Data from: Boron application increases growth of Brazilian Cerrado grasses

Nutrients are known to limit productivity of plant communities around the
world. In the Brazilian Cerrado, indirect evidences point to phosphorus as
the main limiting nutrient, but some fertilization experiments suggest
that one or more micronutrients might play this role. Boron is one of the
essential micronutrients for plants. Agronomically, it received some
attention, but it has mostly been neglected in ecological studies
assessing the effects of nutrients on plant growth. Through field
fertilization and mesocosm experiments, we show that boron addition
increased biomass production of Cerrado herbaceous vegetation. This could
be related to a lower aluminium uptake in the boron fertilized plants.
Even considering that plant growth was promoted by boron addition due to
aluminium toxicity alleviation, this is the first study reporting boron
limitation in natural, non-cultivated plant communities, and also the
first report of this kind in vegetative grasses. These results contribute
to disentangling patterns of nutrient limitation among plant species of
the species-rich, aluminium-rich and nutrient-poor Cerrado biome, and
highlight the potential role of micronutrients, such as boron, for growth
of non-crop plants. Understanding how nutrient limitation differs amongst
functional groups in the highly biodiverse areas founded on ancient
tropical soils may help managing these plant communities in a changing
world.