The evaluation and classification of soybean cultivars, based on their tolerance to deficient or excessive boron levels, may be relevant when recommending fertilizers and amendments, and for plant breeding programs. This research aimed to study the response of four soybean cultivars to doses of B added to the nutrient solutions. The experiment was carried out under greenhouse conditions, at the experimental station of Instituto Agronômico, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil in 1998. The soybean cultivars IAC-1, IAC-8, IAC-15 e IAC-17 were grown in five B concentrations in a nutrient solution (0.0; 0.05; 0.2; 0.8 and 2.0 mg L-1 of B), in order to get a wide range of plant response, from deficiency to toxicity. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design, in a factorial with five replications. The plants were evaluated for visual symptoms of deficiency and toxicity, top and root dry matter production, plant height, leaf B critical concentrations for deficiency or toxicity, B contents in plant parts (top/root ratios), and leaf P, K, Ca and Mg concentrations. Plants were harvested at early flowering and separated in leaves, stems and roots for dry matter and nutrient determinations. The critical concentration in the leaves for deficiency symptoms varied from 25 to 30 mg kg-1, and different susceptibilities among cultivars for B deficiency were observed. Visual symptoms of toxicity started at levels of 0.8 mg L-1, which were related to an average leaf B concentration of 83 mg kg-1. Maximum total dry matter yields were obtained for concentrations in the nutrient solution estimated between 0.1 and 0.2 mg L-1. The severity of visual symptoms varied among cultivars within the same treatment, indicating different tolerances to B excess. In relation to the visual symptoms, cv. IAC-1 was the most susceptible to B deficiency and B toxicity; cv. IAC-17 was, apparently, the most tolerant to B toxicity. Cultivars IAC-8 and IAC-15 were more efficient in the uptake and accumulation of B, even under low B concentrations in solution. The cultivars presented similar B transport ability from roots to tops evaluated by the top/root ratios of B content, except for the cv. IAC-17. Leaf nutrient (P, K, Ca and Mg) concentrations did not vary significantly with the increasing B concentrations in the solution (0.05 to 2.0 mg L-1), except for the severely deficient plants.
Glycine max (L.) Merrill; micronutrient; nutrient solution; plant selection