The Boron '97 meeting was a great success in summarising all recent developments in basic and applied research on boron's function, especially in plants. New techniques have since been developed and new insight has been gained into the role of boron in plant and animal metabolism. Nevertheless, there were still lots of open questions. The aim of the present workshop held in Bonn as a satellite meeting to the International Plant Nutrition Colloquium was thus to gather all actual information which has been gained since the Boron '97 meeting and to compile knowledge, both from animal and plant sciences. Furthermore, applied aspects had to be addressed too, as there is an increasing awareness of boron deficiencies even in crops such as wheat, which have formerly not been considered as responsive to boron application. Genetic differences in boron demand and efficiency within one species are a further important topic which has gained importance since the 1997 meeting. More in-depth knowledge on the mechanisms of boron efficiency are required as an increased efficiency will be one major possibility to maintain and improve crop yields for resource-poor farmers. Nevertheless, it has also clearly been shown that an adequate supply of boron is needed to obtain high yields of crops with a high quality, and that a sustainable agriculture has to provide an adequate boron supply to compensate for inevitable losses through leaching (especially in the humid tropics and temperate regions) and for the boron removal by the crop.

This book reviews all aspects of boron research in recent years and is based on the Third International Symposium on all Aspects of Plant and Animal Boron Nutrition. This includes B sorption mechanisms in soils, deficiency and toxicity of B, B fertilizer application and basic research on the physiology and molecular biology of plant B nutrition, and nutritional function of B in animals and humans.

Understanding metalloids and the potential impact they can have upon crop success or failure Metalloids have a complex relationship with plant life. Exhibiting a combination of metal and non-metal characteristics, this small group of elements – which includes boron (B), silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), and tellurium (Te) – may hinder or enhance the growth and survival of crops. The causes underlying the effects that different metalloids may have upon certain plants range from genetic variance to anatomical factors, the complexities of which can pose a challenge to botanists and agriculturalists of all backgrounds. With Metalloids in Plants, a group of leading plant scientists present a complete guide to the beneficial and adverse impacts of metalloids at morphological, anatomical, biochemical, and molecular levels. Insightful analysis of data on genetic regulation helps to inform the optimization of farming, indicating how one may boost the uptake of beneficial metalloids and reduce the influence of toxic ones. Contained within this essential new text, there are: Expert analyses of the role of metalloids in plants, covering their benefits as well as their adverse effects Explanations of the physiological, biochemical, and genetic factors at play in plant uptake of metalloids Outlines of the breeding and genetic engineering techniques involved in the generation of resistant crops Written for students and professionals in the fields of agriculture, botany, molecular biology, and biotechnology, Metalloids in Plants is an invaluable overview of the relationship between crops and these unusual elements.

Early history of plant nutrition; Classification of the elements used in nutrition; Phosphorus in plants and animals; Calcium; Magnesium; Potassium; Sulfur; Iron; Copper; Cobalt; Manganese; Zinc; Iodine; Boron; Molybdenum; Aluminum; Silicon; Sodium and chlorine; Fluorine; Arsenic, lead, and selenium; Human nutrition.

Boron in Plants and Agriculture: Exploring the Physiology of Boron and Its Impact on Plant Growth highlights the various emerging techniques and applications that are currently being used in plant-boron interaction studies, and provides a direction towards implementation of programs and practices that will enable sustainable production of crops, resilient to boron stress. Boron is an important micronutrient that plays a crucial role in the growth and development of plants, however despite a significant amount of recent research, there has remained a gap in the understanding of boron update and transportation. Boron deficiency is one of the most widespread deficiencies among plant micronutrients in agriculture and it causes a wide range of symptoms including the cessation of root elongation, reduced leaf expansion and the loss of fertility, depending on the plant species and developmental stage. This book reviews and integrates the currently available information on the impact of boron on functional and adaptive features of plants from molecular, biochemical, physiological to whole plant level. It is a key resource for those working in stress physiology, stress proteins, genomics, proteomics, genetic engineering and other fields of plant physiology related to boron nutrition, including agriculture. Highlights various emerging techniques and applications that are currently being used in plant-boron interaction studies, along with future prospects Provides direction towards the implementation of programs and practices that will enable sustainable production of crops that are resilient to boron stress Introduces global leaders working in the area of plant-boron interactions and shares their research findings