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3. BULLETIN No. 998

Washington, D.C... PROFESSIONAL PAPER July 3, 1922

EFFECT OF BORAX IN FERTILIZER ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF POTATOES. By B. E. Brown, Biochemist, Office of Soil-Fertility Investigations, Bureau of

Plant Industry, U. S. Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station.’

CONTENTS.

Page. Page. Purpose of the investigations__-_~- 1 TeteuaH ESN « “even Ly ay ei St a 6 Plan of the experiments__—_--__-- 2 SS Ura aay ae I Be A A) 7 Results of the experiments_____--- Sie |e ACL AGU Gin ClUC Cees = eke a ae 8

PURPOSE OF THE INVESTIGATIONS.

Injury to field crops through the use of fertilizers containing borax was first observed in Indiana in 1917, and a report by Conner (/)’ appeared in 1918.

So far as is known no reported authentic case of borax injury again occurred until 1919, when ample proof of the poisonous action of this compound was afforded. During the growing season of 1919 injury to a number of important crops by borax, notably potatoes, cotton, and tobacco, was observed, and a number of publications (2,3, 4,5, 6) on this subject were subsequently issued.

The Bureau of Plant Industry, as a result of reports from various sections, conducted an investigational survey in the field in 1919 to determine the severity and extent of the injury, with special refer- ence to potatoes and cotton. The survey was based in part on ex- perimental plat work with fertilizers containing borax and in part on actual observation in affected fields. As a result of these investiga- tions, as well as those by others, it was found that borax caused the trouble. It was deemed essential, however, to conduct well-controlled field tests during the season of 1920 for the purpose of studying

1 Experiments conducted during the season of 1920 on the Aroostook farm of the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station, at Presque Isle, Me.

2 Serial numbers (italic) in parentheses refer to ‘“‘ Literature cited”’ at the end of this bulletin,

105933—22

2 BULLETIN 998, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

certain matters, namely: (1) The effect of different rates of appli- cation of borax per acre when mixed with fertilizer, as compared with equal quantities of fertilizer to which borax was not added, upon the growth and yield of a number of crop plants; (2) the influence of th time and method of application of a fertilizer mixture con- taining borax in varying quantities; and (3) the influence of rain- fall and soil type on the extent of borax injury. Accordingly, co- operative experimental field work was conducted at Presque Isle, Me., on Caribou loam, with potatoes; at New Bunswick, N. J., on Sassa-

fras loam, with potatoes and corn; at the Arlington Experimental |

Farm, Va., on Arlington clay loam with potatoes, corn, cotton. Lima beans, and string beans; and at Muscle Shoals, Ala., on Colbert and Decatur loams with corn and cotton.

Blair and Brown (7) presented an article in Soil Science giving the results obtained at New Brunswick, N. J., with potatoes and corn. A report by Skinner and Allison (9) on the results obtained with cot- ton at Muscle Shoals, Ala., and at the Arlington Experimental Farm, Va., is shortly to appear. The present bulletin embodies the results obtained at Presque Isle, Me., with potatoes, when grown on Caribou loam (S, p. 6), the important soil type of that region.

PLAN OF THE EXPERIMENTS.

The experiments as carried out in Maine were similar to those at the other field stations in that the same fertilizer was used and the rates of application of borax per acre were the same, the only dif- ference being that the quantity of fertilizer applied was 2,000 pounds per acre in Maine and 1,500 pounds per acre in New Jersey.

