International Journal of Horticulture, 2025, Vol.15, No.3, 123-132 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 124 both cultivation and consumption. The global production of cauliflower reached over 25.5 million tons in 2020, with a market value of $14.1 billion (Chen et al., 2024) . The top producers of cauliflower in the world include China, India, America, Mexico, Spain, etc., where China is the leading country with 26.5 million tons production. In Nepal as per MoALD (2022/23), the total area coverage of cauliflower is 39,214 ha producing 611,015 mt with average productivity of 14.81mt/ha. One of the major constraints for the cauliflower production is unmanaged fertilization and unavailability of nutrients in soils. Nepalese soils, particularly in mid-hill and inner Terai regions like Marin, Sindhuli, are often characterized by micronutrient deficiencies, among which boron deficiency is especially widespread and under-addressed. The growth, reproductive development, and marketable yield of cauliflower (a crop that is highly sensitive to boron levels) are significantly hampered by this shortfall. Boron is an essential micronutrient required for normal plant growth, including crucial functions in cauliflower which plays an important role in cell wall formation, reproductive development, nutrient translocation, and the prevention of physiological disorders. Although required in trace amounts, boron deficiency can cause significant damage to cauliflower’s yield and quality (Wimmer and Eichert, 2013). One of the most notable impacts of boron deficiency in cauliflower is the occurrence of hollow stems or hollowness in curds. This condition, characterized by cavities inside the stem or curd, reduces the commercial value of the crop (Islam et al., 2015). Boron’s role in cell division and the maintenance of xylem differentiation is critical for preventing this disorder. It ensures proper nutrient and water transport, reducing the incidence of hollow stem formation (Troeh et al., 2005). Boron plays a major role in the maintenance of structural integrity of the plant membranes, cell division and elongation, metabolism of biomolecules like carbohydrates and nucleic acids, protein synthesis, sugar translocation, as well as uptake of essential plant nutrients from the soil, all of which are critical for curd development. Therefore, the deficiency of boron affects all these processes (Pilbeam and Kirkby, 1983; Ahmad et al., 2009; Shaaban, 2010; Funakawa and Miwa, 2015; Shireen et al., 2018). Under certain soil pH conditions, conventional soil-based boron fertilization has shown inconsistent results due to leaching losses and low availability. In this context, foliar application of boron presents a potentially more efficient and targeted approach, yet it remains underexplored in Nepalese agro-ecological zones. Moreover, no research work has been reported on the effects of boron in cauliflower production in the Sindhuli district. The present study uniquely aims to evaluate the effectiveness of different foliar boron concentrations on cauliflower growth and productivity under the specific soil-climatic conditions of Marin, Sindhuli. By addressing a localized nutrient management gap through a practical and scalable method, this research contributes novel insights for optimizing micronutrient strategies in vegetable production systems across similar regions of Nepal. 2 Materials and Methods 2.1 Selection of site The experiment was conducted at College of Natural Resource Management, Sindhuli, Nepal. This region is situated at the latitude of 27° 15' 24.1" N and the longitude of 85° 46' 39.5" E. The altitude of this region is 299 meter above sea level. The duration of the experiment was from 2nd January 2024 to 30th March 2024. The average daytime temperature of cultivation period ranged between 14 °C (January) to 24 °C (March) and rainfall during cultivation period ranged from 7.4 mm (January) to 13 mm (March). While testing the boron availability in an experimental field, low availability of boron (0.28 ppm) was found. 2.2 Experimental materials and treatment applications The used variety in the experiment was Snow Mystique (A late variety) and seeds of cauliflower were brought from nearby Agrovet of Marin rural municipality, Sindhuli. The used fertilizers were also brought from nearby fertilizer distributor of Marin rural municipality. One and a half tons of compost plus 120:80:80 kg per ha of N: P2O5: K2O was applied in all the plots. Half Nitrogen was applied as a basal application and the other half as top dressing after 45 days.
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