Growth attributes
Plant height (cm)
Data pertaining the plant height is given in Table 1. Height of plant was recorded at 45 and 60 DAS. The maximum plant height at 45 and 60 DAS was observed in treatment 9 (RDF + 0.2% Boron + 35 kg ha
-1 Sulphur)
i.e. 30.5 cm at 45 DAS and 47.6 cm at 60 DAS which was at par with treatment 10 (RDF + 0.3% Boron + 52.5 kg ha
-1 Sulphur)
i.e. 29.5 cm at 45 DAS and 45.5 cm at 60 DAS. Similar results were found by
Phogat et al., (2020) and
Raj et al., (2023) as sulphur is vital for stimulating cell division, supporting photosynthesis, and facilitating chlorophyll formation. hereby enhancing photosynthesis and also aids in converting nitrogen into protein similar results were also concluded by
Arunraj et al., (2018). Similarly, boron enhances tissue differentiation, cell division and cell development. It also boosts nitrogen absorption from the soil, further promoting overall growth and increasing plant height
Singh et al., (2014).
Number of leaves plant-1
The significantly maximum number of leaves plant
-1 at 45 and 60 DAS were recorded in T
9 i.e. 47.6 at 45 DAS and 30.5 at 60 DAS which is followed by T
10 i.e. 29.5 at 45 DAS and 45.5 at 60 DAS (Table 1).
Parashar et al., (2020) revealed that, sulphur is integral to the synthesis of amino acids, which serve as building blocks for protein synthesis in plants and also promotes cell division and photo-synthesis by facilitating chlorophyll formation, ultimately leading to increased leaf production. Meanwhile, boron at 0.2% concentration plays a crucial role in enhancing cell division and promoting the absorption of nitrogen from the soil by enhanced root nodulation which increases growth and photosynthesis, resulting in an increased number of leaves plant
-1 as demonstrated by
Luxmi et al., (2020) and
Devi et al., (2012).
Number of branches plant-1
The data revealed that the maximum number of branches plant
-1 at 45 DAS and 60 DAS were recorded in T
9 i.e. 9.4 at 45 DAS and 13.1 at 60 DAS which was observed at par with the T
10 i.e. 8.9 at 45 DAS and 12.8 at 60 DAS as shown in Table 1. According to
Parashar et al., (2020) sulphur enhances root growth, allowing roots to penetrate deeper into the soil and thereby absorb more nutrients and supports overall plant health and vigor, leading to increased branching. Concurrently, boron plays a crucial role in nodule formation in legumes, which enhances nitrogen fixation and nitrogen availability to plant which promotes vegetative growth, stimulates photosynthesis and further contributing to the development of more branches as demonstrated by
Raj et al., (2023) and
Movalia et al., (2020).
Number of root nodules plant-1
The maximum number of root nodules were recorded in T
9 at 45 DAS and 60 DAS
i.e. 19.2 and 29.4 respectively (Table 1). These were observed at par with T
10 which are 18.7 at 45 DAS and 28.9 60 DAS). This happened due to the application of Sulphur and boron. Sulphur promotes the production and of leghemoglobin in the roots which leads to increased number root nodules
Parry et al., (2018) and
Ganie et al., (2014). Boron is essential for the development of both roots and shoots and plays a key role in the functioning in symbiosis of rhizobium bacteria and ensures their proper functioning and proliferation, which are crucial for root nodule formation, aiding in nitrogen fixation
Satya, (2025).
Dry matter accumulation (gm-2)
The highest dry matter accumulation was observed in treatment T
9, with 13.77 at flowering and 19.50 at harvesting (Table 1). According to
Choudhary et al., (2022), sulphur increases the number of leaves and branches, enhancing photosynthetic activity and biomass production, resulting in higher dry matter accumulation. Additionally, boron application significantly contributes to maximum plant dry weight by stabilizing essential components of the cell wall and plasma membrane, promoting cell division, tissue differentiation and the metabolism of vital compounds like nucleic acids, carbohydrates, proteins and auxins as resulted by
Sangeetha et al., (2010) and
Meshram et al., (2015). The combined effects of sulphur and boron enhanced plant growth and nutrient availability.