What was actually done was to make up a 4-8-4 fertilizer mixture from nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, cottonseed meal, acid phosphate, and muriate of potash, the ammonia being derived

eaually from the three nitrogen sources. To this 4-8-4 mixture were

added varying quantities of borax, so that anhydrous borax was applied at the following rates per acre: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 20, 30, 50, 100, 200, and 400 pounds. In order properly to compare the in- fluence of the borax, five control plats, to which fertilizer alone was added, were included. To simplify the field work, the plat numbers were made to correspond to the rate of application of borax per acre. That is, plat 1 received 1 pound of borax per acre, plat 10 received 10 pounds of borax per acre, and plat 400 received 400 pounds of borax per acre. To each plat, irrespective of the quantity of borax added, the same quantity of fertilizer was apphed. The land used for the experiment was divided crosswise into three equal sections, in order to provide for the following methods of applying the fertilizer: To the plats in section 1 the normal fertilizer and the fertilizer-borax mixtures were appled in the furrow on May 31,

EFFECT OF BORAX ON POTATOES. 3

mixed with the soil, and allowed to remain until June 5; on June 5 the normal fertilizer and fertilizer-borax mixtures were applied to sections 2 and 8; in section 2, the mixtures were applied as in sec- tion 1; while in section 3 they were sown broadcast and well raked into the soil before planting. All three sections were then planted on June 5.

RESULTS OF THE EXPERIMENTS.

On July 5, one month after planting, notes on the experiments were taken by Dr. Donald Folsom, of the Maine Agricultural Ex- periment Station. The notes and observations made by him dis- close the following: (1) The average number of plants above ground in the control plats in all sections was 343. These rows received fertilizer at the rate of 1 ton per acre, but no borax. (2) The average number of plants above ground in all sections of the 12 fer- tilizer-borax plats was only 216. These 12 plats received borax vary- ing from 1 to 400 pounds per acre. (3) As the quantity of borax increased there was a marked falling off in the number of plants above ground, until with an application rate of 400 pounds per acre only 12 plants appeared. The application of borax at the rate of 10 pounds per acre materially reduced the number of plants above ground, there being 284 plants as compared with the 348 of the con- trol plats. The plats receiving borax at the rate of 5 pounds per acre had 306 plants. The 20-pound application showed 205 plants; the 30-pound application, 139 plants; the 50-pound application, 116 plants; the 100-pound application, 38 plants; the 200-pound apph- cation, 18 plants; and, as previously stated, the 400-pound applica- tion only 12 plants.

On August 5 the writer inspected the borax experiments for the purpose of taking notes, obtaining photographic records, etc. At this time the stand, differences in growth, appearance of vines, etc., were definitely established. The main fact disclosed was that sec- tion 2, where the fertilizer-borax mixtures were applied in the fur- row at the time of planting, looked much more seriously affected than section 1, where the fertilizer-borax mixtures were applied in the furrow and stood awhile before planting. Section 3, however, in which the fertilizer-borax mixtures were sown broadcast, showed injury, not so marked as in section 2, but the plants were uniformly below the standard established by the plants in section 1. Appar- ently broadcasting was effective in curtailing the injury by borax to a considerable extent, but this good effect was offset by the fact that the fertilizer itself was not as available to the plants, especially where small quantities of borax were applied, as it would have been if applied in the furrow, which is the usual custom.

Applying the ou dinaes in the furrow, followed by immediate tai ing, as in section 2, is the usual practice in Aroostook County, so that

4 BULLETIN 998, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. ©

the degree of injury occurring in this section as well as curtailment of yield would be of greater practical significance than in sections 1 and 8. The accompanying illustrations * show very well the type and degree of injury found, especially the effect of applying small quan- tities of borax. (PI. I.) As the quantity of borax increased there was a marked falling off in the number of plants on a plat (Pl. IT) as well as a reduction in the size of the plants (Pl. II, Figs. 1 and 2, compared with a normal plant in Fig. 3). A great many appar- ently empty hills when dug into disclosed seed pieces affected to the extent shown in Plate IV, Figure 1. The greatest degree of injury resulted from the use of the larger quantities of borax, namely, 100, 200, and 400 pounds per acre (PI. LV, Fig. 2).

