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ABSTRACT
Modern agriculture over the years has resulted in depletion of boron (B) from soil which has been emerged as a serious obstacle for sustainable agriculture. We studied the availability of B in soil and cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.) productivity under different levels of B fertilization. A field experiment was conducted during 2013–2014 and 2014–2015, at experimental farm of Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, Palampur on silt-clay loam soil (acid Alfisol) under mid hill wet temperate condition. Different levels of B for the study included 0, 0.75, 1.5, 2.5, 5, 10, 20 and 30 kg B ha−1 along with recommended dose (RD) of NPK and farmyard manure (FYM, 20 t ha−1). The application of B influenced biological yield significantly up to 5 kg ha−1. Highest curd yield in 2013–2014 (11.03 t ha−1) and 2014–2015 (12.93 t ha−1) was recorded in 1.5 and 0.75 kg ha−1 B along with NPK + FYM, respectively. At higher rates of boron i.e. 10, 20 and 30 kg ha−1, due to toxic effects, a reduction in curd yield was recorded in both years. Maximum mean uptake of N, P and K by leaves and curd was recorded with the application of boron at 1.5 kg ha−1, whereas mean B uptake was highest when boron was applied at 2.5 kg ha−1. The highest mean value (1.79 mg kg−1) of soil available boron was recorded with 30 kg B ha−1. Application of boron at 2.4 kg ha−1 was worked out as optimum dose for cauliflower.
Acknowledgments
The authors feel privileged to thank the Indian Council of Agricultural Research for providing the financial and technical help to carry out this work by sponsoring the All-India Coordinated Research Project on Micro- and Secondary-Nutrients and Pollutant Elements in Soils and Plants at CSK Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh.