THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT LIME RATES ON THE YIELD AND QUALITY OF WINTER WHEAT UNDER MINERAL FERTILIZATION ON A SOD-PODZOLIC SOIL

Abstract

Stable productivity, essential for winter wheat as a strategic crop, can only be achieved by meeting its growth and development requirements, especially nutrition. Soddy-podzolic soils, typically highly acidic in their natural state, are unsuitable for realizing winter wheat's full yield potential. Combined fertilizer and lime application is a key factor for grain yield and quality. While lime (CaCO3) is widely used to reclaim acidic soils, determining the optimal application rate, particularly in combination with mineral fertilizers, is crucial. This research investigated the effect of applying 0,5-2,0 lime norms based on soil hydrolytic acidity (Hh, mmol/100 g) combined with a moderate norm of N60P60K60 mineral fertilizers on winter wheat grain yield and quality. The soil had an initial pHKCl of 4.8 and a hydrolytic acidity of 2,3 mmol/100 g of soil. Field, laboratory, calculation, statistical, and generalization methods were employed. The experiment revealed the lowest grain yield in the control and N60P60K60 treatments without liming. Lime application at various rates with N60P60K60 increased grain yield by 0,74-0,89 t/ha compared to the control, with the 1,5 CaCO3 norm by Hh achieving the best results. The application of 2,0 norms of CaCO3 led to a statistical decrease in yield by 0,14 t/ha (p≤0,05) due to a reduction in available nutrient compounds in the soil. Liming also affected the main indicators of grain quality of winter wheat. An increase to the control was found for the weight of 1000 grains and protein content, while the actual weight of the grain decreased. As the most optimal treatment, regarding grain quality, was found out the option of 1,0 CaCO3 norm based on soil hydrolytic acidity in combination with N60P60K60, with the winter wheat grain yield of 3,54 t/ha and an increase in the protein content in it by 6,8% to the background