This year's Boron Day was held in Antigua, Guatemala, on March 23 and 24, 2023. The event brings together top minds, new innovations, and emerging technology throughout the industry for a packed two-day event.
"Boron Day is an avant-garde event—at the frontier of the dissemination of knowledge with nutrient B. This event has exerted a strong influence on the fertilizer industry, agronomic consultants, and producers. In addition, it has shown how specialized we need to be in the nutrition of crops," said Eduardo Saldanha our agriculture development specialist in Latin America.
This year’s speakers covered a variety of topics important to agronomists and growers across the Americas region:
- Dr. Godofredo Vitti, professor at University of Sao Paulo: Sources of boron — There are still many as yet undiscovered functions about the nutrient
- Dr. Patrick Brown, professor at University of California – Davis: Boron in plant physiology — Boron deficiency symptoms in roots are infrequently considered in diagnoses, but can cause great losses and impact productivity
- Dr. Alberto Acedo, consultant: Boron in soil microbiota — Studies in various regions of the world have shown the strong relationship between boron and soil biological attributes
- Engineer Daniel Nolasco, technical manager at Belem Bioenergia: Boron in oil palm — The nutrient has the highest response in oil palm productivity, and in situations of severe deficiencies, plant mortality may occur
- Dr. Geraldo Mageste, professor at Federal University of Uberlandia: Boron in rubber tree — The principles of fertilization on the place, season, dose, and source should be fully applied to boron to obtain better results in the field
- Dr. Rafael Otto, professor at University of Sao Paulo: Boron in sugarcane — Managing fertilization with boron means understanding the most appropriate application timing and that allow the maximum response of the sugarcane crop, when we hit the time of application, the answers came
- Douglas Gitti, consultant at MS Foundation — Boron in soybean and corn: Research data is very consistent including evaluations with more than five years of follow-up. The research we have conducted, evaluating sources of boron, shows with great clarity the superiority of sodium tetraborate over ulexite
- Engineer João Romeiro, coffee consultant in Latin America: Boron in coffee — Boron deficiencies in coffee cultivation manifest themselves in different ways depending on the stages of plant development. Managing nutrition is essential to avoid losses associated with a lack of boron for coffee plants
- Engineer Jorge Oviedo, technical manager at Isaosa Mexico: Boron in agave — The agave plant spends six years concentrating the sugars in the pinã. Growers must be aware of the importance that boron plays in the transport of sugars, as this will contribute to a higher yield in production and quality
- Dr. Ignácio Lazcano, researcher and consultant at Fertilizer Institute of Mexico: Boron in avocado — Boron is one of the most important nutrients in ensuring the quality of avocado fruits. Boron is one of the superheroes of plant nutrition
- Dr. Simone Mello, professor at University of Sao Paulo: Boron in solanaceae — The absorption of other nutrients can be seriously compromised in plants that are boron deficient, as there is a severe impairment of the functionality of cell membranes and the channels, proteins, and transporters of mineral elements
- Eloy Molina, professor at University of Costa Rita: Boron in banana and pineapple — In pineapple cultivation, the peaks in the demand curve of boron happen between months six and 10 after planting. Growers need to be attentive to the supply of sources of high agronomic performance, such as Granubor® and Solubor®
As boron continues to prove its importance in agricultural production, there is more opportunity than ever to increase learning and understanding of best practices. Boron Day recognizes the importance of sharing the discoveries within plant nutrition and also aims to promote technical-scientific discoveries for agronomists.
The event is organized by GAPE / ESALQ-USP. U.S. Borax is a diamond sponsor of the conference.
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