The Effect of the Depth of Soil Moisture on the Growth and Development of Cherry Seedlings

Abstract

Background: For the first time in the conditions of the Volgograd region, new knowledge was obtained, which made it possible, taking into account the changes in the morphology of the root system occurring during the formation of seedlings, the orientation of physiological processes and the biological needs of plants for their optimization, to justify a differentiated water-saving drip irrigation regime in combination with fertilizing vegetating plants, providing high-quality annual sweet cherry seedlings with high economic and water-saving efficiency, environmental tolerance. Methods: The experimental part of the work was carried out in the laboratory of breeding, seed production and nursery breeding 2017-2021 years. The productivity of the variety-rootstock combination was calculated relative to biometric parameters: crown projection area (S), crown volume (V), stem cross-sectional area (S). Result: In the course of the work, methods of watering stone crops, in particular cherries and their effect on survival, growth and development of seedlings in the nursery were studied. The scheme of experiments provides for an assessment of the influence of the water regime of the soil on the formation of the height of the central stem, the root system and the yield of seedlings of class 1 according to the variants of the experiment. Their values were greater than in the control, respectively, by 21 and 17 cm, 24-32%. At the same time, the yield of first-class seedlings in the third variant exceeds the second variant by 6%. According to the results of the conducted studies, the option of maintaining soil moisture at least 80% of the lowest moisture capacity during the adaptation period of the graft with a rootstock in a layer of 0.2 meters, followed by an increase in the soaking depth to 0.4 meters, proved to be the best. In the phase of the transition of seedlings to the dormant period, the pre-watering soil moisture should be maintained at least 70%.