Across the country, our agrologists are having crop input discussions with farms for the upcoming season. With planting already underway in some areas and soon to be in others, we’ve checked in with Nic Walby, Crop Inputs Manager at P&H Kerwood, who shared why corn growers should be adding boron into their fertilizer mix.

Understanding boron in corn

The discussion surrounding putting boron in corn has been around for over 30 years. Boron has a significant impact on corn, from seed production to reproduction and quality.

Boron needs to be applied early in the corn growing season. The best time to use boron is ahead of planting — spray it on the field and then plant through it. This is because boron more mobile in the soil than it is in the plant.

Distribution across the field should be carefully planned. The corn crop requires 0.8lbs of boron for a 200bu crop. If dry product is used (10%, as an example), only 8lbs of granular product is needed across 2 million pounds of dirt per furrow slice. Distribution is critical. The recommendation is to use a 10% liquid product and spray across every acre.

Boron: a critical element of a corn nutrition plan

Boron has a significant relationship to cations (positively charged ions) like calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and manganese, assisting with update and movement. It acts as a trailer, taking the elements to the growing regions of the corn plant. It also helps with water movement within the plant.

Boron controls hormone levels within the plant and assists with lignin development. Both are important to the crop for standability and quality, ensuring movement of other nutrients within the plant.

The bottom line?

Corn crops need boron early on for ear development and continuously throughout the season to move cations for quality and grain fill.

Boron may be atomic number 5 on the periodic table, but it should be number one in your corn plan.

Find your local P&H to talk about adding boron to your corn plan before planting.