Earing Stage Research Articles

Response of WUE of maize at ear stage to the coupling effect of CO2 and temperature

In the face of global warming, the photosynthesis and transpiration of plants will change greatly, which will ultimately affect the water use efficiency (WUE) of plants. In order to study the coupling effects of CO2 and temperature on WUE of maize at ear stage, ‘Zhengdan 958’ was taken as the research object, and 5 temperatures (20 °C, 25 °C, 30 °C, 35 °C and 40 °C) and 11 CO2 concentration (400, 300, 200, 150, 100, 50, 400, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 μmol mol−1) were set to measure the parameters such as net photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr), stomatal conductance (Gs) and intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) of single leaves. The response of WUE (Pn/Tr) to CO2 and temperature was evaluated by a CO2 response model. The results show that at the same temperature, Pn and WUE increased with CO2 level, while Tr decreased as CO2 level increases; at the same CO2 concentration, Pn and Tr were both positively correlated with temperature, while WUE decreased with the increase of temperature. The maximum value of WUE was obtained when the CO2 concentration was 1000 μmol mol−1 and the temperature was 20.0 °C. The results suggest that global warming will not improve WUE of maize, which will bring more severe challenges to water-saving agriculture and food security.

The Efficiency of Pest Control Options against Two Major Sweet Corn Ear Pests in China.

Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée) are the most devastating insect pests at the ear stage of maize, causing significant losses to the sweet corn industry. Pesticide control primarily relies on spraying during the flowering stage, but the effectiveness is inconsistent since larvae are beneath husks within hours to a day, making pesticide treatments simpler to avoid. Insufficient understanding of pest activity patterns impedes precise and efficient pesticide control. H. armigera and O. furnacalis in corn fields were monitored in the last few years in Beijing China, and we observed a higher occurrence of both moths during the R1 stage of sweet corn. Moth captures reached the maximum during this stage, with 555-765 moths per hectare corn field daily. The control efficiency of nine synthetic insecticides and five biopesticides was assessed in the field during this period. Virtako, with mineral oil as the adjuvant, appeared to be the most effective synthetic insecticide, with the efficiencies reaching 88% and 87% on sweet and waxy corn, respectively. Pesticide residue data indicated that the corn is safe after 17 days of its use. The most effective bioinsecticide was Beauveria bassiana combined with mineral oil, with 88% and 80% control efficiency in sweet and waxy corn, respectively. These results suggested that spraying effective insecticides 5 days after corn silking could effectively control corn ear pests H. armigera and O. furnacalis. Our findings provide valuable insights for the development of ear pest management strategies in sweet corn.

Peculiarities of photosynthesis in spelt (Tríticum spélta L.) in the Forest Steppe Zone of Ukraine

