Effect of foliar application of boron and molybdenum on yield and yield attributes of cauliflower in Kullu valley of Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out during kharif 2021 at experimental farm of CSK HPKV Hill Agriculture Research and Extension Centre, Bajaura, Kullu comprising of eleven treatments replicated thrice in randomized block design to evaluate the effect of foliar application of boron and molybdenum on productivity and quality of cauliflower. All these combinations received recommended dose of FYM @20 q ha-1 uniformly except the treatment NPK alone. Three foliar applications of boron at three concentrations (0.034%, 0.051% and 0.068%) and molybdenum (0.10%, 0.15% and 0.20%) were done at 30, 45 and 60 days after transplanting. The yield attributes and yield were significantly affected by the foliar spray of boron and molybdenum. Although the interaction between boron and molybdenum was found to be non-significant for yield and significant for yield attributes except curd diameter. Among three boron and molybdenum levels maximum marketable curd yield (257.5 q ha-1), (257.2 q ha-1) was obtained from the treatment where B @ 0.068% and Mo @ 0.20 % was applied respectively. But the interaction effect of boron and molybdenum on curd yield was found to be non-significant. To conclude, foliar application of B and Mo positively influenced the productivity and quality in Kullu valley of Himachal Pradesh.