During the investigational survey in Maine in 1919 the quantity of anhydrous borax found in commercial fertilizers collected ranged from 0.73 to 2.3 per cent. In view of the fact that 2,000 pounds represents the usual quantity of fertilizer applied per acre, it is evident that the borax applied ranged from 14.6 to 46 pounds. The type of field injury shown in 1919 was similar to that found with the 20, 30, and 50 pound applications in the borax experiment of 1920, thereby serving to substantiate the previous findings. Some of the injurious effects noted in both seasons were as follows. (1) Failure of seed to germinate; (2) dying back of underground sprouts; (3) bleaching of foliage, or, if the plant was not seriously injured, a marginal yellowing of the leaflets; (4) reduction in size of plants below normal; and (5) a reduction in yield.

On September 9, the plats were harvested and the weights of the potatoes, by plats for the three sections, were recorded (Table 1). The results are presented graphically in Figure 1.

In section 1, where borax was applied in the furrow, injury occurred from the 10-pound application of borax and became progressively worse. It will be noted, however, that the degree of injury was less than in section 2, where the borax was applied in the furrow and planting was done immediately. The application of 1, 2, and 3 pounds of borax per acre apparently stimulated plant growth, and the yields were inereased.

In section 2 the injury was apparently produced with as small quantities of borax as 3 or 4 pounds per acre, certainly with 5 pounds; and the injury with 10 pounds and more was great.

One of the significant features of section 2 is the effect. shown on the yield by the 19, 20, 30, and 50 pound applications of borax, as this was practically the range found during the investigational sur- vey made in 1919.

8’'The writer is indebted to Dr. C. F. Clark, of the Office of Horticultural and Pomo- bogical Investigations for his cooperation in obtaining photographic records.

Bul. 998, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. PLATE |

Fic. |.-EFFECT ON POTATOES OF I0-POUND, 5-POUND, AND 4-POUND APPLICATIONS OF BORAX PER ACRE.

FiG. 2.—EFFECT ON POTATOES OF 3-POUND, 2-POUND, AND 1-POUND APPLICA- TIONS OF BORAX PER ACRE.

Control rows on right and left. No injury shown by such small quantities of borax.

Bul. 998, U. S. Dept. cf Agriculture. PLATE II.

Fic. |.—-EFFECT ON POTATOES OF 20-POUND, CONTROL, AND I0-POUND APPLICATIONS OF BORAX PER ACRE.

FiG. 2.—EFFECT ON POTATOES OF 50-POUND, 30-POUND, AND 20-POUND APPLICATIONS OF BORAX PER ACRE.

Control rows on right and left.

Bul. 998, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. PLATE III.

Fic. |.—INDIVIDUAL POTATO PLANT. Fic. 2.—INDIVIDUAL POTATO PLANT SMALL AND BADLY INJURED FROM FROM SAME ROW AS THAT SHOWN AN APPLICATION OF 20 POUNDS OF IN FIGURE I, BUT SHOWING SOME BORAX PER ACRE. RECOVERY.

FIG. 3.—INDIVIDUAL POTATO PLANT FROM A CONTROL PLAT WHICH RECEIVED No BORAX.

Bul. 998, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. PLATE IV.

Fic. |.—INuUURY TO POTATO SEED PIECES FROM APPLICATION OF 50, 30, AND 20 POUNDS OF BORAX PER ACRE.

Appearance two months after planting.

Fic. 2.-EFFECT ON POTATOES OF 400-POUND, 200-POUND, AND 100-POUND APPLICATIONS OF BORAX PER ACRE.

EFFECT OF BORAX ON POTATOES. 5

BSUSIIELS -LEY PICKE.

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Wie, 1.—Diagram showing the yield of potatoes in experiments with borax at Presque Isle, Me., in 1920. The figures at the base of each column denote the number of peunds of borax applied per acre. The controls, designated by 0, received only a com- plete commercial] fertilizer, applied at the rate of 2,000 pounds per acre. The borax treatments were prepared by mixing the borax with the same quantity of commercial fertilizer that was used in the controls. Application of fertilizer: A, In the furrow ore week before the time of planting; B, in the furrow at the time of planting; C, broadcast over the rows at the time of planting.

6 BULLETIN 998, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,

TABLE 1.—Yield of potatoes in borax erperiment at Presque Isle, Me., in 1920.

Yield per acre (pounds).