Purpose. To reveal the peculiarities of the influence of the cultivation technology elements on the course of photosynthetic processes in sowings. Methods. The research was carried out in the years 2019–2022 at the experimental field of the Scientific Research Center of Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University (Kyiv region) located in the zone of unstable soil moisture of the Right Bank Forest Steppe of Ukraine. Spelt varieties ‘Zoria Ukrainy’, ‘Europe’, and ‘Atterhauer Dinkel’ were grown with the application of foliar fertilizer potassium humate HK-17 (400 g/ha) in the earing and milk ripeness stages, and Agriflex Amino growth regulator (200 g/ha) in the earing stage. Results. In the flowering stage, the average leaf area in the experiment was 44.9 thousand m2/ha. In particular, in variety ‘Zoria Ukrainy’ it was 45.3 thousand m2/ha, ‘Europe’ 45.5 thousand m2/ha, and ‘Atterhauer Dinkel’ 43.8 thousand m2/ha. A positive effect of foliar application of potassium humate in the earing stage was determined. Potassium humate contributed to an increase in the leaf area in the flowering stage of 2.1 thousand m2/ha, while an increase in the leaf area provided by application of Agriflex Amino in the earing stage was 1.0 thousand m2/ha. In the stage of milky grain ripeness, the average leaf area was 27.1 thousand m2/ha: 27.6 thousand m2/ha in ‘Zoria Ukrainy’, 27.8 thousand m2/ha in ‘Europe’, and 25.9 thousand m2/ha in ‘Atterhauer Dinkel’. The application of potassium humate HK-17 in the earing stage contributed to obtaining a additional leaf area of 0.98 thousand m2/ha and Agriflex Amino of 0.48 thousand m2/ha. At the same time, the application of potassium humate HK-17 in the stage of milk ripeness did not affect the change of this indicator. The highest indicators of net productivity of photosynthesis in variety ‘Zoria Ukrainy’ (1.07–1.08 g/m2 of dry matter per day) were in the treatment with potassium humate HK-17 in the earing stage and repeated in the milk ripeness stage. On the other hand, in ‘Europe' variety, the treatment with potassium humate in the earing stage repeated in the milk ripeness stage in combination with the application of Agriflex Amino growth regulator in the earing stage was 1.17 g/m2 of dry matter per day: it appeared the best treatment. The highest indicators of NPP were in sowings of ‘Atterhauer Dinkel’ variety, despite the fact that it had a slightly smaller leaf area. In particular, in the case of application of potassium humate in the earing stage repeated in the milk ripeness stage, the NPP was 1.18 g/m2 of dry matter per day, and for the combination with the application of Agriflex Amino growth stimulator in the earing stage it was 1.21 g/m2 of dry matter per day. Conclusions. The conducted research confirms the expediency of the foliar application of fertilizer potassium humate HK-17 and growth regulator Agriflex Amino in cultivation of spelt, which improves the course of photosynthetic processes in sowings during vegetation and thus provides optimal conditions for the obtaining high crop productivity.

QTL mapping and analysis for drought tolerance in rice by genome-wide association study.

Rice drought resistance is a complicated quantitative feature involving a range of biological and agronomic variables, but little is known about the underlying genetics and regulatory mechanisms that regulate drought tolerance. This study used 120 recombinant inbred lines (RILs), derived from a cross between drought tolerant Lvhan 1 and susceptible Aixian 1. The RILs were subjected to drought stress at the first ear stage, and phenotypic data of 16 agronomic and physiological traits under varying conditions were investigated. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) on the drought resistance index of traits was carried out. A total of 9 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with drought-related traits were identified on chromosomes 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, which includes QTLs for plant height (PH) qPH10.1, effective panicles number (EPN) qEPN6.1, panicle length (PL) qPL9.1, thousand-grain weight (TGW) qTGW2.1, qTGW6.1, qTGW8.1, leaf length (LL) qLL7.1, leaf width (LW) qLW7.1, and leaf area (LA) qLA7.1. The fraction of phenotypic variation explained by individual QTL varied from 10.6% to 13.9%. Except for days to flowering (DTF), the mean values of all traits under normal water management conditions were considerably higher than those under drought conditions. Except for the DTF, the drought resistance index of all rice traits was less than 1, indicating that drought treatment reduced the EPN, FGPP, SSR, PH, and LA, which affected the growth and development of rice. The drought resistance index of DTF was 1.02, indicating that drought prolonged the heading time of rice and diminish the yield parameters. Along with identifying QTLs, the results also predicted ten candidate genes, which are directly or indirectly involved in various metabolic functioning related to drought stress. The identification of these genomic sites or QTLs that effectively respond to water scarcity will aid in the quest of understanding the drought tolerance mechanisms. This study will facilitate the marker-assisted rice breeding and handy in the breeding of drought-tolerant rice varieties.

Peculiarities of photosynthesis in spelt (Tríticum spélta L.) in the Forest Steppe Zone of Ukraine

