Researchers from the University of Tokyo, Japan recently announced they were able to genetically modify (GM) Arabidopsis thaliana plants so they could grow in soils with low boron content. The scientists believe the same approach could be used with crops to reduce the amount of boron fertilizer used by farmers.

These results, published in The Plant Journal, describe how the researchers modified the plant's genes to control its uptake of boron. The GM plants produced more seeds and weighed twice as much under low boron conditions than their non-GM counterparts.

Abdul Rashid, chief soil scientist at Pakistan's National Agricultural Research Center says that boron deficiency ranks second to zinc deficiency as the most widespread soil micronutrient problem, affecting more than 130 plant species in 80 countries. This soil condition is especially common in Pakistan and southeast China.

Boron deficiency increases the vulnerability of a plant to diseases and adversely affects flower development and seed growth, which leads to a deterioration in crop quality. Scientific data suggest that, as greenhouse gas emissions rise, plants will need more nutrients, especially boron.