Boron in arid zone agriculture: Israeli case studies

Year 2017, Volume: 2 Issue: 3, 128 - 141, 30.12.2017

Uri Yermiyahu Alon Ben-gal

Abstract

Relatively high levels of boron (B)
can be found in soils and irrigation water used for agriculture in semi-arid
and arid regions. Furthermore, climatic conditions and resulting high levels of
plant transpiration in dry regions intensify B uptake and accumulation in
plants and increase the probability of B toxicity. The focus of this review is
on B interactions with soils and plants in dry regions. A basic introduction to
B in soils and solutions and to B in the soil-water-plant continuum is presented
to provide the reader with sufficient background to understand issues of B in
arid and semi-arid agriculture. Crops in arid areas are prone to exposure to
stress-causing factors from excess B that occurs simultaneously with general
salinity stress. In some cases in arid zone agriculture excess B is a result of
native soil-born B, in other cases it is a result of B introduced with
irrigation water. Both native and introduced B can have long-term consequences
on crop growth and agricultural management. The nature of excess B-salinity
interactions is also reviewed. Case studies representing two scenarios
regarding excess B in arid agriculture are presented. In the first, naturally
occurring B in vineyards in the Jordan Valley led to toxicity, even after years
of leaching and irrigation with low-B water. In the second, saline water with
high B concentration historically utilized in the western Negev for irrigation
of cotton had serious repercussions on subsequent peanut crops. Crop and water
management options appropriate to anticipated conditions of high B in arid
agriculture are presented and discussed. 

Keywords

Boron toxicity, salinity, Peanut, Grapevine

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