UDC 633.111.5:631.547 Zaika, N. V., & Karpuk, L. M.* (2023). Peculiarities of photosynthesis in spelt (Tríticum spélta L.) in the Forest Steppe Zone of Ukraine. Advanced Agritechnologies, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.47414/na.11.1.2023.285496 [In Ukrainian] Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University, 8/1 Soborna square, Bila Tserkva, Kyiv region, 09100, Ukraine, *e‑mail: lesya_karpuk@ukr.net Purpose. To identify the influence of the elements of the cultivation technology on the yield structure of spelt. Methods. The research was carried out in the years 2019–2022 at the experimental field of the Scientific Research Center of Bila Tserkva National Agrarian University (Kyiv region) located in the zone of unstable soil moisture of the Right Bank Forest Steppe of Ukraine. Spelt varieties ‘Zoria Ukrainy’, ‘Europe’, and ‘Atterhauer Dinkel’ were grown with the application of foliar fertilizer potassium humate HK‑17 (400 g/ha) in the earing and milk ripeness stages, and Agriflex Amino growth regulator (200 g/ha) in the earing stage. Results. The best indicators of the 1000-kernel weight were obtained with the foliar application of potassium humate HK-17 in the earing stage repeated in the milk ripeness stage in combination with Agriflex Amino growth regulator in the earing stage. Under such conditions, the 1000-kernel weight of the variety ‘Zoria Ukrainy’ was 68.9 g, ‘Yevropa’ 67.5 g, and ‘Atterhauer Dinkel’ 79.0 g. In terms of the influence of factors on the formation of the number of grains per ear, the highest indicators were obtained in the case of foliar application of humate potassium in the earing stage repeated in the milk ripeness stage. Moreover, for the variety ‘Zoria Ukrainy’, the combination with the treatment of plants with the Agriflex Amino growth stimulator in the earing stage was unimportant: in both treatments, 1000-kernel weight of 1.07 g was obtained. ‘Yevropa’ variety produced 1.09 g of grains per ear and ‘Atterhauer Dinkel’ 0.85 g. Conclusions. The highest seed weight per plant was in the ‘Zoria Ukrainy’ variety: 1.28–1.29 g was provided in the case of foliar application of potassium humate HK-17 in the earing stage repeated in the milk ripeness stage. At the same time, with the combination of humates and growth regulator Agriflex Amino in the earing stage, the weight of grains per plant in the ‘Yevropa’ variety was 1.42 g, and in ‘Atterhauer Dinkel’ 1.36 g, which were the best results of the experiment.

Effects of Meteorological Conditions and Irrigation Levels during Different Growth Stages on Maize Yield in the Jing-Jin-Ji Region

Maize is a major crop that is particularly sensitive to climate change. In addition, the extreme shortage of water resources threatens crop production. Thus, improving the effective utilization rate of water is an important problem to discuss. In this regard, we quantified the combined effects of meteorological conditions and irrigation levels during different growth stages on city-level maize yields in the Jing-Jin-Ji region from 1993 to 2019. The results show that the sowing period was affected by the minimum temperature, while the other growth stages were affected by the maximum temperature. At the ear stage of summer maize, when the effective irrigation rate reached the average level (52%), the inflection point of the total precipitation was 401.42 mm in the Jing-Jin-Ji region. When the total precipitation was higher than 401.42 mm, the summer maize yield decreased with the increasing total precipitation. Furthermore, the summer maize growth was significantly affected by drought at the seedling stage. At high effective irrigation rates and over long dry spells, as the mean daily temperature during dry spells increased, the maize yield easily increased. The increase in the effective irrigation rate can reverse the decrease in the summer maize yield. Moreover, the effective irrigation rate increased the maize yield with the increase rise in the temperature during longer dry spells, but the maize yield decreased with warmer temperatures during shorter dry spells. As such, our evaluation results will be useful for assessing food security and moving gradually toward achieving a water–energy–food nexus.

A six-year record of greenhouse gas emissions in different growth stages of summer maize influenced by irrigation and nitrogen management

Faced the double challenges of food security and environmental protection, optimizing crop management is essential to obtain high yield while reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Previous studies mainly considered the GHG emissions during entire growth period as a whole but lacked information about different growth period. Here, we conducted a six-year field experiment for the first time to explore GHG emissions characteristic during three growth stages (seedling stage; ear stage; flower grain stage) of summer maize in North China Plain. Total four treatments incorporated two irrigation treatments (deficit irrigation, W1; conventional irrigation, W2) with two N levels (N reduction, N1; conventional N fertilization, N2), named as: W1N1, W1N2, W2N1, and W2N2 (CK). The high CO 2 emission rate in the ear stage is significantly affected by the interaction between irrigation and fertilization, and the ear stage produced higher global warming potential (GWP) accounting for 38.3–44.2 %. The GWP was 8.88–13.3 % significantly lower in N1 than N2 in different growth stages of summer maize. Optimizing nitrogen fertilizer focused on the ear stage can help mitigate GWP. Compared with CK, GWP in W2N1, W1N2 were 29.3 % and 28.3 % lower in dry year, and 6.15–16.4 % and 8.31–25.4 % lower in normal and wet years, respectively. The conventional irrigation with N reduction produced the lowest greenhouse gas intensity and maintained the yield in dry year; deficit irrigation with conventional N treatment reduced GHG emissions while increased yield and was regarded as an effective management strategy in normal and wet years. This study provides more detailed solution for optimizing irrigation and fertilization practices to achieve the coordinated development of agricultural production and environmental sustainability. • Greenhouse gas of summer maize in different growth stages was analyzed. • The highest CO 2 emissions rate occurred in ear stage. • Nitrogen reduction significantly decreased by 13 % global warming potential in ear stage. • Optimal water and fertilizer schemes were proposed based on rainfall year types.

