IMPROVING POLLEN VIABILITY AND STIGMA RECEPTIVITY BY BORON APPLICATION AS A PHYSIOLOGICAL APPROACH FOR HIGH YIELDS IN RICE

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to know the effect of boron (B) on reproductive growth which showed positive influence on yield attributes viz., higher number of spikelets and grain number was recorded at 0.8 ppm and 0.4 ppm B sparyin IET 21519. At 0.4 and 0.8 ppm B sprayin the genotypes of IET 20979 and IET 21106 recorded higher values for spikelet number, grain number, panicle fresh and dry weights as well as grain yields. Mean maximum pollen viability of 86 % was recorded at 0.4 ppm B spray, among the genotypes, maximum value was recorded in Rasi (92.1 %), IET 21106 (87.5 %), IET 21114 (86.5 %) and IET 20979 (85 %). Stigma receptivity followed almost similar pattern to pollen viability. Higher grain yields were recorded in IET 20979 at 0.2 ppm B spray (777 g m-2) and at 0.4 ppm B spray (772 g m-2), but mean maximum grain yield was (691 g m-2) recorded at 0.4 ppm B treatment. This study has revealed that IET 20979 and IET 21519 responded more positively to boron application at 0.4 ppm, this increase in grain yield was mainly due increase in pollen viability and stigma receptivity