Dry matter yield of forage corn in the late milk stage of development depending on the planting dates in the steppe zone of the Crimea

Dry matter yield is an objective indicator of assessing the productivity of corn hybrids grown for silage and green fodder. The aim of the work was to identify optimal planting dates to obtain maximum yield of dry matter at the late milk stage of development for hybrids of corn depending on groups of maturity under rain-fed conditions of the Crimean steppe zone. The sowing dates of the field experiment were on April 5th, 15th, and 25th. We studied hybrids of corn of different groups of maturity. Soil – chernozems southern low-humus. Meteorological conditions in 2016 were characterized by increased moisture availability (Selyaninov Hydrothermal Coefficient (HTC) 1.46). In 2017, severe drought was noted (HTC 0.34). Moisture availability was insufficient in 2018 and 2019 (HTC 0.79 and 0.78, respectively). In 2016-2019, the best planting date for hybrid ‘Nur’ was April 15th; the dry matter yield in the late milk stage was 6.69 t/ha. For the medium- early hybrid ‘Mashuk 220 MV’, the best sowing dates were April 15th and 25th; dry matter yield was 5.95 and 5.78 t/ha, respectively. Hybrid ‘Mashuk 355 MV’ demonstrated higher dry matter yield on April 5th and 15th (7.12 and 6.99 t/ha). However, the planting date of April 25th led to significant yield decreased (to 6.1 t/ha).

Impact of microbial preparations on the activity of rhizosphere and the productivity of oil flax under no-till

Microbial preparations improve mineral nutrition of plants, protect against phytopathogens, and increase their resistance to stress factors. The aim of our research is to study the effect of microbial preparations on the biological activity of rhizosphere and the productivity of oil flax under no-till in the Crimean Steppe. Microbiological analysis of the rhizosphere of oil flax showed that there is a tendency to increase the number of microorganisms of various ecological and trophic groups both under the conditions of the conventional farming system (CFS) and no-till when seeds are inoculated with a complex of microbial preparations (CMP). Under CFS, the number of microorganisms using mineral forms of nitrogen as nutrition increased by 28 %; pedotrophs – by 37 %; ammonifiers and oligotrophs increased under both farming systems. The total number of nitrogen fixers increased by 29 % under CFS as a result of biological preparations use, while under no-till there was only a trend towards increasing the amount of azotobacter. The number of actinomycetes increased under the influence of CMP by 50% under direct sowing; micromycetes decreased under both farming systems. The number of cellulose-degrading microorganisms increased by 18 and 27 % under no- till and CFS, respectively. The yield of oilseed flax under no-till was 0.11 t/ha (12.9 %) higher than under conventional farming system. On average, over three years (2017-2019), an increase in yield amounted to 0.12 t/ha (19%) due to the use of microbial preparations.

Yield of spring wheat due to lipid peroxidation under the influence of Bacillus oligonitrophilus bacterization

The purpose of the article was to study the resistance of spring wheat under the influence of foliar treatment of plants with silicate bacteria according to lipid peroxidation (LP) and yield. The studies were conducted on spring wheat (variety ‘MiS’). The cultivation technology is typical wheat in this agroclimatic zone. The foliar treatment was carried out with a culture of bacteria Bacillus oligonitrophilus by spraying at the rate of 0.5 l/m2 of bacteria suspension containing 109 cells/ml (equally to 100% concentration). Field experiment design: option 1 – plants without treatment (control); option 2 – treatment with B. oligonitrophilus fertilizers at the stage of tillering; option 3 – treatment with B. oligonitrophilus fertilizers at the stage of tillering/stem elongation; option 4 – treatment with B. oligonitrophilus at the stage of tillering/stem elongation/heading. The activity of LP in wheat leaves was identified according to the content of malondialdehyde (MDA). The content of MDA was determined photometrically during interaction with thiobarbiturate. Wheat yield increase was observed in options 3 and 4 (by 11 and 15%, respectively). The content of MDA decreased in all phases of wheat vegetation in the same experimental options (by 14 and 21%, respectively), which indicated the antioxidant effect of the studied preparation. Thus, the bacterization of wheat with B. oligonitrophilus leads to the plant resistance increase. The protective effect is probably due to the action of a complex of their biologically active substances (metabolites) including the antioxidant mechanism of action.

