Applying Boron Fertilizer at Different Growth Stages Promotes Boron Uptake and Productivity in Rice

doi:10.1016/j.rsci.2024.08.007

Abstract

Abstract:

Boron (B) is an essential micronutrient for plant growth and yield. We investigated the optimal growth stage for B fertilizer application to improve rice production. The study was conducted using a 2 × 4 factorial design in a randomized complete block during the rainy season of 2022. We utilized two premium Thai rice varieties Khao Dawk Mali 105 (KDML105) and Pathum Thani 1 (PTT1), and four soil B fertilizer treatments: a control (no B application), B application at the tillering stage, B application at the flowering stage, and B application at both the tillering and flowering stages. The results showed that the application of B fertilizer at the flowering stage and at both the tillering and flowering stages increased grain yield of KDML105 by 25.0% and 34.0%, respectively. In contrast, the grain yield of PTT1 showed no response to B application. The increased grain yield of KDML105 was attributed to an increased number of panicles per plant and a higher filled grain rate, which was due to the elevated B concentration in all plant parts and the total B uptake, particularly when B was applied at the flowering and tillering stages. Notably, B application increased the fertilized grain rates and reduced the proportion of unfertilized grains, a phenomenon that corresponded with the increased B concentration across all plant parts. The total B uptake ranged from 5.11 to 15.85 mg/m² in KDML105 and from 8.37 to 24.26 mg/m² in PTT1, with the highest total B uptake observed when B was applied at both the tillering and flowering stages for both rice varieties.

Key words: biofortification, boron, rice cultivation, filled grain, unfertilized grain

Sitthikorn Bodeerath, Jeeraporn Veeradittakit, Sansanee Jamjod, Chanakan Prom-U-Thai. Applying Boron Fertilizer at Different Growth Stages Promotes Boron Uptake and Productivity in Rice[J]. Rice Science, 2024, 31(6): 751-760.

Figures/Tables 7

References 42

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Variety	Treatment stage	No. of tillers per plant	No. of panicles per plant	No. of spikelets per panicle	Filled grain rate (%)	1000-grain weight (g)
Khao Dawk Mali 105	Control	14.0 ± 0.2 c	9.4 ± 0.2 d	147.0 ± 4.6 cd	67.9 ± 1.5 e	25.4 ± 0.3 cd
	Tillering	11.6 ± 0.2 d	10.7 ± 0.1 d	139.2 ± 4.6 de	72.1 ± 1.5 d	25.3 ± 0.1 d
	Flowering	13.7 ± 0.1 c	10.7 ± 0.1 d	132.5 ± 3.4 e	79.4 ± 0.4 b	25.4 ± 0.4 cd
	Tillering and flowering	13.9 ± 0.1 c	12.5 ± 0.3 c	143.0 ± 3.5 cde	75.4 ± 0.4 c	26.0 ± 0.1 bc
Pathum Thani 1	Control	19.0 ± 0.1 a	18.6 ± 0.4 a	155.3 ± 2.2 c	83.3 ± 0.4 a	25.9 ± 0.1 bcd
	Tillering	16.4 ± 0.1 b	15.5 ± 0.2 b	172.3 ± 2.4 b	78.0 ± 1.6 b	27.1 ± 0.1 a
	Flowering	16.0 ± 0.1 b	14.4 ± 0.2 b	195.4 ± 4.9 a	83.7 ± 0.7 a	27.2 ± 0.2 a
	Tillering and flowering	16.4 ± 0.1 b	15.9 ± 0.2 b	193.1 ± 1.5 a	80.2 ± 1.2 b	26.2 ± 0.2 b
LSD_0.05 (Variety)		0.79***	0.74***	6.44***	1.16***	0.32***
LSD_0.05 (Boron)		1.12***	1.05*	9.11**	1.63***	0.45*
LSD_0.05 (Variety × Boron)		1.59*	1.49***	12.89***	2.31***	0.63***

Variety	Treatment stage	No. of tillers per plant	No. of panicles per plant	No. of spikelets per panicle	Filled grain rate (%)	1000-grain weight (g)
Khao Dawk Mali 105	Control	14.0 ± 0.2 c	9.4 ± 0.2 d	147.0 ± 4.6 cd	67.9 ± 1.5 e	25.4 ± 0.3 cd
	Tillering	11.6 ± 0.2 d	10.7 ± 0.1 d	139.2 ± 4.6 de	72.1 ± 1.5 d	25.3 ± 0.1 d
	Flowering	13.7 ± 0.1 c	10.7 ± 0.1 d	132.5 ± 3.4 e	79.4 ± 0.4 b	25.4 ± 0.4 cd
	Tillering and flowering	13.9 ± 0.1 c	12.5 ± 0.3 c	143.0 ± 3.5 cde	75.4 ± 0.4 c	26.0 ± 0.1 bc
Pathum Thani 1	Control	19.0 ± 0.1 a	18.6 ± 0.4 a	155.3 ± 2.2 c	83.3 ± 0.4 a	25.9 ± 0.1 bcd
	Tillering	16.4 ± 0.1 b	15.5 ± 0.2 b	172.3 ± 2.4 b	78.0 ± 1.6 b	27.1 ± 0.1 a
	Flowering	16.0 ± 0.1 b	14.4 ± 0.2 b	195.4 ± 4.9 a	83.7 ± 0.7 a	27.2 ± 0.2 a
	Tillering and flowering	16.4 ± 0.1 b	15.9 ± 0.2 b	193.1 ± 1.5 a	80.2 ± 1.2 b	26.2 ± 0.2 b
LSD_0.05 (Variety)		0.79***	0.74***	6.44***	1.16***	0.32***
LSD_0.05 (Boron)		1.12***	1.05*	9.11**	1.63***	0.45*
LSD_0.05 (Variety × Boron)		1.59*	1.49***	12.89***	2.31***	0.63***

