Organic compounds effect on Boron translocation in off-season maize

• Grant number: 25/09910-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Soil Science
• Principal Investigator: Vinicius Martins Silva
• Grantee: Rafael Felipe Redondo
• Host Institution: Centro Universitário Faculdades Integradas de Ourinhos. Fundação Educacional Miguel Mofarrej. Ourinhos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Maize (Zea mays) is one of the most important agricultural commodities globally, and the second most economically significant crop in Brazil. The majority of Brazilian maize is cultivated off-season, following the soybean harvest, with sowing typically performed between January and April, characterizing the "safrinha" or off-season crop. Increasing limitations on natural resources, and with climate changes more frequent, the development of more efficient and sustainable agricultural technologies is essential to ensure food production under unfavorable conditions, such as high temperatures and water deficit-typical challenges of off-season cultivation.Boron (B) is an essential element for plants, playing critical roles in cell wall and membrane structure, as well as pollen tube growth. However, due to its limited mobility in plant tissues, B deficiency can occur even with foliar fertilization, particularly during flowering and pollination stages. Organic compounds such as ascorbic acid have the potential to complex B, enhancing its phloem-mediated redistribution.This study aims to evaluate the effects of foliar ascorbic acid application on B translocation in maize plants, as well as its implications for crop development, yield, and grain quality. The experiment will be performed during the 2025 off-season under field conditions at the experimental farm of Centro Universitário das Faculdades Integradas de Ourinhos, located in Ourinhos, São Paulo, Brazil. The experimental design will follow a randomized complete block arrangement in a 2 × 3 factorial scheme with four replications, totaling 24 plots. The factors include two ascorbic acid doses (0 and 100 g ha¿¹) and three B doses (0, 0.5, and 1 kg ha¿¹), applied as boric acid. Evaluations will include crop yield and development, B concentration in leaves with and without micronutrient application, total sugar content, leaf pigments, as well as quantification of B, total sugars, and storage proteins in grains. It is expected that ascorbic acid application will improve boron redistribution within maize tissues, thereby enhancing the crop's physiological and agronomic performance.