Ability of the soil cellulolytic bacteria to colonize endophytic niche of barley grains

To identify microorganisms that can penetrate into the endophytic niche of the grain of barley plants, many years of vegetative experiments were conducted on sod-podzolic soil without the use of mineral fertilizers. In the non-growing season, a biological product, consisting of cellulolytic association of bacteria with genotypic passport, decomposed barley straw. Presowing treatment of seeds was not carried out, therefore, during the growing season; local microorganisms decomposing plant residues could be present in the barley rhizosphere. After six years of rotation of barley plants, the microbiological composition of its seed niche was studied. As a result, it was found that in the seeds of barley bacteria are present in an amount of 240 ± 20 CFU/g of grain. Isolated pure cultures of microorganisms were identified as Cellulomonas gelida, Micrococcus luteus and Bacillus licheniformis by the sequence of ITS fragments of 16S rRNA. These types of bacteria were also present in the used biological product. Based on the research conducted, it can be assumed, that permanent cultivation of barley plants and sowing of seeds of the previous year can contribute to the formation of effective microbial and plant biosystems that are resistant to environmental stress.

Influence of green manure phytomass treatment by microbial preparations on grain productivity and quality indicators of winter wheat

Treatment of the triticale phytomass with the complex biological preparation KBP-5M before incorporation into the soil contributed to the activation of microbiological processes in the 0-30 cm layer. In the variants when the plant was in the phenological stage of spike emergence, we noted an increase in the content of N-NO3 by 0.19-0.46 mg per 100 g of soil; Р2О5 – up to 2.97; K2О – up to mg/100 g. The reason for that was the maximum accumulation of organic matter in the phytomass of triticale at the aforementioned stage of development (8.25-8.52 t/ha). The use of KBP-5M had a positive effect on the development of winter wheat when green manure was the preceding crop. There is a tendency to increase the density of the stalk by 13.3 %, including productive stems – by 3.9 % and the number of grains from 10 plants – by 1.7 % compared to the use of triticale plants as an organic fertilizer without the treatment with biological preparation. Despite the trend of increasing yields from 4.32 to 4.43 t/ha, no reliable yield increase was obtained. When applying KBP-5M on triticale plant residues, there was an increase in protein content by 0.3 % and gluten – by 1.1 % compared to variants without the biological preparation. According to the indicators of 1000-grain weight and hectolitre weight, there were no significant differences between the studied variants. The use of KBP-5M has been justified from an economic point of view since 277 to 1535 rubles per ha of contingent net income was obtained and the payback ratio for the use of the biological product was 1.05–5.79.

Results of Сamelina oil assessment

Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz – is an annual oilseed crop in the family Brassicaceae. The aim of the research was to study oil obtained from camelina seeds cultivated in the Crimea. Determination of fatty acid composition was carried out on the gas chromatograph “Хроматэк – Кристалл 5000” (Hromatek - Crystal 5000); automatic dosing unit ДАЖ-2М (DAJ- 2M); capillary column SolGelWax 30m × 0.25 mm × 0.5 μm; carrier gas – helium; speed – 22 centimeters per second; programming temperature –178–230 °С. The preparation of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) using gas-liquid chromatography (GC) was performed in line with the methodology. The content of biologically active substances (tocopherols) in Camelina sativa oil was carried out using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and spectroscopy. To obtain biofuel, we used the transesterification of triglyceride (or triacylglycerols) of camelina oil with methyl alcohol using potassium hydroxide (or sodium) as a homogeneous catalyst, as well as active metal oxides or enzymes (regiospecific lipase) as heterogeneous catalysts. Camelina sativa oil, obtained from false flax cultivated in the Crimea, should be used, first of all, to ensure healthy, dietary and therapeutic nutrition of the locals and tourists. Since, depending on the variety and the amount of precipitation, it contains 17.89-19.66% of linoleic acid; 33.02-37.06% of linolenic acid; not more than 3.05% of erucic acid. Furthermore, the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids varies from 1.7: 1.0 to 2.2: 1.0 even in wet years. The oil from the winter camelina seeds (‘Penzyak’ variety) in its composition and properties is suitable for the synthesis of biodiesel by the methanolysis reaction using a homogeneous alkaline catalyst. The physical and chemical properties of the obtained biodiesel are similar to those of sunflower or rapeseed oils.