Variety	Treatment stage	Boron content				Boron uptake
Variety	Treatment stage	Stem	Leaf	Flag leaf	Grain	Boron uptake
Khao Dawk Mali 105	Control	1.75 ± 0.05 g	2.15 ± 0.02 e	0.68 ± 0.03 fg	0.03 ± 0.01 e	4.61 ± 0.10 f
	Tillering	2.30 ± 0.17 f	2.23 ± 0.07 de	0.50 ± 0.01 g	0.08 ± 0.01 de	5.11 ± 0.22 f
	Flowering	2.29 ± 0.06 f	2.82 ± 0.14 cd	0.97 ± 0.02 de	0.25 ± 0.01 c	6.33 ± 0.18 e
	Tillering and flowering	5.36 ± 0.01 c	8.52 ± 0.53 b	1.76 ± 0.16 c	0.21 ± 0.01 c	15.85 ± 0.23 c
Pathum Thani 1	Control	4.42 ± 0.10 d	3.46 ± 0.09 c	0.81 ± 0.03 ef	0.13 ± 0.01 d	8.80 ± 0.05 d
	Tillering	4.14 ± 0.07 e	2.91 ± 0.03 c	1.05 ± 0.06 d	0.26 ± 0.01 c	8.37 ± 0.10 d
	Flowering	9.95 ± 0.05 a	10.13 ± 0.24 a	3.13 ± 0.12 a	1.06 ± 0.04 b	24.26 ± 0.31 a
	Tillering and flowering	9.16 ± 0.16 b	10.23 ± 0.24 a	2.43 ± 0.08 b	1.38 ± 0.05 a	23.19 ± 0.19 b
LSD_0.05 (Variety)		0.13***	0.33***	0.12***	0.03***	0.39***
LSD_0.05 (Boron)		0.19***	0.47***	0.17***	0.05***	0.55***
LSD_0.05 (Variety × Boron)		0.27***	0.66***	0.24***	0.07***	0.78***

Variety	Treatment stage	Boron content				Boron uptake
Variety	Treatment stage	Stem	Leaf	Flag leaf	Grain	Boron uptake
Khao Dawk Mali 105	Control	1.75 ± 0.05 g	2.15 ± 0.02 e	0.68 ± 0.03 fg	0.03 ± 0.01 e	4.61 ± 0.10 f
	Tillering	2.30 ± 0.17 f	2.23 ± 0.07 de	0.50 ± 0.01 g	0.08 ± 0.01 de	5.11 ± 0.22 f
	Flowering	2.29 ± 0.06 f	2.82 ± 0.14 cd	0.97 ± 0.02 de	0.25 ± 0.01 c	6.33 ± 0.18 e
	Tillering and flowering	5.36 ± 0.01 c	8.52 ± 0.53 b	1.76 ± 0.16 c	0.21 ± 0.01 c	15.85 ± 0.23 c
Pathum Thani 1	Control	4.42 ± 0.10 d	3.46 ± 0.09 c	0.81 ± 0.03 ef	0.13 ± 0.01 d	8.80 ± 0.05 d
	Tillering	4.14 ± 0.07 e	2.91 ± 0.03 c	1.05 ± 0.06 d	0.26 ± 0.01 c	8.37 ± 0.10 d
	Flowering	9.95 ± 0.05 a	10.13 ± 0.24 a	3.13 ± 0.12 a	1.06 ± 0.04 b	24.26 ± 0.31 a
	Tillering and flowering	9.16 ± 0.16 b	10.23 ± 0.24 a	2.43 ± 0.08 b	1.38 ± 0.05 a	23.19 ± 0.19 b
LSD_0.05 (Variety)		0.13***	0.33***	0.12***	0.03***	0.39***
LSD_0.05 (Boron)		0.19***	0.47***	0.17***	0.05***	0.55***
LSD_0.05 (Variety × Boron)		0.27***	0.66***	0.24***	0.07***	0.78***

Variety	Grain rate	Boron concentration (mg/kg)
Variety	Grain rate	Stem	Leaf	Flag leaf	Grain
Khao Dawk Mali 105	Filled grain rate	0.78***	0.65**	0.78***	0.88***
	Unfilled grain rate	-0.88***	-0.74**	-0.87***	-0.94***
	Unfilled-fertilized grain rate	0.85***	0.93***	0.88***	0.50*
	Unfilled-unfertilized grain rate	-0.82***	-0.78***	-0.70**	-0.75***
Pathum Thani 1	Filled grain rate	0.22	0.06	-0.15	0.18
	Unfilled grain rate	-0.24	-0.04	0.20	-0.20
	Unfilled-fertilized grain rate	0.84***	0.93***	0.95***	0.85***
	Unfilled-unfertilized grain rate	-0.50*	-0.58*	-0.76***	-0.63**