YIELD AND QUALITY OF ONION SEED AS INFLUENCED BY BORON AND CALCIUM

Abstract

A field experiment with BARI Piaz-1 was conducted in the research farm of Shere-Bangla

Agricultural University, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka, during the winter season (October to February) to investigate the performance of boron and calcium. The experiment was carried out with four levels of boron viz. B

(500ppm), B 2 (1000ppm) and B 3 0 (0ppm), B (2000ppm); and three level of calcium viz. C

(0ppm), C 1 (2500ppm) and C (5000ppm). This experiment was laid out in RCBD (Randomized Complete Block Design) with three replications and 12 treatment combinations. The results showed that the treatments significantly influenced the plant height and number of leaves at all growth stages except harvesting time. At harvest boron and calcium significantly increased the umbel plot 1 , fruits umbel -1 2 , fruit set (%), yield plant -1 -1 , flowers umbel , yield per plot, 1000-seed weight, yield ha -1 , germination percentage and normal seedling percentage; and reduced the abnormal seedling percentage. Combined application of boron and calcium also significantly increased the all above parameters mentioned except abnormal seedling percentage of onion. The highest result of all parameters showed in above excluding abnormal seedling percentage from B 3 (2000ppm) and C

(5000ppm) treatment. B 3 and C treatment reduced production of abnormal seedling. Among the combined treatment of boron and calcium B 2 (2000ppm boron and 5000ppm calcium) gave the highest plant height, leaf number and chlorophyll content. But after reviewing the combined effects of both treatments, application of 2000 ppm of boron together with 5000 ppm of calcium (B ) treatment gave the best performance showing the yield and quality of onion seed.

3 C 2 3 C 2 1 0 - 2