As the growing season is coming to an end for much of the region, our PCAs and plant nutritionists have been busy with field men, growers, and other PCAs developing post-harvest spray programs. In the Pacific Northwest, zinc is always in the mix for apples, pears, and cherries and TECH-FLO Zeta Zinc 22 is the preferred product for its ability to quickly and effectively deliver zinc to plant tissue.
Today, however, we were talking about Boron, especially in the growing areas affected by the drought over the last few years. Boron had slipped to the back of many growers’ minds, and now they are starting to see Boron deficiencies.
Boron deficiency is said to be the most widespread micronutrient deficiency in plants and affects reproductive and vegetative growth. Boron used as a post-harvest application increases the plant’s ability to produce and store carbohydrates to use in the spring.
One of our wine grape growers in the PNW depends on his post-harvest applications of TECH-GRO B-17 Boric Acid Spray and considers it his first pre-bloom application. Almond, stone fruit and wine grape growers are seeing an increased need for Boron this year.
One of the reasons why TECH-GRO B-17 Boric Acid Spray is so popular as a postseason spray is because of its versatility to use as a foliar spray or a soil application. The salt-free dry formulation dissolves readily and imparts a slightly acidic effect on the spray solution.
The real benefit, though, is that it works. Boric Acid is the form in which Boron is directly absorbed and utilized by the plant while Borate compounds need to be hydrolyzed into Boric Acid. Plants can more rapidly absorb and therefore put to use Boron from TECH-GRO B-17.
