Assessment of the suitability of selected extractants for boron in some <i>inceptisols</i> of Eastern India under sunflower (<i>Helianthus annuus</i> L.)

Phonglosa, Amit; Bhattacharyya, Kallol; Pari, Arnab; Ray, Krishnendu; Banerjee, Hirak; Haldar, Sanjay; Sengupta, Sudip; Bhattacharya, Parijat; Mandal, Jajati

Abstract

Sunflower; as a contingent crop, is often exposed to boron (B) deficiency in soils of low fertility. The deficiency and toxicity of B being very narrow, warrants the need for its proper estimation in soil-plant systems through specific extractants. To facilitate this, a pot experiment was conducted with sunflower (cv. PAC 361) in 15 selected soil series. Five B doses (0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.0 mg kg−1) were applied to three replications. Soil B was extracted using six extractants (Hot-Water, DTPA-Sorbitol, Mehlich-3, Hot-CaCl2, KH2PO4, and Tartaric acid) and compared against plant parameters at 80 days after seedling emergence and harvest. The B extracted was in the order of Mehlich-3 > Hot-CaCl2 > KH2PO4 > Hot-Water > Tartaric acid > DTPA-Sorbitol. Standard correlation between soil and plant B revealed Mehlich-3 as the best soil extractant (r = 0.98**, stalk at 80 DAE); (r = 0.98**, seed at harvest) and (r = 0.97**, stalk at harvest). The critical limits of extractable B estimated by the statistical procedure were 0.47 mg kg−1 for Mehlich-3 extractable B in soil, 34.0 mg kg−1 for sunflower 3rd leaf B (at 80 DAE), and 19.06 mg kg−1 for sunflower seed B (at harvest).

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 25, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Jul 10, 2023
• Deposit Date: Oct 9, 2023
• Journal: Journal of Plant Nutrition
• Print ISSN: 0190-4167
• Electronic ISSN: 1532-4087
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 46
• Issue: 17
• Pages: 1-16
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01904167.2023.2231020
• Keywords: Agronomy and Crop Science, Physiology