Распределение некоторых тяжелых металлов в озимой пшенице на разных стадиях её развития

In the modern world, with its rapid development of industry, environmental pollution by heavy metals is increasing on a scale uncharacteristic of nature. When heavy metals enter the soil in large quantities, they affect the biological and biochemical properties of soils, the change in the amount of mobile forms of nutrients in them. In polluted soils the absorption of heavy metals by plants leads to the accumulation of metals in edible parts of vegetables or crops. The total contamination of the soil is characterized by the gross content of heavy metals, and the availability of elements for plants is determined by their mobile forms. According to the calculation of the geoaccumulation index for the studied elements, the following series of metals have been compiled according to their contribution to soil pollution: Cu > Zn > Fe > Mn. The quantitative measure of the accumulation intensity of chemical elements by plants from the soil is the accumulation coefficient, describing the degree of biofilicity of the elements, as well as intensity of their involvement in biological cycles. The accumulative abilities of roots and shoots in relation to zinc at different stages of wheat growth decrease in the following order: earing > ripening > tubing. However, for copper there is a gradual decrease in accumulation in the roots at different stages of wheat growth in the following order: earing > tubing > ripening; in shoots it is: ripening> tubing > earing. According to the results of the study, several series of metals have been worked out according to the ability of accumulation by winter wheat. The cal-culated value of the transition coefficient allows us to formulate the following conclusions: iron reaches the maximum value of the coefficient at the tubing stage (7.764) and has the greatest value among all elements and growth stages; zinc and manganese reach the maximum value of the coefficient at the earing stage (1.765 and 2.193, respectively); copper reaches it at the ripening stage (1.143).

Protection of spring wheat with biopreparations and fungicides in the forest steppe of Priobye: II. Activity under conditions of moisture deficiency

The effectiveness of chemical, fungal and bacterial fungicide treatments of spring soft wheat seeds and stands against major diseases was compared on leached chernozem of Novosibirsk region in 2021. Biological preparations including Sternifag, WP (Trichoderma harzianum) showed effect as early as in the tillering phase. The biologicals’ effectiveness in root rot suppression was comparable to Scarlet, ME (imazalil+tebuconazole) and amounted to 62–64 %, while Sternifag, WP halved the disease development. By the end of the growing season, all treatments, including the chemical one, equally suppressed root rot development; the best option was Scarlet, ME + Vitaplan, WP (Bacillus subtilis) with biological efficiency of 38 %. In the case of severe pressure by Septoria blotch (33 % in control), the most effective treatment was spraying the crop on the earing stage with Titul 390, KKR (propiconazole), which reduced the incidence of Septoria blotch by 84.3 %, while biologicals had no effect. The powdery mildew was best suppressed by seed treatment with Scarlet, ME (73.9 %), and the brown rust was best suppressed by Scarlet, ME + Vitaplan, WP (78.8 %). The vegetation treatments inhibited the powdery mildew by 41–54 % but didn’t show a reliable effect against the brown rust. Seed treatment with microbial fungicides increased soil cellulolytic activity by 1.5–1.8 times while chemical disinfectant reduced it. The amount of plant residues decreased by 2.5–2.8 times due to the application of Sternifag, WP. The greatest increase in grain yield was obtained due to chemical fungicides - 0.64 t/ha, while biological preparations resulted in additional 0.25–0.33 t/ha.

