Influence of Boron Application on Root Growth of Green Gram in Loam Textured Soils

Abstract

Boron (B) is one of the important essential plant micronutrient elements and plays a significant role in physiological and biochemical processes in the legumes and brassica crops. Some of the alkaline calcareous soils are B deficient soils. Root of the crop acts as zone of nutrient absorbing. On its growth and functioning, uptake of any nutrient takes place. A greenhouse experiment with green gram crop was designed to study the effect of B application on root in some alkaline calcareous loam textured soils for two years. Three soils with percent calcium carbonate content 0.75 (S I), 2.1 (S II) and 4.56 (S III) were collected from different sites of Ludhiana and Bhatinda districts, Punjab, India. The treatments comprised of four levels of soil applied B viz. 0.5, 0.75, 1.0 and 1.5 mg B kg-1 and two levels of foliar applied B viz. 0.1 and 0.2 percent borax solution with common control. Soil applied B had more influence on root mean dry matter yield than foliar applied B. Among all soil applied B, 0.5 mg kg-1 was best treatment. Soil applied B was more uptake by root as compared to foliar applied B. Among all three calcareous soils, Soil I with lower calcium carbonate was best soil in respect of root mean yield in comparison to Soil III with higher calcareous soils. At grand growth stage, the optimum yield (0.895 mg pot-1) was obtained when root B concentration was 10.6 mg kg-1 and the soil applied B level was 0.84 mg kg-1 while at maturity stage, the optimum yield (1.28 mg pot-1) was obtained when root B concentration was 10.6 mg kg-1 and the soil applied B level was 0.87 mg kg-1.