Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-9pm4c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T19:50:58.765Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Boron application affects seed yield and seed quality of sugar beets

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 February 2007

C. DORDAS ,
G. E. APOSTOLIDES  and
O. GOUNDRA
C. DORDAS*
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Agronomy, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
G. E. APOSTOLIDES
Affiliation:
Hellenic Sugar Industry SA, 59032 Platy, Imathias, Greece
O. GOUNDRA
Affiliation:
Hellenic Sugar Industry SA, 59032 Platy, Imathias, Greece
*
*To whom all correspondence should be addressed. Email: chdordas@agro.auth.gr
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) is one of the most important sugar crops worldwide. Despite the fact that sugar beet crop has high requirements for boron (B), the effect of B applications on seed yield and on seed quality is not known. A 2-year field study was conducted to determine whether soil and foliar B applications during anthesis increase seed set, final seed yield and improve seed quality of sugar beets. Boron solutions were applied at four rates (0, 245, 490 and 735 mg/l of B) as foliar applications and at two rates (1·5 and 3 kg/ha of B) as soil applications to field plots exhibiting no vegetative symptoms of B deficiency. Foliar B application increased the concentration of B in vegetative and reproductive tissues much more than soil application. In addition, foliar B application increased the seed yield by an average of 10% in the first year and by an average of 44% in the second year. The mean seed weight was affected by B application as it was increased in both years. The proportion of larger seeds (>5·00 and 4·5–5·00 mm) increased with increasing application of B. Moreover, seed quality was affected and the proportion of abnormal seedlings was decreased with B application. However, seed vigour was not affected by B application. These data indicate that foliar B application can improve seed yield and seed quality of sugar beet grown for seed production. However, the physiological basis of this effect remains unknown.

Type
Crops and Soils
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 145 , Issue 4 , August 2007 , pp. 377 - 384
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Apostolides, G. & Goulas, C. (1998). Seed crop environment and processing effects on sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) certified hybrid variety seed quality. Seed Science and Technology 26, 223–235.Google Scholar
Asad, A., Blamey, F. P. C. & Edwards, D. G. (2002). Dry matter production and boron concentrations of vegetative and reproductive tissues of canola and sunflower plants grown in nutrient solution. Plant and Soil 243, 243–252.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Asad, A., Blamey, F. P. C. & Edwards, D. G. (2003). Effects of boron foliar applications on vegetative and reproductive growth of sunflower. Annals of Botany 92, 565–570.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bell, R. W. (1997). Diagnosis and prediction of boron deficiency for plant production. Plant and Soil 193, 149–168.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bornscheuer, E., Meyerholz, K. & Wunderlich, K. H. (1993). Seed production and quality. In The Sugar Beet Crop (Eds Cooke, D. A. & Scott, R. K.), pp. 121–155. London: Chapman and Hall.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, P. H. & Shelp, B. J. (1997). Boron mobility in plants. Plant and Soil 193, 85–101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, P. H., Bellaloui, N., Wimmer, M. A., Bassil, E. S., Ruiz, J., Hu, H., Pfeffer, H., Dannel, F. & Romheld, V. (2002). Boron in plant biology. Plant Biology 4, 205–223.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dell, B. & Huang, L. B. (1997). Physiological response of plants to low boron. Plant and Soil 193, 103–120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dell, B., Huang, L. & Bell, R. W. (2002). Boron in plant reproduction. In Boron in Plant and Animal Nutrition (Eds Goldbach, H. E., Rerkasem, B., Wimmer, M. A., Brown, P. H., Thellier, M. & Bell, R. W.), pp. 103–117. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dordas, C. (2006 a). Foliar boron application improves seed set, seed yield, and seed quality of alfalfa. Agronomy Journal 98, 907–913.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dordas, C. (2006 b). Foliar boron application affects lint and seed yield and improves seed quality of cotton grown on calcareous soils. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 76, 19–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Draycott, A. P. & Christenson, D. R. (2003). Nutrients for Sugar Beet Production: Soil Plant Relationships. Wallingford, Oxon, UK: CABI Publishing.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gupta, U. C. (1979). Boron nutrition of crops. Advances in Agronomy 31, 273–307.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
ISTA (2003). International Rules for Seed Testing. Bassersdorf, Switzerland: International Seed Testing Association.Google Scholar
John, M. K., Chuah, H. H. & Neufeld, J. H. (1975). Application of improved azomethine-H method to the determination of boron in soils and plants. Analytical Letters 8, 559–568.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, W. C. & Wear, J. I. (1966). Effect of boron on white clover (Trifolium repens L.) seed production. Agronomy Journal 59, 205–206.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kockelmann, A. & Meyer, U. (2006). Seed production and quality. In Sugar Beet (Ed. Draycott, A. P.), pp. 89–113. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marschner, H. (1995). Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Nyomora, A. M. S., Brown, P. H. & Freeman, M. (1997). Fall foliar-applied boron increases tissue boron concentration and nut set of almonds. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 122, 405–409.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nyomora, A. M. S., Brown, P. H. & Krueger, B. (1999). Rate and time of boron application increase almond productivity and tissue boron concentration. Hortscience 34, 242–245.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oertli, J. J. & Roth, J. A. (1969). Boron nutrition of sugar beet, cotton and soybean. Agronomy Journal 61, 191–195.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Perica, S., Brown, P. H., Connell, J. H., Nyomora, A. M. S., Dordas, C., Hu, H. N. & Stangoulis, J. (2001). Foliar boron application improves flower fertility and fruit set of olive. Hortscience 36, 714–716.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pospisil, M., Pospisil, A. & Rastija, M. (2000). Effect of plant density and nitrogen rates upon the leaf area of seed sugar beet on seed yield and quality. European Journal of Agronomy 12, 69–78.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schon, M. K. & Blevins, D. G. (1990). Foliar boron applications increase the final number of branches and pods on branches of field-grown soybeans. Plant Physiology 92, 602–607.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shorrocks, V. K. (1997). The occurrence and correction of boron deficiency. Plant and Soil 193, 121–148.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sparks, D. L., Page, A. L., Helmke, P. A., Loeppert, R. H., Soltanpour, P. N., Tabatabai, M. A., Johnson, C. T. & Sumner, M. E. (1996). Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 3: Chemical Methods, 2nd edn. Agronomy Monograph 9. Madison, WI: American Society of Agronomy and Soil Science Society of Agronomy.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
SPSS (2005). User's Guide and SPSS Applications Guide. Chicago, IL: SPSS Inc.Google Scholar
Stoker, G. L. & Tolman, B. (1941). Boron deficiency relations in sugar beets grown for seed in Oregon. Journal of the American Society of Agronomy 33, 657–665.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vlamis, J. & Ulrich, A. (1971). Boron nutrition in growth and sugar content of sugar beet. Journal of the American Society of Sugar Beet Technologists 16, 428–439.CrossRefGoogle Scholar