Intestinal Bacterial Diversity and Functional Analysis of Three Lepidopteran Corn Ear Worm Larvae

Simple SummaryCorn is one of the most important food crops in the world and comprises a large proportion of crops in China. Pests are one of the important factors affecting corn yield. Conogethes punctiferalis, Ostrinia furnacalis and Helicoverpa armigera are three main pests in the ear stages of corn, which significantly affect the yield and quality of corn. The three co-occurring lepidopteran pests at the ear stage occur frequently. Recently, the amount of Conogethes punctiferalis increased, even becoming the most serious pest in the Huang-Huai-Hai summer corn region of China, which is the second-largest corn producing area in China. Gut bacteria play important roles in insect adaptation to various environments. This study aimed to compare the diversity and function of the intestinal bacteria in three co-occurring lepidopteran pests, and to explore the reason for their prevalence. The results might provide insight into the prevalence of corn earworm larvae from the perspective of gut microbiota and function prediction.Insects, as the most abundant animal group on earth, and their symbionts help their hosts to adapt to various environments. Conogethes punctiferalis, Ostrinia furnacalis and Helicoverpa armigera are three main pests co-occurring in the ear stage of corn, which significantly affect the yield and quality of corn. The purpose of this study was to compare the diversity and function of the intestinal bacteria of the three co-occurring lepidopteran pests, C. punctiferalis, O. furnacalis and H. armigera, and to explore the reason of their prevalence from the microbiota’s view. Our results showed the difference of diversity and abundance of the gut bacteria of three co-occurring lepidopteran pests at the ear stage. Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were the dominant phyla, and the Enterobacteriaceae and Enterococcaceae were the dominant families in the three pests. Compared with the other two pests, Bacteroidetes was found much more in C. punctiferalis. In addition, C. punctiferalis showed more correlation and similarity in bacteria composition with corn endophytic bacteria, as well as had obvious advantages in metabolic, environmental information processing, cellular processes and organic systems function pathways. Our findings may provide insight into the prevalence of corn earworm larvae from the perspective of gut microbiota and function prediction.

Infestation of soft spring wheat by leaf diseases depending on nitrogen nutrition

Infestation of soft spring wheat plants depends on the growth stage and weather conditions of the growing season. Plants have the highest resistance to brown rust in the tillering stage. Brown rust developed in 2014 throughout the growing season. The lowest infestation intensity was during tillering – booting stage, which did not change from the experiment variant – 5.0 %. The lowest spread of brown rust was in the tillering stage – 10 %, in the booting stage – 40 %. The resistance was assessed 8 points. In the earing stage, the infestation intensity increased in no fertilizer variants and P30K30 to 8.0–8.2 % or by 60 % with a resistance of 7 points. This indicator in the variants with nitrogen fertilizers was 4.1–4.3 % with a resistance of 8 points, but all stems were infected (100 % spread). Affected leaves were in the middle layer, as their resistance by E. E. Saari and J. M. Prescott scale was at 5 points. Plants had the least resistance to brown rust in the milk stage of soft spring wheat grain. The intensity increased to 15.2–18.7 % or 2.1–4.7 times compared to the earing stage. The lowest resistance was assessed 6 points. All leaves were affected (resistance by E. E. Saari and J. M. Prescott scale – 1 point). In 2015, brown rust appeared in the milk stage of soft spring wheat grain. However, the infestation intensity was insignifcant – 5.0–6.5 % depending on the experiment variant. The prevalence of brown rust decreased from 60 % in unfertilized areas to 30 % on phosphorus–potassium background and up to 10 % with nitrogen fertilizers. Plant resistance was high – 7–8 points depending on the experiment variant. Powdery mildew develops throughout the growing season of both research years. In 2014, the infestation intensity is the lowest in the tillering stage – 7.7–8.0 % with 50 % spread, with the resistance of 7 points. In the booting stage of plants, the infestation intensity increased to 44.1–46.8 % or 5.8–5.9 times compared to the tillering stage. All plants were affected, and the resistance was 3 points. In subsequent stages of growth, the intensity of powdery mildew increased. Thus, in the earing stage this indicator increased to 65.1–69.2 % or 8.5–8.7 times, and in the milk stage – 9.5–9.7 times compared to tillering depending on the fertilizer. The stems of soft spring wheat were all affected, and the resistance was 2 points. Key words: brown leaf rust, powdery mildew, infestation intensity, spread, resistance.