Quantity of borax applied per acre. Section l.¢ | Section 2.6 | Section 3.c

| secs eae Or(Control eee ere ta SC en Me 21,760 | 19,600} 20, 240 LpOUnG ssh en ASE ee Se OL ey 23, 200 20, 960 | 19, 120 2 pounds... 84: Mee. Ec oe ' 22, 880 21, 760 | 19, 440 3 pounds. fo... Bae BS eee 23, 440 18, 320 | 18, 240 O Control?) 15.28. Beto.) fo. loo 2 ee 20, 560 22, 560 | 19, 040 | 4 pounds... 33 ea ee et ee | 20, 480 19, 840 | 19, 680 5 pounds... 01. Be. Bee! 2 eS 2 | ee 19, 720 18, 160 | 19, 760 10 pounds: ..2 |). Be. iL. ee ee bs 17, 600 13, 680 | 15, 840 O:.(Contral’3 ) |). aa ae Lo ee | 20, 880 21, 040 | 18, 800 20-poundses. 4:\. 28. Bye po Ie LS. Pe es eh TT PE O80 9. 040 12, 000 30 pounds... 7 meee. Seer flak st ee 7, 120 3, 120 | 4, 880 o0: poundst -. 4. Be Paes l.. fy. Lh eee ee 5, 280 1, 600 | 3, 400 O}(Comtrolp4) 2 Bae ae bo ko ie Fe | 20, 320 17, 680 | 19, 300 100: pounds. te Be os | oe Po Se ee 560 320 | 640 200;pounds.. } Gee Bei. ko ae ee 2 | 240 | 80 | 160 400 pounds... +e See if. 2 Feo eee ee | 80 d 40 | 80 0, (Controls) age Bee to kh 2 ee ee | 18, 560 | 18,960 14, 240

| |

a Fertilizer applied in the furrow about one week before planting. b Fertilizer applied in the furrow planting.

c Fertilizer applied broadcast at planting.

d All culls.

In section 3 the general trend of the results is similar to that in sec- tions 1 and 2, the first sign of injury occurring, however, with the 10- pound appheation. In this section the method of applying the fer- tilizer-borax mixtures apparently depressed the yield of the last contral as the yield dropped off considerably. In this connection, in view of the fact that single rows were employed in the borax experiments, it would seem that broadcasting a fertilizer-borax mix- ture containing such a large quantity of borax might easily tend to influence the yield of the adjacent control row.

RAINFALL RECORD.

The daily rainfall record for the months of June, July, and August is given in Table 2.

The rainfall, subsequent to planting on June 5, was well distrib- uted during the remainder of that month, at least until June 29, on which date 1.09 inches fell, followed by 1.01 inches on June 30. It would seem that the rain, which fell between June 5 and June 29— a somewhat critical period in the early life of the potato plant—was sufficient to keep the soil in good condition without much chance of any great leaching of the borax to lower soil zones.

EFFECT OF BORAX ON POTATOES. 7

TABLE 2.—Precipitation at Presque Isle, Me., for June, July, and August, 1920.

Rainfall record (inches). | Rainfall record (inches). Day. ==. nT ! Day. June. July. August. | June. July. August. 11) SAS CRs eee EAN ert ON aL el WSLUraeey teat aay ae nom) rmntem IF Specs eer aa Fey hee 0) HLS) SRI a a Uo) siaah See eae ea ae ee ee Ga aes We i 3 ye i ea 50 37 Ged | ALO ears os ca 0. 20 AD ls Ra te ie Chis Ue di Uta |p Sal a a ae li ia Le es eka I hs2 0 Key eh A sates aN Nee Oe te RM ees ais ter TE Se) C0 atl ES eda PAE ie esheets en OG rH a EF semen Nias 5/8 Rea Tse! fe ete eo ORS et A a Nie pea) a eae ee SOC 3 | Sa OAL 0.2 He ably 2 73 A oes, 2S cee a Nei. ay pee 02 06 1.32 ce 4 a Se) ai il, OVO) Nae aaa NOAM alta i Rie eal O38 ee inca Dh ANG ete Cn ig) SARS RIP a (Nitze emnekens yur et aN ats | se (02, |e see GM yh ae aes PASH OG ie ape on eee. SoMa het eae ae 01 TEU Co NEE ay rte 248) | BANE | end siento, 0 Sara Sl Oa ks escorts a ae lrerne UPN: RRR ee ii ae a ee. | Serre Ault Oren reek nuae rie en tiaras fie Remi Ke ees Ga LS a Tee ieee ed 71 a a Qe 9 dees AN 1.05 (32 el (NR a Ripe eit toa ce PN VE Se mae | aaa TG 30% cas aa Poa Ol 08 08 15 eens Ley ese Ome roie ee yen Ipomoea Mea 15 IG). eee eee eee . 04 OO a yeti tyce | | SUMMARY.

