- At what point in creating the mixture should boron be added?
- Which form of boron increases pH and which lowers it?
Carelessness when mixing pesticides with boron can be costly
Boron is the component of the tank mix that can lead to the greatest destabilization of the working fluid. Its use must be approached with a certain amount of caution. Errors related to its application are quite costly. Not only do they lead to boron not working, but they can also lead to the complete lack of effect of other preparations added to the tank mix.
A factor that must be taken into account when administering boron is the pH of the working fluid. Some boron preparations lower the pH of the fluid, others significantly increase its pH. Meanwhile, this is a fundamental issue. While in the case of boron "solo" application it is not so important, when making a tank mixture we must take into account that the other added products have an appropriate pH range in which they are able to act.
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The order of boron administration is crucial
It is difficult to distinguish which form will be safer for maintaining the appropriate pH of the working fluid, because each can be destructive if used incorrectly. For example, boric acid lowers the pH of the fluid. For this reason alone, it should be used at the beginning, before adding the remaining components of the tank mix. In this way, it lowers the pH of water from the water supply system (which is most often used in treatments). There is also a practical aspect here. Since fertilizers in the form of boric acid are in a loose form, they must be given some time to dissolve properly. In practice, it often happens that loose boron fertilizers are fed to the diluter and are slowly dissolved, and in the meantime, the next components of the mixture are added. At the same time, when using fertilizers based on boric acid, the dose of the water conditioner, whose task is, among other things, to lower the pH of the working fluid, can be reduced to a certain extent. The point here is not to acidify the water excessively.
Sodium borate and boroethyleneanine will raise the pH of the working fluid. The increase in pH due to the addition of sodium borate is small, but when adding boroethyleneanine, we must expect the pH to rise to a high level. Both forms should be added at the end of the mixture. Here, note that sodium borate is in a loose form, just like fertilizers based on boric acid, so before delivering it to the tank, check the form of the product. This is crucial in relation to the tank mixture. Boroethyleneanine, on the other hand, is in a liquid form. It is always added at the end.
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The appropriate reaction determines the effectiveness
Insecticides are particularly sensitive to improper pH. They are the first to be destroyed in an environment close to alkaline. For many of them, the optimal range is 4.5 – 6. However, the lower limits may be too low for fungicides, which often require a pH of 5 – 6.5. Hence, the most desirable pH for many tank mixtures is 5 – 6. Meanwhile, boroethyleneanine, for example, can raise pH even to a level above 8, and at higher doses even above 9.
Of course, in very complex mixtures, there are mutual reactions between the individual components. However, in relation to the pH of the working fluid, it is boron Jets that is the most destructive. Therefore, its dosage must be extremely careful, and at the same time the pH of the fluid must be controlled.
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