Boron Content in Soils Dedicated to Coconut in the State of Guerrero, Mexico

Boron (B) is a micronutrient considered essential for coconut cultivation, but its content in tropical soils is often reported as very low, affecting the nutrition and productivity of several crops.Nowadays, the coconut in Latin America and other parts of the world is becoming a relevant issue due to the high number of families depending on its cultivation.However, the matter of soil fertility, where coconut is growing, needs more scientific attention.This is the case of B, which is suggested to be more important than any other micronutrient for high-quality crop yields, due to the little attention that has been given not only to soil fertility but also to the specific case of B. This study assessed the content of B in both soils and foliage of four Green Dwarf coconut plantations in the state of Guerrero, Mexico.One plantation (Altos de Ventura) was selected in the region of Costa Chica and three (Aguas Blancas 1, Aguas Blancas 2 and Las Tunas) in Costa Grande.Soil samples were taken at 0 -30 cm and 30 cm deep and one composite foliar sample per each location.The average B contents in ppm, at 0 -30 and 30 -60 cm depth, were subjected to an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), indicating highly significant differences (pr = 0.05) at 0 -30 cm but not at 30 -60 cm.Regardless of the statistical results, only Aguas Blancas 1 with 0.31 ppm and Las Tunas with 0.38 ppm showed to be in the sufficiency range suggested by Phytomonitor of 0.3 to 1.5 ppm.At 30 -60 cm, all locations showed average B contents well below the critical levels.However, the B in leaves, of all plantations, were in the sufficiency range.Both the root proliferation into deeper underground and the accumulation of more B in lower soil layers due to leaching may explain this issue.