The Effect of Cultivation Technologies and Mineral Fertilizers Application on Production and Quality of Winter Wheat Varieties in the Non-Chernozem Zone of Russia

Abstract

Winter wheat is considered as the most important food crop in Russia, providing daily protein and food calories. The current study was conducted at the Federal Research Center Nemchinovka, in the Central Non-Black Earth region of Russia, over a period of 2 years (2021 to 2022) and aimed at evaluating the reaction of winter wheat varieties according to cultivation technologies at a different level of intensity i. e. basic, intensive and high intensive. The cultivation technologies included fertilizers, pesticides and growth regulators at different combinations and concentrations. Treatments included fertilizers, pesticides (fungicides, herbicides, insecticides) and growth regulators in different combinations and concentrations. Three varieties of winter wheat have been studied: Nemchinovskaya 85, Moskovskaya 40 and Moskovskaya 27. Yield performances and grain quality (measured through protein and gluten content) were determined according to the tested cultivation technologies. The results showed that the cultivation technology affected grain wheat productivity and quality on all varieties studied, since the highest yields were obtained using high intensive cultivation technology for all varieties studied, Nemchinovskaya 85 increased a yield of 1.14-3.10t/ha, Moskovskaya 27: 0.64-3.62t/ha and Moskovskaya 40: 0.71-3.21t/ha. The tested cultivation technologies demonstrated that high intensive cultivation technology increased wheat quality. The highest protein content (17,1 %) was recorded in Nemchinovskaya 85 variety. The present results give real opportunities for a large-scale application of the tested cultivation technologies in different agricultural lands of Russia.