Biological Rationale for the Protein Growth Stimulant Application to Increase Wheat Yield and Assessment of Grain Quality Using Microfocus X-ray and Optical Imaging Techniques

Abstract

A new plant growth stimulant was developed according to the technology engineered by the scientists of ITMO and SPBGAU Universities. The biological effectiveness of the preparation was assessed by measuring 20 wheat productivity parameters and 16 parameters of various types of pathogenesis formed during the progress of root rot caused by Helminthosporium, different types of rust, powdery mildew, and wheat leaf blotch. Application of the stimulant promoted a potential yield increase in 64% of samples (statistically significant at P < 0.05 in 28% of samples). Among the essential parameters of the yield formula, the preparation exerted the most remarkable action on spike length, the number of spikelets per spike, number of grains per spike, and weight of grains in one spike. Foliar spraying of plants with the protein growth stimulant promoted an increase in total nitrogen content of wheat leaves by an average of 84.6% in 92% of samples. Wheat grains exhibited better characteristics with the application of the protein stimulant compared to the control according to the results of microfocus X-ray radiography and optical analysis. The use of the protein growth stimulant delayed the progress rate of Helminthosporium root rot by an average of 60%, powdery mildew by 5% (based on the number of spots and their area by 36 and 52%, respectively), brown rust by 2.9% (based on the number of pustules per leaf by 76.8% and pustule area by 79.7%), and wheat leaf blotch by 15.9% compared with the control. The stimulant effectiveness has been found to depend strongly on wheat variety. Thus, the prospects of using the new, effective plant-growth stimulant to increase wheat productivity and protect against diseases have been shown experimentally. Further research is necessary due to the heterogeneity of outcomes in experiment variations.