Response of Cotton and Wheat Cultivars to Soil-applied Boron in a Boron-deficient, Noncalcareous Typic Ustochrept

ABSTRACT

Field experiments were conducted to study the response of cotton genotypes (G. arboreum Bt cv. RCH 650 BGII; non-Bt cv. F 2228; G. herbaceum cv. FDK 124) and wheat and triticale genotypes (T. aestivum cv. PBW 622; T. durum cv. PDW 314; triticale cv. TL 2908) to direct and residual B application (0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 kg B ha⁻¹ as borax) using a Typic Ustrochrept, neutral, noncalcareous, loamy sand and B-deficient soil. A significant response of 218 and 231 kg ha⁻¹ in seed cotton yield was recorded with an application of 1.0 kg B ha⁻¹ to cotton and 2.0 kg B ha⁻¹ to wheat. A significant response of 152 kg ha⁻¹ grain yield of wheat was observed with the application of 0.5 kg B ha⁻¹ to wheat, while no residual effect of B was observed when B was applied to cotton. On the basis of agronomic and B uptake efficiency, genotypes of cotton (RCH 650 BG II > FDK 124 > F 2228) and wheat (PDW 314> TL 2908> PBW 621) responded differentially to B application, thus indicating that yield of Bt cotton and durum wheat will be reduced more than the other cultivars under B deficiency.

KEYWORDS:

• Cotton
• wheat
• direct
• residual
• efficiency