Evaluation of a Suitable Extractant and Determination of Critical Limit of Boron in Soil and Mustard (Brassica Juncea L.) Plant by Various Extractants in Inceptisols of Varanasi

Abstract

Pot culture experiment was conducted to evaluate the suitability of extractants and to determine the critical limit of boron (B) in soil and mustard plant in Inceptisols of Varanasi. Twenty-one bulk soil collected from different locations were used for growing mustard. Five extractants, namely hot water, hot 0.01molar (M) calcium chloride (CaCl2), 0.01M CaCl2 + 0.05 M mannitol, 1.0 M ammonium acetate (NH4OAC) and 0.05 M hydrochloric acid (HCl), were assessed by correlating the amount of extractable B in untreated and B fertilizer-treated soil with Bray’s per cent yield, plant tissue B concentration and B uptake by mustard. Similarly, correlation coefficients of the B extracted by different extractants and soil properties were calculated. The suitability of B extracted by different extractants was in the order of hot 0.01M CaCl2 (HCC-B) > hot water (HW-B) > 1.0 M NH4OAC (AA-B) > 0.05M HCl (HA-B) > 0.01M CaCl2 + 0.05M mannitol (CCM-B). The critical limits of extractable B in soil as determined by the graphical procedure were 0.54, 0.60, 0.36, 0.45 and 0.45 mg kg−1 and the statistical procedures were 0.54, 0.60, 0.38, 0.46 and 0.48 mg kg−1 with HW-B, HCC-B, CCM-B, AA-B and HA-B, respectively. Soil containing available B below the critical limit responded to B fertilization. © 2017 Taylor & Francis.