Abstract
Boron (B) is an important micronutrient required for plant growth. In this study, the importance of B application at different
developmental stages was investigated to see its impact on grain yield, plant vigor and quality parameters of fine grain rice
cultivars. The experimental soil was light textured (loam), and was very low in soil organic matter and soil B contents. Boron
was applied as i) soil application (7.5 kg ha-1
), ii) foliar application (1.5 g B L-1 of water) at booting stage, and as iii) soil +
foliar application, with untreated control. The results indicated that B application substantially improved the paddy yield. In
this regard, dual application of boron proved to be the most effective for improvement in morphological, yield and quality
parameters (milling recovery and cooking quality) of rice. Dual application of B (soil application + foliar application) improved
the paddy yield by 18.5% in Super Basmati and 30.2% in Basmati 515. B application also reduced the panicle sterility in rice.
In conclusion, B should be applied as basal + foliar treatment to improve the grain yield, milling recovery, cooking quality,
and to reduce the panicle sterility in rice.