Response of the water footprint of maize production to high temperatures in the Huang-Huai-Hai region of China.

Water footprint (WF) can comprehensively evaluate agricultural water use efficiency under high-temperature weather. Based on the historical meteorological data in the Huang-Huai-Hai (3H) region of China, this study used the percentile threshold method to analyze the distribution of high-temperature events and set three types of meteorological scenarios, namely the actual temperature scenario (S1), the high temperatures in the ear stage scenario (S2), and the high temperatures in the flowering-maturity stage scenario (S3). The growing degree day (GDD) mode and calendar day (CD) mode in the AquaCrop model were used to simulate the yield per unit area (Yunit ) of maize under different temperature scenarios and then the crop evapotranspiration (ETc ) and production WF during maize growth period were calculated. The occurrence frequency of extreme high-temperature event in ear stage in the 3H region was lower than that in the flowering-maturity stage. There were significant differences in the WF of maize between S1 and S2 and between S1 and S3 in GDD mode, and significant differences in Yunit , ETc , and WF of maize under three temperature scenarios in the CD mode. High temperature events occur in maize growth period, especially in the flowering-maturity stage, will increase the WF of maize. Measures such as changing the planting structure, changing the sowing date of maize and cultivating heat-resistant maize varieties could be taken to reduce the negative impacts of high-temperature weather. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Study of breeding numbers of cocksfoot in the conditions of the Komi Republic

Among perennial fodder plants сocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L) is the crop recommended for the creation of earlymaturing herbage in the production of hay and haylage. The article presents the data of a comprehensive assessment in the field of 7 breeding samples of сocksfoot of the second year of use (2020) to identify the most promising ones matched to the soil and climatic conditions of the North. High winter hardiness (4-5 points) of the breeding samples of сocksfoot was noted in the conditions of the Komi Republic in 2019-2020. No disease or pest affection of the plants was noted during the growing season of 2020. The yield of dry matter for two cuttings at the level of the control variant (9.8 t/ha) was provided by cocksfoot samples СН-188, СН-185 and СН-1816 (10.2, 10.0 and 9.3 t/ha, respectively, LSD05 = 1.1 t/ha). The studied cocksfoot samples did not differ significantly and were at the level of the control according to the quality of the fodder mass. During the earing stage a high content of crude protein (13.63…15.10 %) was noted in breeding samples СН-188, 185, 184, 1816, for the control sample this index was 12.18%. The analysis of the seed productivity structure for the studied cocksfoot samples showed that the following samples had increased the control in the length of inflorescences (14.5±0.9 cm) ‒ CH-185 (16.9±1.1 cm), CH-1817 (17.6±1.0 cm), CH-188 (18.7±1.1 cm). According to the weight of 1000 seeds, the breeding samples were slightly inferior to the control (1.26 g, LSD05 = 0.06 g). According to seed productivity, no significant advantages were detected in all studied samples (+2.0...15.8 g/m2) compared with the control (66.4 g/m2, LSD05 = 16.4 g/m2). As the result of the comprehensive assessment the most promising breeding samples of cocksfoot have been noted. They are CH-188, CH-185 (Komi population) and CH-1816 (Finnish population).

Photodynamic therapy of a patient with basal cell skin cancer of the ear stage T3N0M0 (clinical case)

The article presents a clinical observation. The patient, 72 years old, applied to the MNII them. P.A. Herzen with complaints about the presence of an ulcerated tumor of the left ear. After further examination, a diagnosis was made - basal cell carcinoma of the ear skin with spread to the skin of the parotid region T3N0M0. On July 9, 2021, the patient underwent a course of photodynamic therapy (PDT) using a photosensitizer based on chlorin e6 and a diode laser with a wavelength of 662 nm. After one course of PDT, complete regression of the tumor was recorded.

