high calcium carbonate and soil pH and low organic material and soil moisture.4 According to the IZA India, about half of all soil in India has zinc deficiency.5
What is the solution to micronutrient deficiency in soil?
To improve soil health, farmers often need to take several approaches. Depending on your crop, you may need to change your growing practices by rotating crops or using cover crops. You may also try increasing organic material in your field.
When these methods aren’t enough, adjusting your fertilizer program can make a difference.
New fertilizer options in India
Solubor® Flow +K
An addition to our popular Solubor family of products, Solubor Flow +K is a liquid sodium borate with potassium placed in suspension without the use of chemical solvents. We developed this product to provide both potassium and borates to your crops. Solubor Flow +K 10 wt% boron and 7.2 wt% potassium. Boron and potassium work together in the plant nutrition process to maintain cell wall structure and integrity.
Zincubor®
As an industry, fertilizer manufacturers have promoted zinc and boron as standalone fertilizers that can be applied through different methods of application. But the expense and complexity of application can prove difficult to implement in the field. That’s why we offer Zincubor, a perfect 2:1 zinc-to-boron ratio to meet the exact zinc and boron demands of most crops. It can be used as a raw material to produce compound or fortified NPK fertilizers.
Liquibor®
Liquibor is an easy-to-use, pre-mixed mixture that is ready to be applied. Best used for foliar application and fertigation, this product has less environmental pollution and dust compared to a dry product.
Subsidized government programs
For about a decade, the Indian government has promoted fortified fertilizer manufacturing through various subsidies. Our Anhybor and Fertibor products qualify under the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) policy for those creating bulk blends.
Contact your regional U.S. Borax sales manager for more details.
References
1. Khurana MPS, Singh J, Chhabra V, Singh T, and Tarkha A. 2022. Boron in Soil Plant System and Its Significance in Indian Agriculture. Ecology, Environment and Conservation. 28(2): 946-956.
2. Sharma PK and Nayyar VK. Jan 2004. Project Report for ITSAP (Information Technology for Sustainable Agriculture in Punjab)-UNDP-TIFAC sponsored project. Punjab Remote Sensing Centre, Ludhiana, India.
3. Borkakati K and Takkar PN. 2000. Forms of boron in acid alluvial and lateritic soils in relation to ecosystem and rainfall distribution. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Managing Resources for Sustainable Agricultural Production in the 21st Century. Better Crops. 2:127-128.
4. Cakmak I. 2009. Enrichment of fertilizers with zinc: An excellent investment for humanity and crop production in India. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology. 23(4):281-289.
5. Zinc in Crops – India and Beyond. International Zinc Association – India.
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