Is boron required to improve rice growth and yield in saline environment
Year: 2009
Type: article
Abstract: The nutritional functions of boron were investigated in improving rice growth and yield, both in solution and soil culture environments. Three rice cultivars [viz., KS-282 (salt-tolerant), BG402-4 (mixed behavior) and IR-28 (salt-sensitive)] of differential salinity tolerant were used to investigate the ameliorative nutritional aspects of boron. Boron was applied @ 25, 50, 100, 200, 400 and 800ng B mL in the presence (80 mol m) and absence (0 mol m) of NaCl salinity whereas in solution culture, B was applied @ 1.5, 3.0 and 6.0 kg ha artificially to prepare saline (ECe 9.0 d Sm, SAR 5.46, pHs 7.8), and saline-sodic soils (ECe 9.0 d Sm, SAR 28.2, pHs 8.2). Application of B improved all growth parameters i.e., tillering capacity, shoot and root length, and shoot and root weight because of external B application @ 200-400ng mL in solution culture in the presence and absence of NaCl salinity. In shoot Na and Cl decreased; whereas K concentration and K : Na ratio improved because of B supplied to saline medium. The ameliorative effect on paddy and straw yield and paddy: straw ratio was recorded at all external B supplied as compared to control. The highest improvement was recorded at 1.5kg B ha in the saline and saline sodic soils. Nevertheless the highest B application @ 6 kg B ha had shown an adverse affect on paddy and straw production in saline sodic soils in all the three cultivars as compared with all other B rates and control. The beneficial effect of B was due to reduced shoot Na and Cl concentration and better ratio of K and Na in shoot. Seed setting was improved in all the three cultivars because of external B supply to saline and saline sodic soils.
Source: Pakistan Journal of Botany
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W216703393