Effect of boron and zinc application on growth, seed yield and seed quality of water spinach (Ipomoea reptans Poir.) under terai region of West Bengal

Abstract

The field experiment was conducted at the Instructional Farm, Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Pundibari, Cooch Behar, West Bengal to study the effect of boron and zinc application on growth, seed yield and its quality of water spinach (Ipomoea reptans Poir.). The study consisted of borax @ 0 (B0), 25 kg/ha through soil (B1) and 1.5 g/litre twice through foliar sprays at 15 days interval (B2) and ZnSO4 @ 0 (Zn0), 15 kg/ha through soil (Zn1) and 1.5 g/litre twice foliar sprays at 15 days interval (Zn2) and their nine treatment combinations (viz. B0 Zn0, B1 Zn0, B2 Zn0, B0Zn1, B1 Zn1, B2 Zn1, B0Zn2, B1 Zn2 and B2 Zn2. The results revealed that application of boron and zinc at all rates alone and as combinations markedly influenced all growth, seed yield and its quality parameters as compared with the control. Soil application of borax @ 25 kg/ha and ZnSO4 @ 15 kg/ha alone and as combination recorded maximum number of flowers/hill (282.6, 275.1 & 311.5), number of capsules/hill (238.2, 220.7 & 257.8), seed yield (1.22 t/ha, 1.21 t/ha & 1.32 t/ha), shelling percentage (67.14%, 67.06% & 68.76%), 1000 seed weight (38.05 g, 38.25 g & 41.16 g), germination percentage (86.6%, 86.3% & 90.0%), seedling vigour index (6.20, 6.26 & 6.63) and seedling growth rate (0.123, 0.123 and 0.127 g/plant/day), respectively over control. Maximum vine length, number of nodes per plant, average internode length and chlorophyll content of leaf were found in twice foliar sprays of bo-rax @ 1.5 g/litre (B2) and twice foliar sprays of ZnSO4 @ 1.5 g/litre (Zn2) individually as well as their combination (B2Zn2). Considering the benefit : cost ratio (B: C ratio), combination of both soil application of borax @ 25 kg/ha and ZnSO4 @ 15 kg/ha (B1Zn1) was found most economical (2.60).