Биологизированная технология возделывания сахарной свеклы

Sugar beet is the main technical crop in the Republic of Bashkortostan. Beet growing in the region is carried out in the zone of risky agriculture. Based on the bioproducts produced for Beta vulgaris growing, the team of the BashInkom Scientific & Innovation Enterprise together with scientists from the Research Institute of Sugar Beet and Sugar and leading Russian beet growers improved and optimized the traditional technology, which, even under stressful conditions (drought, temperature decrease, waterlogging, freezing, toxic chemical oppression, lack of readily soluble nutrients) and a significant reduction in production costs, increases crop productivity by 20% and sugar content by 0.1-0.3%. Production experiments were carried out in beet-growing farms of the republic: farming company “Mukminov”, LLC “Voskhod” (Gafuri region), LLC farming company “Salavat”, LLC “Michurina” (Aurgazinsky district), LLC “Region-Agro” (Davlekanovsky district), etc. Research results confirm the effectiveness of the use of biological products and biofertilizers in sugar beet cultivation technology. The increase in the yield amounted to 2-10 t/ha compared to traditional technology; sugar content increased to 0.3%; finance costs that are attributable to the acquisition and use of biological products and bioactivated fertilizers have paid off, and high profitability is guaranteed. Conclusions: 1. Biological products and bioactivated fertilizers are an integral and mandatory element in the technology of sugar beet cultivation, as well as an innovative solution in protecting plants from environmental stress factors and in balancing plant nutrition by carrying out leaf feeding in key phases of growth and development. 2. Biologized technology allows increasing the yield of sugar beet by 20% and reducing the cost of chemical plant protection products and mineral fertilizers by 1.2-1.3 times. 3. Economic efficiency in the cultivation of sugar beet from the use of biological products and bioactivated fertilizers is up to 8 net profit per 1 RUB production costs.

Influence of different methods of grafted grapes bacterization on the degree of their protection against phytopatogens at the open stratification

The conducted studies allow us to conclude that the complexes KMP-1 (Diazophyte, Phosphoenterin, and Biopolycid) and KMP-2 (Phosphoenterin, Biopolycid, Aurill, and Azotobacterin) in water dilution 1:10 can be recommended for varieties with increased resistance to phytopathogens during open stratification to protect grafted grape cuttings from phytopathogens, while applying partial (apical) bacterization. The effectiveness of these microbial complexes is of the same standard as the action of the traditional chemical antiseptic Chinosolum at a concentration of 0.5 %.

Application of micromycete (Humicola fuscoatra) to accelerate the decomposition of grain crops straw

One of the ways to maintain soil fertility is to use organic fertilizers. One of them can be straw of cereal crops (winter wheat and barley). However, the process of its decomposition can be delayed for several years. It is possible to accelerate the transformation process by using the native strain of cellulosolytic micromycete (Humicola fuscoatra VNIISS 016). Its introduction together with straw before plowing stabilizes agrophytocenosis. The experiments were carried out in laboratory under simulated conditions close to field ones. Scheme of the experiment: 1. Straw; 2. Straw + N (40 mg/4 g, which corresponds to 40 kg/ha); 3. Straw + N + H. fuscoatra + PC (nutritional supplement – molasses) (Kolesnikova M.V., 2014). As a result of the studies, it was established that winter wheat straw without additional components lost 0.86 g in weight (from the initial 4 g), 1.03 g when adding nitrogen fertilizer to the straw, and 1.49 g when using H. fuscoatra. We found that the addition of nitrogen to the straw stimulate the process of its transformation. Straw with nitrogen decompose faster than straw without any additives (by 41.5%). However, the addition of the native strain of micromycete accelerate the process by 48.3%. Barley straw lost 0.82 g in weight, straw with nitrogen fertilizer lost 1.06 g, straw and H. fuscoatra – 1.13 g. Further, the decomposition rate increased in the following row: straw → straw + N, where the speed was 26.7% higher → straw + N + H. fuscoatra, the decomposition rate is – 85.3% higher.

Reaction of micromycetes of leached chernozem on the application of different forms of nitrogen fertilizers

Application of nitrogen fertilizers did not significantly affect the number of micromycetes. The restructuring of the species structure of the mycobiome did not exceed the adaptive zone of “stress” – a change in the frequency of occurrence of typical species. Typical types of leached chernozem micromycetes include deuteromycetes of the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, Trichoderma, Gliocladium, Humicola, Fusarium, zygomycetes (genus Rhizopus), ascomycetes (genera Thalaromyces, Chaetomium). On average, the density of dominant species of micromycetes increased by 20 %, which indicates the development of the “dominance concentration” of typical species and a decrease in the share of rare and random species of fungi in the mycocomplex. In the experiment variants, the density of Penicillium daleae, P. funiculosum, Fusarium solani, and Aspergillus ustus species increased compared to control. These types of micromycetes are toxigenic and synthesize broad-spectrum mycotoxins (fungicidal, antibiotic, and phytotoxic). As a result, the phytotoxic activity of the soil increased to 7 and 20 % (native soil) and to 19-34 % (initiated microbial community). More pronounced changes were observed in the variant with ammonium sulfate. Thus, nitrogen fertilizers at a dose of N90 cause a “stress” reaction of the mycobiome, an increase in the share of toxigenic species and phytotoxic activity of leached chernozem. With long-term systematic use of nitrogen fertilizers, even in medium doses, it is possible to reduce the potential fertility of chernozems.