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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
Wide spread potassium and boron deficiency in coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) is a limiting factor for increased nut production in terai region of West Bengal. Accordingly, an experiment was undertaken in a 7.5 m x 7.5 m spaced 11 years old coconut plantation (cv.ECT) laid out in Factorial randomized block design with 9 treatments and 4 replications with graded levels of potassium (900, 1200 and 1500 g of K2O per palm) and boron (25, 50, and 100 g borax/palm) for two consecutive years (2014-15 and 2015-16) to study the influence of leaf potassium and boron on nut yield in coconut in the region. The leaf samples collected from the index leaf (14th frond) was taken for analysis of boron and potassium content at 6 and 12 months after soil application of both the nutrients. The results revealed that both leaf boron and potassium content increased significantly with increasing levels of applications. However, the intermediate dose of both the nutrients recorded the highest nut yield (88.38 nuts per palm per year or 15642.38 number of nuts per ha per year) when leaf potassium and boron were 1.97% and 24.52 mg/kg, respectively. With further increase in the rate of application of the nutrients, there was a decline in nut yield, despite an increase in the respective nutrient content in the leaves. The interaction effect also revealed the same trend. The nut yield production thus showed a positive correlation with increased content of leaf potassium and boron up to a certain level. And, both the nutrients produced a negative effect at ‘more than optimum’ doses in respect of nut yield production.