Horticulture International Journal Research Article Open Access Effect of zinc and boron on growth, yield and quality of tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.) cv. Prajwal Abstract Volume 3 Issue 1 - 2019 The present investigation was carried out in the Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, P Karuppaiah Annamalai University, Annamalai nagar during 2013-2015 in Randomized Block Design with Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai eleven treatments and three replications. The eleven treatment combinations were formed University, India by foliar application of zinc and boron viz., Zinc sulphate (0.25, 0.50 and 0.75%) and Borax -1 (0.25, 0.50 and 0.75%) on 30, 60 and 90 DAP, individually and incombination with 25 tha Correspondence: P Karuppaiah, Department of Horticulture, FYM and recommended dose of 200:200:200 kg ha-1 NPK. The control was maintained Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, with water spray.Various biometric observations on growth, yield and quality of tuberose Tamilnadu, India, Tel 919842321857, were observed for all the treatments. Among the treatments, the biometric observations like Email plant height (47.25 cm), number of side shoots per plant (8.89), number of leaves per plant (36.19), plant spread (24.50 cm2), leaf area (42.50 cm2), chlorophyll content (0.918 mgg-1) Received: June 13, 2018 | Published: January 02, 2019 and dry matter production (23.15 g plant-1) and yield attributes, viz., days to fifty per cent flowering (90.47 days), number of spikes per plant (4.55), spike length (95.42 cm), rachis length (28.89 cm), number of flowers per spike (41.52), flower length (6.66 cm), flower diameter (4.03 cm), hundred flowers weight (94.73 g), flower yield per plant (128.65 g plant-1), flower yield per plot (1.54 kg plot-1), flower yield per hectare (14.28tha-1), number of bulbs and bulblets (18.23) and weight of bulbs and bulblets (236.52 g plant-1) and the quality characters such as shelf life (12.76 days) and visual scoring (9.10) were recorded -1 the maximum with the treatment combination of T10 (25t ha FYM+Recommended dose of 200:200:200 kg ha-1 NPK+Zinc [email protected]%+[email protected]% on 30, 60 and 90 DAP), followed by T9. Keywords: tuberose, micronutrients, zinc sulphate, borax, flower yield and shelflife Introduction and in pollen formation.6 Boron is essential for plant growth, new cell division in meristematic tissue, translocation of sugar, starch, nitrogen, Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.) is an ornamental bulbous plant phosphorus, certain hormones, synthesis of amino acids and protein, belongs to the family Amaryllidaceae, native of Mexico. Tuberose is a regulations of carbohydrate metabolism, development of phloem night-blooming tropical and subtropical bulbous flower crop. Among etc. In the absence of adequate supply, the leaves may have a thick the ornamental bulbous plants valued for their beauty and fragrance of coppery texture and sometimes curl and become quite brittle. Boron the flowers, the tuberose occupies a very selected and special position. deficiency produces in different parts of plants as a wide variety such It consists of about 12 species and an important, popular flower crop as internodes becoming nearly shorter and brittle leaves. Flowering being cultivated on a large scale for its scented flower in many parts is often totally suppressed and flower often fall.7 The demand for of the world and in plains of India. The flowers remain fresh for long increasing flower production will require a thorough knowledge on the time and withstand long distance transportation and find the useful relationship between micronutrients and crop growth and flowering.1 place in the flower market. It is a prominent plant in Indian culture Keeping above in view, the present investigation on growth, yield and 1 and mythology. Now a days, micronutirents are gradually gaining quality of tuberose as influenced by zinc and boron was carried out. momentum among the flower growers because of their beneficial nutritional support, better harvest and returns. Best response of African Material and methods marigold,2,3 Chrysanthemum4,5 for small quantities of micronutrients have been demonstrated. Micronutrients are to be necessarily taken up The experimental site is located at about 20km west of Bay of by the plants from soil or supplemented through foliar application for Bengal at 11˚24’ North latitude and 79˚41’ East longitude and at an good growth and yield of crops and maximizing the efficient use of