Irrigation with brackish water modifies the boron requirement of mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) on typic calciargid

Abstract

The boron (B) sufficiency range for plant growth is narrow and its management is problematic under brackish irrigation water. This study was conducted to evaluate the B requirement of mungbean at different sodium adsorption ratios of irrigation waters (SAR_iw) [control, 8 and 16 (mmol_c L⁻¹)^1/2]. The boron adsorption characteristics of a loamy soil were first determined in the laboratory by equilibrating 2.5 g soil with 0.01 M CaCl₂ solution containing different B levels. Boron rates for a pot study were computed against different soil solution levels by fitting sorption data in a modified Freundlich model [x/m = K _f (EBC)^1/n ]. The maximum increase in shoot dry matter was 11.9% when B was applied at 1.29 mg kg⁻¹ soil at control SAR_iw. Visual leaf B toxicity symptoms appeared at higher B rates and became severe at higher SAR_iw. By contrast to Ca, shoot concentrations of B and Na increased significantly with B application and SAR_iw. For optimum shoot growth, internal and external B requirements were 25 mg B kg⁻¹ shoot dry matter and 0.39 mg B L⁻¹ soil solution, respectively, at control SAR_iw. At higher SAR_iw, a lower concentration of B in plant shoots and soil solution had an inhibitory effect on plant growth.

Keywords:

• boron requirement
• critical concentration
• sodium adsorption ratio
• Freundlich adsorption model
• Vigna radiata L.