Effect of Calcium and Boron on Growth and Yield of Mustard in Inceptisol
Hari Shankar Singh
*
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Uday Pratap College, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Raghavendra Pratap Singh
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Uday Pratap College, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Sumit Raj
Department of Soil Conservation & Water Management Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Anurag
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Surendra Pratap Sonkar
Agricultural Extension, KVK, Santkabirnager (ANDUA&T)-272162 India.
Ankit Kumar
Department Crop Improvement, YP1 IIWBR Karnal, Haryana, India.
Mayank Kumar
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Nisha Yadav
Department Agricultural Extension Education, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture & Technology Modipuram, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Durgesh Kumar Maurya
Agronomy, KVK Santkabirnager (ANDUA&T)-272162, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) is an important oilseed crop in India, but its productivity is often constrained by deficiencies of secondary and micronutrients, particularly calcium and boron. Calcium plays a vital role in cell division, membrane stability, and plant growth, while boron is essential for reproductive development and seed formation. A field experiment was conducted during the rabi season of 2019–20 at the Research Farm of Udai Pratap (Autonomous) College, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, on an Inceptisol under Indo-Gangetic alluvial conditions. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design with six treatments and three replications, involving the application of recommended dose of fertilizers (NPK) alone and in combination with different levels of calcium (5 and 10 kg ha⁻¹) and boron (1 and 2 kg ha⁻¹). Mustard (Brassica juncea L. var. Varuna) was grown at a spacing of 45 cm × 15 cm, and standard agronomic practices were followed to evaluate growth, yield, and nutrient uptake responses. The results indicate that the application of 10 kg Ca & 2 kg boron dose recorded maximum yield - attributes. The maximum seed yield was 11.75 q/ha, total uptake by seed and stover of N (36.88 & 12.20 kg/ha), P (8.73 & 8.18 kg/ha), K (12.49 & 41.70 kg/ha), Ca (9.51 &13.61 kg/ha) and B (193.22 & 349.17 kg/ha), respectively. The study concludes that calcium and boron application, especially at 10 kg Ca ha⁻¹ and 2 kg B ha⁻¹, improves growth, yield, and nutrient uptake in mustard, indicating their importance for better productivity under Inceptisol conditions.
Keywords: Calcium, boron, growth parameters, yield attributes, nutrient uptake, mustard, Brassica juncea L