Boron Characterization, Distribution in Particle-Size Fractions, and Its Adsorption-Desorption Process in a Semiarid Tunisian Soil

الملخص EN

Boron is essential for crop growth but needed in very small amounts.

The range between boron deficiency and toxicity for plants is quite narrow.

These stress conditions gravely reduce yield and quality of many crop species.

Therefore, understanding the factors and the reactions affecting boron availability in soil is necessary.

Against this framework, our research aims to determine the available boron status in a semiarid soil of Dour Ismail irrigated perimeter (North Tunisia).

The objectives are also to investigate boron distribution in different particle-size fractions throughout the soil profile and to understand boron adsorption-desorption mechanisms according to some soil properties.

For this purpose, one soil profile was dug in the field plot that had not received any previous boron fertilization.

Soil samples were gathered from the different horizons of the profile and analyzed for the main physicochemical properties.

Our results showed that the studied soil is Stagnic Fluvisol (clayic).

The highest boron amounts were recorded in deep horizons and were greatly affected by soil salinity, organic matter, and clay contents.

However, the increase in the pH level and the high percentage of total lime significantly diminished the available boron amounts in surface layers.

The investigation of depth boron distribution in the different particle-size fractions indicated a considerable contribution of the silt (2–50 µm) fraction (52% of the soil total available boron), while the coarse (>50 µm) and clay (<2 µm) fractions seem to play a less important role.

The adsorption data were fitted to Freundlich adsorption isotherm.

It revealed that adsorption of boron increased with the increase of boron concentrations in soil solution.

Desorption isotherm denotes that the accumulated boron in soil was not easily released.

Adsorption and desorption of boron in soil were greatly affected by soil properties, such as pH, salinity, sand content, clay content, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, and cation exchange capacity.