Investigation of the influence of elements of cultivation technology, such as: sowing time, seeding rates, mineral nutrition, the use of growth regulators and varietal features on productivity of crops and quality of safflower seeds, in specific soil and climatic conditions are relevant.
The purpose of the research was to determine the dependence of performance elements and the yield level of safflower varieties on additional mineral nutrition and the use of microbiological preparations.
The research was conducted in 2017-2019 at the fields of the Institute of Oil Crops of the NAAS. Soil of the test site – ordinary black soil, medium-sized low humus, with humus content in the arable layer 0-30 cm – 3,5 %, available nitrogen – 7,2-8,5, mobile phosphorus – 9,6-10,3, exchangeable potassium – 15,2-16,9 mg/100 g of soil, pH of soil solution 6,5-7,0.
The sowing of the varieties of safflower Zhivchyk and Dobrynya was carried out in the first decade of April with a seeding rate of 240 thousand similar seeds per hectare. Basic tillage system: classic. Options for application of mineral fertilizers: 1. Control – without fertilizers; 2. N60P50 for basic tillage; 3. P50 under basic tillage + N60 under pre-sowing cultivation. Options for the use of growth stimulants: 1. Control – without treatment; 2. Growth concentrate (1.0 l/ha) + Chelatin oil (1.5 l/ha); 3. Chelatin Forte (1.0 l/ha) + Helatin mono boron (1.0 l/ha); 4. Chelatin mono boron (1.0 l/ha) + Phosphate-potassium chelate (1.0 l/ha); 5. Chelatin phosphorus-potassium (0.5 l/ha) + Chelatin multimix (0.5 l/ha) + Chelatin mono boron (0.5 l/ha). The treatment of plants was carried out in phase 6-10 safflower leaves.
As a result of the conducted researches the influence of additional mineral nutrition and application of microbiological preparations on the height of plants, indicators of productivity elements and yield of safflower varieties Zhivchyk and Dobrynya were established.
Under the influence of fertilizers and growth regulators, the plant height indexes of Zhivchyk varieties increased from 83.0 to 88.5 cm and the Dobrynya varieties from 72.9 to 78.2 cm. N60P50 under basic tillage with the use of Growth Concentrate + Chelatin Oil preparations. The highest values of plant height of safflower of the variety Dobrynya – 78.1 and 78.2 cm are indicated in the variants with the introduction of mineral fertilizers P50 under basic tillage + N60 under pre-sowing cultivation and the use of growth stimulants .
Performance indicators of safflower varied under the influence of all the agricultural practices studied. The number of baskets on one plant was in the range: for the variety Zhivchyk 10.3-10.9 pcs, for the variety Dobrynya 9.5-9.9 pcs. Under the influence of mineral fertilizers and growth promoters, their number increased, respectively, for: Zhivchyk 0.1-0.4 and 0.1-0.4, for Dobrynia 0.1-0.3 and 0.1-0.3 piece
Indicators of the number of baskets and seeds per plant for both Zhivchyk and Dobrynya varieties were higher against the background of additional nutrition. In the variants with application of mineral fertilizers in relation to the control the number of baskets and seeds per plant increased by 0.1-0.3 and 4.1-12.9 pcs. in the variety Zhivchyk and 0.1-0.3 and 7.9-12.6 pcs. in the variety Dobrynya. Under the influence of growth stimulants, the number of baskets and seeds per plant increased by 0.1-0.4 and 1.9-10.5 pcs. in the variety Zhivchyk and by 0.1-0.3 and 0.2-4.7 pcs. in the variety Dobrynya.
Indicators of seed weight per plant and weight of 1000 seeds increased depending on the use of mineral fertilizers and growth promoters. Under the influence of mineral fertilizers, they increased by: 0.47-0.82 and 1.4-1.9 g in the Zhivchyk variety; 0.73-0.95 and 2.0-2.4 g in the Dobrynia variety. Under the influence of growth promoters, these indicators increased by 0.12-0.61 and 0.8-1.3 g in the Zhivchyk variety, 0.13-0.46 and 1.2-1.8 g in the Dobrynya variety. The highest weight of 1000 seeds is 39.8 g in the Zhivchyk variety and 49.5 g in the Dobrynya variety obtained on the background of fertilizer application N60P50 under the main cultivation of the soil with the use of Growth Concentrate + Chelatin oil.
Depending on the mineral nutrition background and the use of growth stimulants, the level of yield of safflower of the Zhivchyk variety was in the range of 1.46-1.71 t/ha, of the Dobrynya variety 1.55-1.85 t/ha. The increase from the application of mineral fertilizers was equal to: for the Zhivchyk variety 0.11-0.17 t/ha, for the Dobrynia variety 0.17-0.22 t/ha. Depending on the variant of application of the preparations, the yield of safflower increased by: 0.05-0.12 t/ha in the Zhivchyk variety and 0.03-0.11 t/ha in the Dobrynya variety. The highest yield of safflower of the Zhivchyk variety – 1.71 and 1.70 t/ha and the variety Dobrynya – 1.84 and 1.85 t/ha were obtained on the background of application of mineral fertilizers at a dose of N60P50 for the main cultivation of soil with the use of Growth Concentrate + Oil chelate and Mono boron chelate + Phosphorus-potassium chelate.