Mode and Dose of Boron Nutrition on Growth, Productivity, Nutrient Uptake and Quality of a Rice-groundnut Cropping System

To assess the effect of boron (B) nutrition on growth, productivity, uptake and crop quality of rice-groundnut cropping system under medium land Inceptisols Odisha, a field experiment was conducted during Kharif and Rabi 2016-17 and 2017-18. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design (RBD) with eight treatments being replicated thrice. The results revealed that rice crop showed higher growth rate (9.4 mm day-1) than groundnut crop of 9.1 mm day-1. Soil application of B in split doses maintained higher growth rate than foliar spray irrespective of crops. B fertilization to rice crop reduced chaffiness from 35% in no B fertilization to 15% in B applied in split doses. It also showed 15.6% higher number of nodules than no B application in groundnut crop. Economic yield produced in different mode of B application in rice-groundnut cropping system, the 2nd crop was influenced by 22.5% against 16.0% for the 1st crop. B improved the economic yield by 19.5%over no B application. Application of B@1kg.ha-1 to each crops increased the economic yield by 8.7% compared to its half rate application (0.5 kg.ha-1). Based on rice-equivalent yields (REY) of rice-groundnut cropping system practices followed the order: Split application (288)>Full dose basal (250)>Full dose B to groundnut (199)>Half dose B basal to each crop (188)>Full dose B to rice (186) = Foliar spray of B (186)>STD (100). The recovery of added N increased by (42.2%) when B was applied to 1st crop with full dose (53.5%), again it increased further by 60.8% when applied in split. B nutrition to rice-groundnut system influenced P and K uptake by 36.4% and 48.4% respectively over no application. In rice-groundnut cropping system split application of B@0.5 kg.ha-1 to both crops at active growth stages improved the yield, uptake, crop quality and economic benefit was found superior over no or sub optimal dose of B application in a deficient medium land Inceptisols of Jajpur district.