Biofortification of Common Wheat Grains with Combined Ca, Mg, and K through Foliar Fertilisation

Common wheat grains are characterised by low concentrations of Ca, K, and Mg, which can be partially removed with the bran during milling processes. This preliminary study investigated the effects of foliar fertilisation at the earing stage with nitrates of Ca, Mg, and K contemporarily, together with a small amount of urea and protein hydrolysate as potential carriers, in two contrasting common wheat varieties, i.e., Solehio (medium proteins content) and Vivendo (high proteins content). Based on the preliminary grain-to-straw concentration ratio of these minerals, two biofortification targets were applied in order to increase their grain contents by +20% and +40%, in comparison with untreated controls. Here, we demonstrate that the highest fertilisation dose was effective in increasing grain K by 13% and Mg by 16% in Vivendo, and Ca by 7% in Solehio, with no boosting effects of the co-formulants urea and protein hydrolysate. In addition to some qualitative benefits due to nitrates supply, negligible phytotoxicity symptoms were observed, as revealed by the NDVI vegetational index dynamics. Although the biofortification target was not fully achieved, this study firstly reports the possibility to increase at the same time Mg and K, and to a lower extent Ca in wheat grains. It is concluded that efficient multiple biofortification should consider a variety-depend response, while further studies are necessary to investigate the effects of different fertilisation timings and doses for improving the poor mineral translocation to the grains.

ФОТОСИНТЕТИЧНІ ПАРАМЕТРИ ПОСІВІВ ПШЕНИЦІ ТВЕРДОЇ ОЗИМОЇ ЗАЛЕЖНО ВІД СОРТУ

Under different weather conditions, not all plant varieties successfully adapt to agro-ecosystems. Given that, wheat is the most important food crop It is important to study the possibility of its adaptation to climatic conditions. The choice of plant variety is the first, most important and most difficult stage for wheat producers. Aim. To study the parameters of photosynthetic activity of durum winter wheat plantings depending on the variety. Methods. Laboratory, mathematical and statistical, physical. Results. The article presents the formation of photosynthetic parameters (length, leaf width, number of leaves on one stem, area of one leaf, area of one stem, leaf surface area, apical leaf parameters) of durum winter wheat plantings depending on the variety. The length and width of durum winter wheat leaves varied significantly depending on the variety and stage of plant growth. On the average for three years of researches the number of leaves on one stem in the tillering stage was 4.1–4.5 pieces depending on the variety. In the booting stage, this indicator was the lowest – 3.1–3.3 pieces, and in the earing stage of all varieties was at the level of 4.0 pieces. The number of leaves on the stem almost did not change during the milk stage of grain – 3.9–4.0 pieces. The parameters of the apical leaf also varied significantly with weather conditions. The area of apical leaves in 2013 in the standard and studied varieties was 5.9 and 5.5–7.3 thousand m2/ha, respectively. In the following 2014, the leaf area indicator was higher than in 2013 by 51–60%. The increase in leaf area in durum winter wheat in 2014 is due to the formation of a higher number of stems compared to 2013. Conclusions. Photosynthetic parameters of durum winter wheat plantings have features. The number of leaves on one stem changed the least depending on the year of study, as the variation coefficient was insignificant (V = 1.7–3.6 %). The length and width of durum wheat leaf varied in a wide range - V = 3.7–53.0 %. In the more favourable 2014, the leaf surface area was 40.1–71.0 thousand m2/ha in the earing stage, and in the less favourable – 15.9–29.0 thousand m2/ha in the earing and milk stages of grain depending on the variety. The area of apical leaves varies from 5.7–7.3 to 8.8–14.2 thousand m2/ha depending on the weather conditions of the season

The effectiveness of using Metallocene fertilizers for the spray-dressing of winter wheat

