RESPONSE OF GROUNDNUT TO DIFFERENT LEVELS OF NITROGEN AND BORON FERTILIZER

Abstract

The experiment was carried out at the Agronomy field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh during April 2021 to August 2021 to determine the effect of nitrogen and foliar boron fertilizer on growth and yield of groundnut cv. BARI cheenabadam-10. The experiment consisted of two factors; Factor A: Nitrogen (4 levels) viz., N 1 : 0 kg urea ha -1 (control), N 2 : 25 kg urea ha -1 , N 3 : 30 kg urea ha and N 4 : 35 kg urea ha -1 , and factor B: Foliar boron levels (4 levels) viz., B : 0.1% boric acid (5 kg boric acid ha -1 ), B 3 1 : 0.2% boric acid (10 kg boric acid ha ) and B 4 : 0.3% boric acid (15 kg boric acid ha -1 ). The experiment was laid out in Split-plot design with three replications. Plant length, number of leaves plant , number of branches plant -1 ,

number of pods plant -1 , pod length, pod yield plot , 100 seeds weight, pod yield, kernel yield, stover yield, biological yield and harvest index were compared among the combinations and individual effects of treatments. Results indicated that, nitrogen and foliar boron application had significant influence on most of the growth, yield and yield contributing characters of groundnut. The maximum pod yield (2.09 t ha -1 ) and kernel yield (1.58 t ha -1 ) was obtained from N treatment and the minimum pod yield (1.56 t ha -1 ) and kernel yield (0.98 t ha -1 3 -1 : Control, B -1 -1 -1 ) was obtained from N

treatment. In the case of foliar boron application, the maximum pod yield (2.02 t ha ) and kernel yield (1.49 t ha -1 ) was obtained from B treatment and the minimum pod yield (1.64 t ha -1 ) and kernel yield (1.10 t ha -1 3 ) was obtained from B treatment. In case of combined effect of nitrogen and foliar boron level, it was revealed that when groundnut was grown on 30 kg urea ha -1 1 with foliar boron spray @0.2% resulted with the highest pod yield (2.37 t ha -1 ) and kernel yield (1.81 t ha -1 ). The lowest pod yield (1.49 t ha -1 ) and kernel yield (0.92 t ha -1 ) was obtained from the treatment combination N 1 B (control). So, concluded from the above study that the treatment combination N 3 B 1 3 (groundnut growing on 30 kg urea ha -1 with foliar boron spray @ 0.2%) was found to be most suitable combination for the potential pod yield and kernel yield of groundnut.