Abstract

Field experiments conducted during summer and winter 1996 seasons with 10 treatments involving zinc and boron in various combinations showed significant differences for yield attributing characters in cotton. The number of sympodia plant (30.0%), number of bolls plant (39.2 %). boll weight (49.8 %). seed weight holl (36.8%). number of seeds boll (10.8 %) were significantly higher for plants given combined soil application of ZnSO, (50 kg ha') and borax (10 kg ha"). The seed cotton yield and seed yield were 47.1 % and 19.2 % higher for the same treatment over control. The quality of resultant seeds in terms of 100 seed weight, germination, speed of germination, seedling growth, drymatter production, vigour index, dehydrogenase enzyme activity and oil content were also significantly higher for the seeds from plants received both ZnSO, and borax through soil or foliage.

Keywords: Micronutrients, Zinc, Boron, Cotton