Swe Swe Than1, Kyaw Ngwe2, Lwin Thuzar Nyein3 and Aung Zaw Htwe4
Abstract
The field experiments were carried out at Yezin Agricultural University farm during monsoon season and post-monsoon season, 2021–2022, to study the effect of boron and molybdenum application on growth, yield and yield attributes of mungbean and to investigate optimum dosage of boron and molybdenum for attaining maximum yield of mungbean. The experimental design was 3 x 3 factorial arrangements in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications in which three levels of boron (B) (0.0, 1.0 and 2.0 kg ha-1) and three levels of molybdenum (Mo) (0.0, 1.0 and 1.5 kg ha-1) were arranged along with a blanket dose of 20:40:40 kg N: P: K ha-1 at basal. The tested mungbean variety was Yezin-14. In monsoon season, only boron application: 2 kg B ha-1 produced highest plant height, seed yield, pod length, number of pods per plant and 100 seeds weight and only molybdenum application: 1.5 kg Mo ha-1 produced the highest growth, yield and yield attributes of mungbean compared to other treatments. Combined application of boron and molybdenum treatments; B2Mo2 (2.0 kg B ha-1 + 1.5 kg Mo ha-1) gave the maximum yield (1245.10 kg ha-1), the highest plant height (54.73 cm), the maximum number of branches per plant (2), the longest pod length (9.54 cm), the maximum number of pod per plant (24), the maximum number of seeds per pod (12) and the maximum harvest index (0.32) in the monsoon season. In post-monsoon season, the results revealed that only boron application 1 kg B ha-1 produced the maximum plant height, number of branches per plant, 100 seeds weight, number of pods per plant and number of seeds per pod while only molybdenum application; both 1 and 1.5 kg Mo ha-1 produced maximum growth, yield and yield attributes of mungbean. Combined application of boron and molybdenum treatment B1Mo1 (1.0 kg B ha-1 + 1.0 kg Mo ha-1) produced the maximum seed yield (1850 kg ha-1), the highest plant height (39.97 cm), the maximum number of branches per plant (3), the longest pod length (8.43 cm), maximum number of pods per plant (20), the maximum number of seeds per pod (12) and the maximum value of 100 seeds weight (6.59 g). Therefore, the treatment B2Mo2 was the suitable dose for monsoon season and the treatment B1Mo1 was the optimum dose for post-monsoon season to attain the maximum yield of mungbean cultivation in the experimental area. In conclusion, combined application of B and Mo was more effective than application of B or Mo alone in mungbean, but followed by basal application of N, P, K fertilizers.
Key words: boron, molybdenum, mungbean, growth, yield and yield attributes