Boron- A Critical Element for Fruit Nutrition

Out of all the essential eight trace elements, boron is an indispensable nutrient required for the growth and development of plants. The importance of boron as an essential micronutrient in agriculture cannot be overstated because both its deficiency and toxicity in soils can have a negative impact on plant growth and development. Boron deficiency is the second most widespread nutrient deficiency and gained economic importance in horti-cultural crops. Boron plays a significant role in cell wall formation; its func-tioning and strength as the majority amount of boron (>90%) is found in the cell wall of plants. India ranks second in fruit production after China. Fruits are considered a vital source of carbohydrates, protein, fiber, essential amino acids, minerals, vitamins etc. The immobile nature of boron increases its unavailability in plants and hence produces a wide range of deficiency symptoms in younger parts of fruit crops. Imbalanced boron uptake disrupts the pollination process which consequently reduces flowering, fruit set, yield, and henceforth deteriorates fruit quality by increasing fruit acidity. Application of boron fertilizers at different rate has shown a significant influence on the yield and quality of fruits. So, the main objective of this paper is to focus on the critical role and significance of boron in managing higher fruit crop yield as well as their quality.