Interaction effect of boron and zinc on growth, yield and quality of chilli (Capsicum annuum)

The study was carried out at School of Agriculture, Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jaipur (Rajasthan), during 2022-23, in Factorial Randomized Block Design, comprising nine treatment combinations, viz. control (T₀), boron @ 0.2% (T₁), boron @ 0.4% (T₂), zinc @ 0.2% (T₃), zinc @ 0.4% (T₄), boron @ 0.2% + zinc @ 0.2% (T₅), boron @ 0.2% + zinc @ 0.4% (T₆), boron @ 0.4% + zinc @ 0.2% (T₇) and boron @ 0.4% + zinc @ 0.4% (T₈). The treatments were replicated three times. The effect of different concentrations of micronutrients on growth, yield and quality attributes were significantly influenced by different concentrations of boron and zinc under local agroclimatic conditions of Jaipur. The maximum (31.64 cm) and (49.98 cm) plant height at 45 and 60 DAT, respectively, 162.47 leaves per plant, 14.54 branches per plant, 16.67 flower clusters per plant, 50.10 fruits per plant, (2.66 cm) fruit girth, minimum (45.10 days) and (50.03 days) took for 50% flowering and first harvesting, respectively and longest (8.15 cm) fruit length, heaviest (11.79 g) fruit and maximum (468.73 g/plant and 18.03 t/ha) green chilli yield and (3.20 t/ha) dry red chilli yield and highest B: C ratio (3.25)were recorded under foliar spray of boron @ 0.2% + zinc @ 0.4% treatment. Hence, foliar application of boron @ 0.2% + zinc @ 0.4% performed significantly superior over control and remaining treatments to get highest green chilli production.