INFLUENCE OF PRECURSES AND SOWING DATE ON OVER-WINTERING AND WINTER WHEAT PRODUCTIVITY UNDER CHANGING REGIONAL CONDITIONS
The research was carried out in order to determine the optimal time for sowing winter wheat according to various predecessors in the changing climate of Volga forest-steppe. The work was carried out in 2013–2019 in Ulyanovsk region on heavy loamy leached chernozem using conventional techniques. The experimental scheme provided for the study of two predecessors (peas and pure fallow) of winter soft wheat of Marafon variety, sown at 6 sowing dates with an interval of 10 days (from August 20 to October 10). The seeding rate for pure fallow is 5.0 million viable seeds per hectare, for peas - 5.5 million viable seeds per hectare. Average annual air temperature for 1961–2018 increased by 1.8°С. Its most significant increase was noted in the last twenty-five year period of time in the winter months. The increase in the frequency of extremely warm winters and temperature variability in the winter period significantly changed the conditions for overwintering winter crops. The danger of the development of wintering weeds, damping diseases, and soaking of winter crops has increased, and the conditions for overwintering pests have improved. It is possible to mitigate the danger of the natural and climatic vulnerability of crops during the wintering period by observing the optimal sowing dates, which should be postponed to a later period (7 ... 12 days), compared with the previously recommended ones. The optimal sowing period for winter wheat in Ulyanovsk region is from August 30 to September 10. Earlier crops are more intensively affected by diseases (powdery mildew and brown rust), and later crops, which have left in the winter in the germination phase, form a low density, form a small ear and provide low productivity or completely die