Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

RESPONSE OF GARLIC TO BORON APPLICATION IN COARSE TEXTURED ALLUVIUM DERIVED SOILS

J.S. Dhaliwal and M.P.S. Khurana

Abstract

A field experiment on a boron (B) deficient alluvial loamy sand soil of tropical areas of Punjab was conducted to study the repose of garlic to its application. Treatment consisted of soil application of six levels of boron, i.e., 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25, 1.5 and 2.0 kg B ha-1 which were tested in randomized block design with three application. Soil application of B (1.0 kg B ha1) has resulted in a significant (p<0.05) augmentation in garlic plant height, number of leaves per plant, diameter of bulb, average number of cloves per bulb, weight of 100 cloves, foliage yield and bulb yield over no-B control. Higher rates of B application (>1.0 kg B ha1) resulted in non-significant variation in bulb yield and yield determining attributes. Boron application resulted in significant increase in B-uptake by garlic bulbs over no-B control. Agronomic efficiency of 1233 kg bulb yield kg–1 B applied and physiological efficiency of 20.3 kg bulb yield g–1 B absorbed were maximum with B application @ 1.0 kg B ha-1, but further increase in B application rate resulted in their decrease. This further supports our conclusion that application of 1.0 kg B ha1 was adequate to get optimum yield of this crop. Soil application of B has raised Zn concentration in garlic bulbs over no-B control, thus showing synergism in B deficient alluvial soil. On the contrary, however, non-significant difference in concentration of other micro-nutrients (viz. Cu, Fe and Mn) with B application to soil revealed no effect of B on the solubility of these micro-nutrients.