Can boron application increase the starch content in cassava roots?

Abstract

Abstract Boron is one of the essential micronutrients that is important for cassava growth, one of which is in the formation of starch, but research on the effect of boron on cassava plants is still rarely reported. Therefore, the aim of this study was to know the effect of boron application on cassava starch content. The experiment was conducted in Tanjung Bintang District, South Lampung Regency, Lampung Province from February to December 2020. Waxy clone cassava was used as planting material and 45% boric acid fertilizer as treatment material. There were five boron treatments (B0 (0 kg boron ha-1), B1 (0.31 kg boron ha−1), B2 (0.63 kg boron ha−1), B3 (0.94 kg boron ha−1), and B4 (1.26 kg boron ha−1)) applied to waxy clone cassava. The experiment was arranged in a Completely Randomized Block Design (CRBD) with 3 replicates. The results showed that treatment B2 showed the average weight of cassava roots is 2.15 kg/plant and starch content is 23.83%. Treatment B2 also showed the highest mean of those two variables compared to other treatments.