The effectiveness of sunflower cultivation in the Southern chernozems of the Volgograd region by complex pre-sowing seed treatment

Abstract

Sunflower is the main oilseed crop in Russia, at the same time it is widely used in the feed production. The purpose of the research was to improve the technology of sunflower cultivation in the zone of Southern chernozems in the Volgograd region by conducting a comprehensive presowing seed treatment in an electric field with subsequent seed treatment with a growth regulator in order to increase the yield and quality of oilseeds studied sunflower hybrids. According to the chosen experimental plan, three types of experiments have been carried out. During the first experiment, seeds of sunflower hybrids NK Neoma, LG 5550, EC Petunia have been treated in the alternate current electric field, in the second experiment the seeds have been treated with a growth regulator (the drug “Zerebra Agro”), in the third experiment the seeds have been subjected to a complex effect of electrophysical and biological factors. The level of profitability on sunflower hybrids NK Neoma, LG 5550 and EC Petunia in the control (without treatment) varied in the range of 147–200 %. Processing of sunflower seeds with the drug “Zerebra Agro” contributed to the increase in the level of profitability. On the sunflower hybrid of NK Neoma the profitability level was 178 %, on the sunflower hybrid LG 5550 it was 232 % and on the sunflower hybrid EC Petunia it was 171 %. When processing seeds in the alternate current electric field, the level of profitability was higher than when processing with the drug “Zerebra Agro”. On the sunflower hybrid of NK Neoma, the profitability level was 190 %, on the sunflower hybrid LG 5550 it was 252 % and on the sunflower hybrid EC Petunia it was 184 %. When using complex pre-sowing treatment, the maximum profitability value was achieved for sunflower hybrids NK Neoma, LG 5550 and EC Petunia 230 %, 271 and 201 %, respectively.