Agriculture and Food Sciences Research ISSN(E) : 2411-6653 ISSN(P) : 2518-0193 Vol. 3, No. 2, 49-52, 2016 http://www.asianonlinejournals.com/index.php/AESR 49 Effect of Foliar Boron Application on Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) Growth and Final Crop Harvest Sajed Ali1 Syed Ali Raza2 Shahid Javed Butt3 Zahid Sarwar4 1,3University of Management and Technology, Sialkot Campus, Sialkot, Pakistan. 2,4Directorate of Land Reclamation, Irrigation Department, Lahore, Pakistan. ( Corresponding Author) Abstract Boron (B) is an essential micro nutrient and its deficiency caused a reduction in final crop harvest and quality of the yield. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of foliar application of B on yield and yield components of rice in calcareous soils under agro-climatic conditions of Lahore, Pakistan. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with six B foliar application rates (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 mg L-1). The experiment was replicated three times. The results illustrated a significant effect of B foliar application on number of grains panicle-1, number of filled grains and final grain yield. The highest grain yield (352 g m-2) was recorded in 20 mg L-1 foliar application, whereas an increase in B application to 25 mg L-1 reduces the final grain yield significantly (313 g m-2). Detrimental effects of the highest B application on yield components were also observed. The decline in the quantity and quality rice yield resulted by increasing B application might be due to the toxic effect of higher concentration of B application. Keywords: Micronutrients, Boron, Rice, Yield. Contents 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................... 50 2. Materials and Methods ............................................................................................................................................................. 50 3. Results and Discussion ............................................................................................................................................................... 50 4. Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................................................. 51 References ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 51 Citation | Sajed Ali; Syed Ali Raza; Shahid Javed Butt; Zahid Sarwar (2016). Effect of Foliar Boron Application on Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) Growth and Final Crop Harvest. Agriculture and Food Sciences Research, 3(2): 49-52. DOI: 10.20448/journal.512/2016.3.2/512.2.49.52 ISSN(E) : 2411-6653 ISSN(P) : 2411-6653 Licensed: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License Contribution/Acknowledgement: All authors contributed to the conception and design of the study. Funding: This study received no specific financial support. Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests. Transparency: The authors confirm that the manuscript is an honest, accurate, and transparent account of the study was reported; that no vital features of the study have been omitted; and that any discrepancies from the study as planned have been explained. History: Received: 25 January 2016/ Revised: 10 February 2016/ Accepted: 16 June 2016/ Published: 10 October 2016 Ethical: This study follows all ethical practices during writing. Publisher: Asian Online Journal Publishing Group http://www.asianonlinejournals.com/index.php/AESR http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.20448/journal.512/2016.3.2/512.2.49.52 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ https://orcid.org/orcid-search/quick-search?searchQuery=Sajed%20Ali https://orcid.org/orcid-search/quick-search?searchQuery=Syed%20Ali%20Raza https://orcid.org/orcid-search/quick-search?searchQuery=Shahid%20Javed%20Butt https://orcid.org/orcid-search/quick-search?searchQuery=Zahid%20Sarwar http://search.crossref.org/?q=10.20448/journal.512/2016.3.2/512.2.49.52 Agriculture and Food Sciences Research, 2016, 3(2): 49-52 50 1. Introduction Crop plants require a sufficient supply of essential mineral elements for optimal crop growth and final harvest in terms of crop yield. An insufficient availability of essential nutrients (micro and macro) may cause stunted growth and limits the crop productivity. Boron is an essential micronutrient for plant growth [1] and has a key role in plant metabolism [2]. Its deficiency are reported commonly among crops grown in soil having higher amounts of free carbonates, low organic matter, and high pH [3, 4]. Crop removal from the field is the main driving force for decrease of soil nutrient levels because hardly any crop residue gets recycled back to the soil resulting in decreasing nutrient pool including B. In addition, abundant soil moisture (because of torrential monsoon rains during July- August, in flooded rice fields etc.) causes B leaching, beyond the root zone [5]. On the other hand, the dry surface soil layers, because of dry spells during the growing season, inhibit root absorption of B [6, 7]. Also, subsequent to green revolution, crop yields and crop intensification have risen and, hence, increased amounts of B are being removed from soils, year after year. Hence, these essential elements can be supplied as fertilizers in both intensive and extensive agricultural systems. However, excess B can cause toxicity to both plants and animals. Fertilizer use efficiency including foliar application methods can be enhanced agronomically, through improved fertilizer- management practices by cultivating crops that acquire and/or utilize mineral elements more effectively [8, 9]. Field research in Pakistan has demonstrated yield increases due to B use on several crops, including wheat, rice, maize, groundnuts, tobacco, and potato. Boron application increased the yield of wheat (up to 14%), rice (up to 19%) and maize (up to 20%) [10]. Although monocotyledous crops are less sensitive to B deficiency as compared to dicotyledonous, cereals including maize, sorghum, wheat, rice and barley are also being affected by deficiency world scale [11, 12]. The total B concentration in soils ranges from 20-200 mg kg-1 [13]. Most of it is unavailable to plants [14]. The available (hot water soluble) fraction generally ranges from 0.4-5.0 mg kg-1 [15]. Boron availability decreases with increasing soil pH; thus it is often inadequately available in calcareous soils. Boron uptake by plants correlates well with the level of hot water soluble and HCL extractable soil B [16]. Keeping in view the deficiencies reported causing reduction in final crop harvest and less availability of B in calcareous soils, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficiency of boron foliar application on rice yield and yield components in calcareous soils of Pakistan. 