EFFECT OF BORON LEVELS ON GROWTH AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE KARONDA (CARISSA CARANDAS L.)SEEDLING IN SAND CULTURE

摘要

Symptoms of boron deficiency were induced in sand culture under polyhouse condition to study the effect of boron supply on growth and uptake of other macro and micro-nutrients and to find out the leaf boron concentration required for optimum growth ofplants. Maximum height of seedling (20.00,cm) and number of leaves per seedling (22.60) were registered with T. (control) whereas minimum 12.79 cm and 18.73 were registered with T_5 and T_9(2 times of total boron) respectively. Maximum length (2.73 cm)and breadth (1.71 cm) of leaf were recorded with T_6 and T_5 and minimum length(2.35cm) and breadth(1.38 cm) with T_1 (solution without boron), respectively. Fresh weight (0.071 g) and dry weight (0.0165 g) of leaf were found maximum in T_6 (solution containing 1.25 times of total boron) and T_5 (control). Maximum leaf area per seedling (2.85cm~2) was recorded in T_7 (solution containing 1.50 times of total boron). Maximum stem girth of seedling (0.254cm) was recorded in T_4 (solution containing 3/4th of total boron) and maximum length of primary root (16.46 cm) was recorded with treatment T_5 (control). Increasing boron supply influenced the leaf nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and calcium content significantly. Leaf nitrogen content was maximum (1.36per cent) in T_5 (control). The leaf phosphorus content was highest in T_6 (0.28 per cent). Maximum leaf potassium content (1.07 per cent) was registered with T_9 whereas minimum was recorded in T_5 (control). The leaf calcium content was recorded maximum (2.29 per cent ) with T_6. The boron content increased significantly with the increase in boron supply. The maximum boron content (55.00 ppm) was recorded with T_9. Other nutrients did not influence by variable boron supply. The critical level of boron was recorded 43 ppm in Karonda seedlings in sand culture.