Boron is one of the essential micronutrients for the plants. Availability of boron to the plant is affected by various boron forms and distribution. Understanding boron chemistry, knowledge of boron forms distribution and their relation to soil properties are indispensable. The contribution of various soil boron forms resulting in its availability, spatial variability and boron fertilization in the apple orchard has never been extensively examined in arid elevated plains of Baluchistan province. It was hypothesized that soil properties affect on soil boron forms distribution and yield and quality of apple. The objectives were to (i) establish the relationship between physico-chemical properties and soil B forms, (ii) evaluate the spatial variability of various boron forms in the surveyed area, (iii) assess the impact of boron fertilization on yield and quality of apple. Ninety georeferenced soil samples from apple orchards of surface and subsurface were collected from Pishin, Baluchistan. Seventy to eighty foliage samples from nonfruit bearing terminals of associated trees were collected. The soil was characterized for pH, CaCO3, organic matter, texture and extractable boron. Soil boron was fractionated into readily soluble, specifically adsorbed, oxide bound, organically bound and residual. A field experiment was carried out at three Bdeficient locations (Barshore, Hurmzae, Khanozae). Variable soil boron rates, i.e., 0, 10, 12, 14 and 16 g tree-1 with the basal recommended dose of N, P and K were applied. Extractable boron was positively influenced by soil organic matter and clay content. Readily soluble was positively correlated with clay and soil organic matter while specifically adsorbed showed positive influence with clay content. Oxide bound, organically bound and residual boron were related positively by clay and organic matter. Regression equation relating to boron forms with soil properties revealed that soil pH, CaCO3, organic matter and clay account the variability in soil boron forms. Spatial structure of sand, silt, clay, organic matter, pH, calcium carbonate and extractable boron were best described by the spherical model indicating medium spatial dependence while clay exhibited strongly spatial dependent on surface and subsurface soil respectively. Best fitted semivariogram model for boron forms (readily soluble, specifically adsorbed, oxide bound and residual B) was spherical with moderate spatial dependence on surface and subsurface soil while organically bound form revealed higher spatial dependence. Results of the field trial indicated that 14 g B tree-1 fertilization increased fruit yield (32.8 %), weight (9.6 %) size (7.7 %), total soluble solids (18.5 %), fruit firmness (9.6 %), fruit boron (16.6 %) and leaf boron content (32.6 %). Trees fertilized with16 g B tree-1 had the higher fruit number (19.4 %). Boron application resulted in a decrease of titratable acidity.
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