Effects of Boron Fertilization on the Yield and Some Yield Components of Bread and Durum Wheat

A greenhouse and a 1-year field study were conducted during the cropping season on the effects of B on yield and some yield components of bread (Triticum aestivum L, cv. Bezostaja) and durum (Triticum durum L. cv. Kiziltan) wheat cultivars in a B-deficient soil (0.68 mg kg-1, NH4OAc extractable). Boron was applied as H3BO3 at 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 mg B kg-1 in the greenhouse study and 0, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0 kg B ha-1 in the field study. Shoot dry weights of Bezostaja and Kiziltan significantly increased regardless of the applied B levels in the greenhouse study. In the field study, grain yield increased from 3668 to 5475 kg ha-1 at 4.0 kg B ha-1 in Bezostaja and 4668 to 5360 kg ha-1 at 2.0 kg B ha-1 in Kiziltan. At higher levels of B application, the grain yields of the cultivars decreased. Boron concentration in the shoots and grains of both cultivars, and spike number m-2, spike length, number of sterile spikelets per spike, grain yield per spike and harvest index for Bezostaja, and number of fertile spikelets per spike and number of grain per spike for Kiziltan responded to B fertilization in field conditions. The results of this study show that B fertilization should be taken into consideration in fertilizer recommendations after additional research under different soil, genotype, and environmental conditions.