Yield attributes
Number of pods plant-1
The results in Table 2 revealed that the highest number of pods plant
-1 were observed in T
9 (41.1), which was at par with T
10 (40.0). According to
Padbhushan et al., (2014), boron plays a crucial role in flower and pollen formation which is directly impacting pod production by promoting the development and functionality of reproductive organs. Sulphur significantly enhances tissue differentiation, transforming somatic cells into reproductive meristematic activity, leading to the initiation of floral primordia, resulting in increased flower formation and subsequently more pods as suggested by
Mazed et al., (2015).
Number of seeds pod-1
The data indicated that the highest number of seeds pod
-1 were obtained in T
9 i.e. 6.9, which was at par to T
10 i.e. 6.6 (Table 2). As resulted by
Arunraj et al., (2018) and
Kudi et al., (2018) sulphur plays a vital role in enhancing metabolic processes and enzymatic activity in plants. It improves overall plant development by aiding in amino acid, protein, chlorophyll synthesis and better photosynthesis, leading to increased sink potential.
Luxmi et al., (2020) highlighted that boron is essential for the development and functioning of reproductive tissues, cell division, tissue differentiation and the metabolism of essential compounds like nucleic acids, carbohydrates and proteins which directly impacting seed production.
Test weight
The results in Table 2 show that the treatments did not have a significant effect on test weight.
Devi et al., (2023) reported that the test weight had a high heritability which indicates test weight is genetically controlled trait and demonstrated that test weight is a trait that is largely determined by additive gene action and less influenced by environmental and nutritional factors like sulphur and boron.
Yield
Seed yield
The data on grain yield is presented in Table 2 which shows that the highest seed yield (10.95 q ha
-1) was observed in treatment T
9, which was at par with T
10 (10.23 q ha
-1). This increase in yield can be attributed to the combined effect of sulphur and boron. According to
Raj et al., (2023), sulphur plays a crucial role in promoting cell division, photosynthesis, chlorophyll formation and root nodule development, leading to enhanced vegetative growth, metabolic activities and better biomas accumulation ultimately resulting in increased seed yield. Meanwhile, Boron regulates important cellular processes, metabolic activities, and nucleic acid synthesis, Boron is essential for cell differentiation, physiological processes, and overall plant growth
Kumar et al., (2018). Adequate boron nutrition is vital for improving crop yield and quality
Banoth et al., (2022).
Stover yield
Table 2 presents data on stover yield, showing significantly higher stover yield in T
9 (24.03 q ha
-1), which was observed at par to T
10 (23.17 q ha
-1). The increase in yield can be attributed to the essential roles of sulphur and boron in metabolic processes related to growth, nodulation, pod setting, carbohydrate, and protein synthesis, as reported by
Arora et al., (2012). Sulphur aids in nitrogen absorption and promotes better vegetative growth
Jat et al., (2013). Boron plays a crucial role in regulating cellular processes and metabolic activities essential for cell differentiation in meristematic tissues, and aids in the synthesis of phenolic compounds involved in chlorophyll production, ultimately leading to increased stover yield
Renukadevi et al., (2002).
Harvest index
The harvesting index was significantly higher in T
9 (31.30%) and found at par to T
10 (30.60 %), T
6 (30.82%) and T
4 (30.02%) as shown in Table 2. As supported by
Arunraj et al., (2018) sulphur is crucial for protein synthesis as it is a component of certain amino acids and chlorophyll. Sulphur also activates enzymes that drive metabolic processes, enhancing nutrient utilization and grain formation, resulting in increased biomass production and a higher proportion of biomass dedicated to grain yield. As reported by
Padbhushan et al., (2014) boron plays a role in maximizing the harvest index by influencing cell division, carbohydrate metabolism, and cell wall synthesis, which are essential for the development of reproductive tissues and efficient energy allocation for seed production.
