Repercussions of fertilization with boron and enriched organic manure on soil chemical characteristics, boron and phosphorus fractions, and French bean productivity in an acidic Inceptisol of eastern Himalaya

• Published in: Scientia horticulturae 2024-01, Vol.324, p.112589, Article 112589
• Main Authors: Bhupenchandra, Ingudam, Basumatary, Anjali, Dutta, Samiron, Das, Anup, Choudhary, Anil K., Lal, Rattan, Sharma, A. Dhanachandra, Sen, Arnab, Prabhabati, Yumnam, Sahoo, Manas Ranjan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: aluminum; animal manures; bicarbonates; bioavailability; Boron; Boron fractions; cation exchange capacity; climate; electrical conductivity; Enriched farmyard manure and phosphorus activation coefficient (PAC); green beans; Himalayan region; Inceptisols; phosphorus; Phosphorus fractions; soil organic carbon; water solubility
• ISSN: 0304-4238; 1879-1018
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scienta.2023.112589

•Nominal changes in soil pH, SOC content and CEC was noticed due to varying levels of B and enriched FYM application.•Conjoint application of B fertilizer and enriched FYM improves the status of B and P fractions.•Scaling up the levels of B fertilizer and enriched FYM led to augmentation in the French bean productivity.•RSB (Readily soluble B) and OBB (Organic bound B) fractions emerged as the highest contributor in enhancing the available B/ Hot water-soluble B status in soil.•Resin P followed BiC Pi (NaHCO3 extracted inorganic P) was the most labile P fraction having the greatest contribution to available P.•The multivariate analysis exhibited that the soil organic carbon as the major factor in regulating the content of plant available B and P fractions. Boron (B) and phosphorus (P) in the soil are dispersed in numerous geochemical fractions (forms) which depend primarily on physicochemical properties of soils, climate and management exercises, and each form is in dynamic equilibrium with each other. The study of these fractions caters for an advanced understanding of their bioavailability to plants. To better elucidate how the nexus of B and enriched farmyard manure (EFYM) synergy influences the soil chemical characteristics, B and P fractions, and French bean pod production, an investigation was undertaken during the three consecutive years from 2015 to 18 in acidic Inceptisol of eastern Himalaya. The experiment was laid out in symmetrical factorial design and the imposed treatments comprised four graded levels each of B (0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 kg ha−1) and EFYM (0, 5, 10, 15 Mg ha−1). The results implied that the conjoint (interaction) application of a higher rate of B @ 1.5 kg ha−1 and EFYM @ 15 Mg ha−1 (B1.5EFYM15) levels were superior to other treatment combinations in improving soil chemical characteristics including pH, electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic carbon content (SOC) and reducing the concentration of iron oxides (Fe2O3) and aluminium oxides (Al2O3). Similarly, there was a significant increase of B fractions, total B, Hot water-soluble B (HWS-B), P fractions, total P and available P in the soil. Correspondingly, the maximum average French bean pod yield (FBPY) (12.04 Mg ha−1) was achieved under plots fertilized with B1.5EFYM15, while the minimum FBPY (7.82 Mg ha−1) was logged under B0EFYM0 (control). The correlation study exhibited a significant positive correlation amongst EC, SOC and cation exchange capacity (CEC) with both the B and