Effect of potassium and boron fertilization on growth, forage yield and quality of berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L.)

The field experiment was conducted during rabi season of 2017–18 at the Forage Research Farm of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar with the objective to study the effect of potassium and boron fertilization on growth, forage yield and quality of berseem. Treatment combinations comprised of four potassium levels i.e. 0, 20, 40 and 60 kg K₂O ha⁻¹ and four levels of boron i.e. 0, 2, 4 kg B ha⁻¹, and 0.2% B spray at flowering initiation and at 50% flowering. The experiment was laid out in split plot design and replicated thrice. Growth characters improved with the application of potassium and boron. Maximum green fodder (444.24 q ha⁻¹) and dry matter yields (55.32 q ha⁻¹) were obtained when berseem was fertilized with 40 kg K₂O ha⁻¹. Crude protein yield was highest with 60 kg K₂O ha⁻¹ (10.29 q ha⁻¹) and digestible dry matter at 40 kg K₂O ha⁻¹ (37.19 q ha⁻¹). Incremental dose of applied boron resulted in a significant improvement in green fodder and dry matter yields upto 2 kg B ha⁻¹. Significant interaction effects of potassium and boron on total green fodder and total dry matter yields indicated better effects with the combination of 40 kg K₂O ha⁻¹ and 2 kg B ha⁻¹.