Effects of Application of Boron on Growth, Yields, and Quality of Red Bayberry

Abstract

ABSTRACT Three field experiments at three sites in east Zhejiang Province were conducted to determine the influence of applications of boron (B) on growth, yield, and quality of the red bayberry trees (Myrica rubra Sieb. et Zuca) with a manure species of “Buqizhong” in Linhai city. Ground B application or foliar B spraying significantly improved length and incidence rates of spring and summer shoots and increased fruit set rates, which resulted in the increases in fruit yield (13.7–17.5% for ground B application or 13.2–27.3% for foliar B spraying) and in improvement of fruit quality. The optimum yields were recorded with the treatments of ground B application of 40 g tree−1 of borax or foliar B spraying of 2.0 g L−1 of borax. Spring shoot incidents for the treatment of ground application of 50 g borax tree−1 every year during the experiment (4B50) were significantly higher than that for the treatment of ground application of 50 g borax tree−1 only in the first year of the experiment (B50), but the yield difference between them was not significant at P = 0.05. The increased yield effect of ground B application could last for 3 years. Boron application of red bayberry trees can be carried out by foliar-spraying 2.0 g borax L−1 every year or ground application of 50 g borax tree−1 every 3 years. The results of this study showed that application B could significantly improve the growth and increased fruit yield and quality of the red bayberry trees not exhibiting any vegetative symptoms of B deficiency.