altitude of+5.79m above MSL with the mean maximum temperature applied N, P and K. In the absence of the micronutrients, the plants are of 32.4˚C, mean minimum temperature of 24.1˚C, average relative known to suffer from physiological disorder which eventually leads to humidity of 73 per cent and annual rainfall of 1432mm. The physio- imbalanced growth and low yield. chemical analysis of the soil revealed that the soil is clay loam in -1 -1 texture with medium N (175 kg ha ), low P2O5 (22.50 kg ha ), medium Zinc as a micronutrient, is an essential component of plant enzyme -1 K2O (107.50 kg ha ) and pH of 7.8. Eleven treatments were laid out in required for energy production, protein synthesis and degradation. randomized block design with three replications and the individual plot Interveinal chlorosis of the older leaves starting at the tip of the size was 2×2 m dimension. Healthy uniform sized bulbs were planted margins followed by the white necrotic spotting, shortened internodes, in the field. Two bulbs were planted per pit and later on thinned out small leaves and stunted growth are characteristic symptoms of zinc to one. Recommended dose of nutrients (NPK@200:200:200 kg ha-1) deficiency. Zinc is required for the synthesis of IAA, carbohydrate were applied in the form of Urea (46.4 % N), Single Super Phosphate metabolism, protein synthesis, internodes elongation for stem growth (16.5 % P2O5) and Muriate of Potash (60.0 % K2O) respectively. Full Submit Manuscript | http://medcraveonline.com Horticult Int J. 2019;3(1):7‒11. 7 © 2019 Karuppaiah. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially. Copyright: Effect of zinc and boron on growth, yield and quality of tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.) cv. Prajwal ©2019 Karuppaiah 8 dose of P2O5 and K2O were applied at the time of planting as basal while due to different zinc and boron treatments. Among the different -1 N was applied in equal split at the time of planting as basal and 30 and treatments, T10 (25t ha FYM+Recommended dose of 200:200:200 90 days after planting as top dressing. The treatments combinations kg ha-1 NPK+Zinc [email protected]%+[email protected]% on 30, 60 and were formed by foliar application of different concentration of zinc 90 DAP) was found to be the best in all growth and physiological -1 and boron individually such as T3 (25t ha FYM+Recommended characters viz., plant height (47.25 cm), number of side shoots per dose of 200:200:200 kg ha-1 NPK+Zinc [email protected]% on 30, 60 plant (8.89), number of leaves per plant (36.19), plant spread (24.50 -1 2 2 -1 and 90 DAP), T4 (25tha FYM+ Recommended dose of 200:200:200 cm ), leaf area (42.50 cm ), chlorophyll content (0.918 mg g ) kg ha-1 NPK +Zinc sulphate @0.50% on 30, 60 and 90 DAP), (Figure 1) and dry matter production (23.15 g plant-1) (Figure 2) -1 -1 -1 T5 (25t ha FYM + Recommended dose of 200:200:200 kg ha followed by T9 (25t ha FYM+Recommended dose of 200:200:200 -1 -1 NPK+Zinc [email protected]% on 30, 60 and 90 DAP), T6 (25t ha kg ha NPK+Zinc [email protected]%+ [email protected]% on 30,60 and FYM+Recommended dose of 200:200:200 kg ha-1 NPK+[email protected]% 90 DAP) (Table 1). The significant increase in plant growth and -1 on 30, 60 and 90 DAP), T7 (25t ha FYM+Recommended dose of physiological characters with the best treatment might be due to the 200:200:200 kg ha-1 NPK+[email protected]% on 30, 60 and 90 DAP), greater absorption, translocation and the synergistic effect of zinc and -1 -1 T8 (25t ha FYM+Recommended dose of 200:200:200 kg ha boron at appropriate combination for plant growth. These elements NPK+[email protected]% on 30, 60 and 90 DAP) and the combination also take part in the synthesis of chlorophyll, thereby accumulation -1 of zinc and boron such as T9 (25t ha FYM+Recommended dose of of photosynthesis. The micronutrients like zinc and boron might have 200:200:200 kg ha-1 NPK +Zinc [email protected]%+Borax @ 0.25% helped in the nitrogen assimilation and synthesis of proteins and also -1 on 30, 60 and 90 DAP), T10 (25t ha FYM+Recommended dose of as catalytic agents in the activation of enzymes. Similar increase 200:200:200 kg ha-1 NPK+Zinc sulphate @ 0.50%+[email protected]% in plant growth was obtained by Chaturvedi et al.9 in gladiolus by -1 on 30, 60 and 90 DAP) and T11 (25t ha FYM+Recommended dose spraying Agromin containing micronutrients viz. B, Zn, Cu, Mn, Mg of 200:200:200 kg ha-1 NPK + Zinc [email protected]%+[email protected]% and Mo. Rajput et al.10 also reported in their studies that increased -1 on 30, 60 and 90 DAP).