INFLUENCE OF BUD PRUNING AND FOLIAR APPLICATION OF ZINC AND BORON ON GROWTH, FLOWERING AND YIELD OF BRINJAL

Abstract

The pot experiment was carried out at the Horticulture Farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka during the period from April to September 2021 to find out the effect of bud pruning and foliar application of Zinc and Boron on growth, flowering and yield of brinjal. BARI Begun 8 variety was used as planting material. The two factors experiment was laid out in Randomized Completely Block Design with three replications. The factors were: Factor A: Three types of pruning treatment such as (i) P 0 : No pruning, (ii) P 1 : Lateral bud pruning, (iii) P 2 : Apical bud pruning, and Factor B: Four concentration of foliar application of Zn and B (i) T 0 : Control, (ii) T 1 : 0.2% Zn application (iii) T 2 : 0.2% B application, (iv) T 3 : 0.2%Zn + 0.2% B application. The total treatment combinations were 12 (3x4). The highest plant height (37.91cm), number of fruits per plant (14.75), yield per pot (1.46 kg), yield ton per hectare (27.93 ton) were recorded at P 2 (Apical bud pruning) and lowest value was measured at P 0 (No pruning). The present result also shows that foliar application of zinc and boron significantly increased the growth contributing characters, fruit weight as well as yield of brinjal. The combined effect of apical bud pruning and foliar application with 0.2% (Zn+B) produced the tallest plant (56.00 cm), at harvest the highest number of fruits per plant (19.67), the highest yield per pot (1.97 kg),the highest yield ton per hectare (33.00 ton), whereas the lowest value was found from P 0 T 0 (Control). Finally, it may therefore be concluded that the combination of bud pruning and foliar application of 0.2% (Zn+B) was suitable for best growth and yield of BARI begun 8.