This bulletin presents the results &f borax experiments conducted on Caribou loam, the principal soil type in Aroostook County, Me. Injury definitely occurred with an application as low as 5 pounds of borax per acre, when put in the furrow and when the planting was done immediately, which is the method customarily followed in this section of Maine. The other methods of applying the fertilizer, broadcasting at the time of planting and applying in the furrow some time before planting, did not show injury in as low concentra- tions of borax as showed injury when the fertilizer-borax mixtures were applied in the furrow at the time of planting. As the quantity of borax was increased the injury in all cases became progressively worse, until, with the larger quantities of borax per acre, great in- jury ensued. i

The moderate and fairly regular rainfall during the month of June was not sufficient to carry the borax out of the reach of the growing plant, so that no alleviation of the injurious action wag noticeable.

The types of injury observed in the commercial fields during 1919 were similar to those found in the borax experiments of 1920. Some of the reactions with borax, observed in both seasons, were as fol- lows: Failure of the seed piece to germinate, the killing of sprouts, the absence of roots at seed pieces, general weakness of plants which came through the ground, bleaching of the foliage (or at least a marginal yellowing of the leaf), a poor stand, and low yields.

8 BULLETIN 998, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

LITERATURE CITED. (1) Conner, S. D. 1918. The injurious effect of borax in fertilizers on corn. In Proce. Ind. Acad. Sci, A9Li.p. 195=199) 2 he: (2) BLACKWELL, C. P., and CoLLINGs, GILBEART H. 1920. Trona potash; a progress report. S. C. Agr. Tixp. Sta. Bul. 202, 24 p. (3) Conner, S. D., and Frercus, E, N. 1920. Borax in fertilizers. Ind. Agr. Exp. Sta: Bul. 239, 15 p., 4 fig. (4) MorsE, W. J. 1920. Some observations upon the effect of borax in fertilizers. Me. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 288, p. 89-120, fig. 14-27 (in text and in pl.)

(5) PLUMMER, J. K., and Wotr, F. A. 1920. Injury to crops by borax. Bul. N. C.. Dept. Agr., v. 41, no. 15 (whole no. 275), 20 p, 8 fig. References, p. 20. (6), SCHREINER, OSWALD, Brown, B. E., SKINNER, J. J., and SHAPOVALOY, MICHAEL. 1920. Crop injury by borax in fertilizers. U. S. Dept. Agr. Cire. 84, © SD Deno) Wee (7) Buatr, A. W., and Brown, B. E. 1921. The influence of fertilizers containing borax on the yield of potatoes and corn—season 1920. Soil Sci.. v. 11, no. 5, p 369-376, 4 pl. References, p. 376. (8) Hurst, Lewis A., KNoBEL, E. W., and HENDRICKSON, B. H. 1921. Soil survey of the Aroostook area, Maine. U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Soils, Field Operations—Advance Sheets, 1917, 44 D., 1 fig.,.4 pl.,.2. col. fold. maps. (9) SKINNER, J. J.. and ALLISON, F. E. 1922. Influence of fertilizers containing borax on the growth and fruiting of cotton. Jour. Agr. Research. [In press.]

WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICB : 1922

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