Growth and Yield improvement in strawberry through foliar application of Boron and Zinc
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61856/qy9h6k93Keywords:
Boron Foliar spray Growth Quality Strawberry Yield ZincAbstract
The present investigation entitled “Growth, Yield and Quality Improvement in Strawberry through Foliar Application of Boron and Zinc” was conducted during the rabi season of 2024–25 at the Experimental Polyhouse, College of Agriculture, Central Agricultural University, Imphal. The study aimed to evaluate the individual and combined effects of foliar-applied boron (B) and zinc (Zn) on the growth, yield, quality parameters, and economics of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch., cv. Chandler). The experiment was laid out in a Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) with three replications, comprising three levels of boron (0%, 0.01%, 0.02%) and three levels of zinc (0%, 0.02%, 0.04%), forming nine treatment combinations. Results revealed that the foliar application of 0.02% boron and 0.04% zinc (T9) significantly enhanced plant growth attributes, including maximum plant spread (E–W: 29.07 cm; N–S: 29.91 cm), earliest 50% flowering (60.13 days), and highest number of flowers per plant (24.73). This treatment also recorded the highest fruit set percentage (80.55%), number of runners per plant (17.90), and yield attributes such as fruit length (3.62 cm), fruit diameter (3.28 cm), fruit weight (14.63 g), and yield per hectare (109.86 q/ha). Economic analysis indicated that T6 achieved the highest net return (₹1287393.267/ha) and benefit–cost ratio (1.492). The improvement in growth and productivity may be attributed to boron’s role in cell wall formation, pollen tube growth, and sugar transport, and zinc’s role in auxin synthesis, enzyme activation, and chlorophyll formation. The findings demonstrate that combined foliar application of boron (0.02%) and zinc (0.04%) is a highly effective strategy for enhancing strawberry growth, yield, quality, and profitability under the humid subtropical conditions of North-East India. This integrated micronutrient management approach has potential for wider adoption to maximize returns from commercial strawberry cultivation.
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