Excess boron fertiliser was applied and this resulted in complete defoliation of the mandarins. We have been irrigating to excess attempting to leach the excess boron to a level below the root zone of the mandarins. They are young trees just 2/3 years planted.
I think biochar can be used as one of viable bio-remediation options for contaminated soils. Several research works have been conducted in this regard. You may find a number of them, for example, to mention a few:
Luke Beesley et al. 2011. A review of biochars’ potential role in the remediation, revegetation and restoration of contaminated soils. Environmental Pollution 159 (2011) 3269e3282
Luke Beesley et al 2010. Effects of biochar and green waste compost amendments on mobility, bioavailability and toxicity of inorganic and organic contaminants in a multi-element polluted soil. Environmental Pollution
Zhang et al. 2013. Using biochar for remediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals and organic pollutants. Environ Sci Pollut Res (2013) 20:8472–8483
Adding organic matter to the soil will tie up excess boron to some degree. I would add a low boron compost to the irrigation basin and lightly till it into the soil. Or with a posthole digger apply a highly composted soil to vertical shafts in the soil to a depth of about 60 to 100 cm.
Our colleagues earlier responded very nicely to you question Philip. But I want to add another dimension to your question , addition of microbes in consortium mode . Such microbes will cleanse the soil of the excess accumulation of boron by providing an active sink in the soil. Addition of organic manure loaded with such microbes would double the accruing benefits. If a soil is coarse textured, humic acid or fulvic acid molecules will coat the sand particles to bring them into colloidal size ( Expanding their surface area) to faciliatate the elevated adsorption of accumulated boron in soil .Probably biochar acts in a similar fashion.
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