Productivity formation in sugar sorghum on the low fertility soils

Abstract

Purpose. To determine the specifics of the productivity formation in sugar sorghum cultivated on the low fertility soils under the influence of mineral fertilizer doses and sowing dates
 Methods. Biological, statistical and mathematical methods were used in the study. Biological methods included field research. The obtained experimental data were processed statistically using descriptive statistics and variance analysis. The yield of biofuel and energy was determined by the calculation method.
 Results. On the low fertility soils in the zone of unstable moisture in the western part of the Forest Steppe, the highest yield of bioethanol (1.75 t/ha), biogas (8.6 thousand m3/ha) and solid biofuel (18.5 t/ha) was obtained when sowing seeds of ‘Medovyi F1’ hybrid in the middle of May. The application of fertilizerscontributed to a significant increase in the yield of biofuel and energy. When applying fertilizers at a dose of N80P80K80, the yield of bioethanol per 1 ha increased by 0.5 and 0.6 t/ha, biogas by 2.7 and 3.1 thousand m3/ha, solid biofuel by 4.2 and 4.8 t /ha, and energy yield by 80 and 92 GJ/ha in variety ‘Sylosne 42’ and hybrid ‘Medovyi F1’, respectively. When applying a dose of N160P160K160, the yield of bioethanol increased by 0.3 t/ha, biogas by 2.1 thousand m3/ha, solid biofuel by 3.3 t/ha, and energy yield by 61 GJ/ha. Weather conditions (51.4%), varietal characteristics (17.5%) and fertilizer doses (12.3%) had the greatest influence on energy yield per unit area of sugar sorghum crops.
 Conclusions. On low-fertile soils in the zone of unstable moisture, the highest yield of bioethanol (1.75 t/ha), biogas (8.6 thousand m3/ha) and solid biofuel (18.5 t/ha) was obtained by sowing seeds of the hybrid ‘Medovyi F1 in the middle of May. When applying fertilizers at a dose of N80P80K80, the yield of bioethanol increased by 0.5 and 0.6 t/ha, biogas by 2.7 and 3.1 thousand m3/ha, and solid biofuel by 4.2 and 4.8 t /ha in variety ‘Sylosne 42’ and hybrid ‘Medovyi F1’, respectively.