2. Materials and Methods A field experiment was conducted in Field Experimental Area of Directorate of Land Reclamation, Canal Bank Moghalpura Lahore, Pakistan. The experiment was consisted of six boron application levels (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 mg L-1) and laid down in randomized complete block design and replicated thrice. The rice seedlings were transplanted in plots (40.5 m2) and there were twenty lines of rice seedling 9 m length. Boron was applied as a solution of Borax and was sprayed on rice at three growth stages including tillering stage, booting stage and milking stage. Phosphorus (as diammonium phosphate) and nitrogen (as urea) was applied at the rates of 200 and 350 kg ha-1, respectively and were added to the all plots. A thinning was carried out (how many days after transplanting) to final plant density of 19 plants m-2 at seedling stage. Weeds were mechanically controlled. Grain yields were taken at maturity by harvesting the 1 m2 area of the two inner rows of each plot at the end of April. Grain yield was adjusted to a 10% moisture basis. The following growth and yield component variables were recorded for each plot: plant height, fresh weight, number of tillers plant-1, number of panicles plant-1, panicle length number of grains panicle-1, grain yield, filled grains (%), , and 1000-seed weight. All data were analyzed by the GLM procedure using the Statistix (Version 8.1 Analytical Software). Means were compared using LSD Test at 5% probability level. 3. Results and Discussion 3.1. Yield and Yield Components Results showed that B application had significant effects on grain yield, Number of Grains Panicle-1 and filled grains (Table 1). The highest rice grain yield (352 g m-2) was obtained in treatment with 20 mg L-1 solution of boron (Fig. 1). Increasing boron foliar application from 5 to 25 mg L-1 decreased grain yield (313 g m-2) significantly. One possible explanation for the decline in grain yield of rice at the highest B application is the antagonism relation between Ca and B [17, 18]. It has been shown that the relative uptake rates of calcium significantly decreased in both shoot and root of plants as solution B concentrations was increased [19]. There are different reports on the effect of B on grain yield of rice. An increase in rice yield with increasing B has been reported [19, 20]. In contrast, it was observed that the grain yield of rice decreased as B fertilizes was increased [21]. Table-1. Mean square of analysis of variance for some measurements in this study SOV d.f Yield/g Biomass/ kg No. of Grains Panicle-1 Plant Height/ cm Panicle Length/ mm Filled Grains/ % 1000 Grains weight/g No. of Tillers plant-1 No. of Panicles Plant-1 BLOCK 2 106.26NS 0.00277 NS 2.657 NS 12.4689 NS 1.88222 NS 3.8672 NS 0.8156 NS 0.2756 NS 0.2572 NS BORON 5 8177.14** 0.06067NS 551.613** 66.5276NS 9.03156NS 35.8382** 13.3329NS 12.3206NS 12.4206NS ERROR 10 20.29 0.00271 13.642 3.5936 2.08222 1.8499 2.1402 1.9822 0.4432 C.V (%) - 1.64 2.41 2.97 1.83 6.63 1.92 6.83 9.47 4.86 Source: Unpublished Data The highest number of grains per panicle and filled grains of rice (137.67 grains panicle-1 and 74 % respectively) resulted in treatment with 20.0 mg/L solution of boron (Fig. 2 and 3). Increasing boron fertilizer from 5.0 to 25.0 mg/L decreased number of grains per panicle (123.33 grains panicle-1) and filled grains (67.67 %) significantly. Filled grains are affected by B deficiency as it has key role in pollen vitality [22]. Agriculture and Food Sciences Research, 2016, 3(2): 49-52 51 Figure-1. Effect of foliar application on rice yield Figure-2. Effect of foliar application on number of grains Source: Unpublished Data Source: Unpublished Data One possible explanation for the decline in number of grains per panicle and filled grains of rice at the highest B application is the antagonism relation between Ca and B [17]. B application had no significant effect on 1000 grain weight (Table 1). Figure-3. Effect of foliar application on number of filled grains Figure-4. Effect of foliar application on number of filled grains Source: Unpublished Data Source: Unpublished Data 3.2. Biomass Number of Tillers per Plant, Panicle Length and Plant Height B application had no significant effect on biomass, number of tillers plant-1, panicle length and plant height (Table 1). There was slight increase in biomass production due to B application (Fig. 4) but this increase was statistically non-significant. 20 mg/L gave maximum total biomass (2.36 kg m-2) whereas minimum biomass (1.96 kg m-2) was found in control treatment. These results are similar to those of Khan, et al. [20] who obtained non- significant difference in number of plants m-2, total number of tiller plant-1 and number of fertile tillers plant-1 in response to applied fertilizer B, whereas, a significant improvement in number of grains per spike and 1000-grain weight was found when fertilizer B was sprayed on wheat foliage at three growth stages i.e. tillering, booting and milking. Similarly, it was reported that in spite of increase in grain yield of rice, vegetative parameters as number of tillers plant-1, panicle length and plant height were not affected by B application [19, 23]. 4. 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