Boron is an essential nutrient for plants, involved in cell growth and flower development. In the reproductive phase, its deficiency reduces male fertility due to damage to microsporogenesis and subsequent pollen tube growth. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of boron application on the agronomic and physiological quality of irrigated rice seeds. Boron applied as sodium borate (Na2B4O7.10H2 O) at a dosage of 10 kg ha-1, was made at different times (sowing, tillering, panicle differentiation, and booting full flowering). The performance, sterility and yield components of the rice, as well as seed physiological quality, were evaluated. It was found that application of sodium borate at a dosage of 10 kg ha-1 at different growth stages did not cause sterility or affect grain yield, yield components and the physiological quality of irrigated rice seeds of the IRGA 422CL cultivar.
Oryza sativa L.; micronutrient; physiological quality