This article presents the impact assessment results for the spay-dressing of different Metallocene compound fertilizers containing chelated microelements on the yield and quality of winter wheat seeds of the Kazanskaya 560 variety. The research was carried out on the grey forest soils in the Kama region of the Republic of Tatarstan in 2017–2020. The plants were dressed with fertilizers in the autumn and the spring and summer period. In the autumn, we used the fertilizer containing manganese (Metallocene D), and in the spring and summer period (the tillering and earing stages of the winter wheat), we used the Metallocene Universal compound fertilizer with several microelements. During the research, we established that applying the manganese-containing Metallocene D in the autumn has a significant positive effect on the growth and dry biomass accumulation of the winter wheat. The dressing with Metallocene Universal during the tillering and earing stages following the application of Metallocene D in the autumn resulted in an increased/stimulated plant growth and development. The highest yield of winter wheat (3.45 t/ha or 46 % above the reference value) was obtained through the dressing of Metallocene D at a rate of 2 l/ha in the autumn, and the spraying of the plants with Metallocene Universal done twice during the spring and summer period. The autumn application of Metallocene D and the twofold application of Metallocene Universal improve the qualitative parameters of new winter wheat seeds. The use of fertilizers in questions improved the laboratory germination of the seeds and significantly reduced the root rot agent infection rate. The twofold dressing during the spring and summer period following the autumn dressing helped to suppress the most dangerous infections, such as the fusarium blight and the Helmintosporium disease, in the new seeds almost completely. The research conducted showed that Metallocene fertilizers can be successfully used to improve the production of winter wheat and seeds.

Effect of ultrafine metal particles and their oxides on antioxidant enzyme activity, spike productivity and grain quality of spring soft wheat

The results of field experiments in the scope of studying the effect of various options of ultrafine metal particles, their combinations, oxides on the content of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, malondialdehyde) as well as carotenoids in the tillering phases, stem elongation and spring wheat ear stage are presented. The influence of the above options on the formation of spike productivity (number of grains and grain weight per spike) and grain quality indicators (hardness, unit, gluten amount) are considered.

Optimization of nitrogen top dressing of the winter wheat at growing on the bare fallow

The influence of nitrogen top dressing on the yielding capacity and grain quality of modern varieties of soft winter wheat in the Northern Steppe were discovered. The field trial was placed on the bare fallow. The rate of application of mineral fertilizers under presowing cultivation was N30P60K30. Three varieties of winter wheat was sown: Kokhanka (SI The Institute of Grain Crops), Pylypivka and Misiia Odeska (Selection and Genetic Institute). The sowing time of the winter wheat is September 20, the sowing rate is 5 million germinable seeds per 1 ha. The following nitrogenous fertilizers were used for the top dressings: ammonium nitrate and carbamide. Ammonium nitrate was applied at the end of the spring tillering stage by means of a seeder locally (30 and 60 kg/ha of active substance) end carbamide (30 kg/ha of active substance) and a tank mixture of carbamide (30 kg/ha of active substance) and fungicide Falcon (600 ml/ha) – in the earing phase foliar. It is established that top dressing of the winter wheat crops at the end of the tillering stage locally with ammonium nitrate contributed to an increase in yield of varieties by 0,34–0,64 t/ha, moreover the maximum yield gains were for the application of fertilizers in the rate of 60 kg/ha of nitrogen. A significant increase in yielding capacity was provided by the treatment of crops in the earing stage with the tank mixture of carbamide and fungicide. Nitrogen top dressings, as a rule, had a positive effect on both the physical indicators of the winter wheat grain (grain weight per hectoliter and vitreousness) and biochemical indicators (protein content, gluten content, sedimentation rate). It is found, that the varieties Kokhanka and Pylypivka in all variants of the experiment formed the grain weight per hectoliter over 800 g/l. In these varieties the content of protein and gluten were higher. In the strong grain quality varieties Misiia Odeska and Pylypivka in comparison with the variety Kokhanka (valuable) were noted higher values of sedimentation. According to the set of indicators, food grain of the second class was obtained in Kokhanka variety in the variant where the tank mixture of carbamide with fungicide was used for crop treatment, and in Pylypivka variety – for top dressings of crops at the end of tillering stage locally (N30–60) or N30 foliar. Keywords: winter wheat, variety, bare fallow, nitrogen fertilization, yielding capacity, protein, gluten.

Effects of phytase Q9 on the yield and senescence characteristics of summer maize shaded in the field

Light shortage in the canopy of summer maize resulted from the decrease of solar radiation and the increase of planting density in Huanghuaihai region could reduce maize yield. In order to explore the effects of phytase Q9 on leaf senescence characteristics of summer maize, three sha-ding treatments with summer maize hybrid 'Denghai 605' (DH605) were conducted, including shading at flowering to maturity stage (S1), shading at ear stage (S2), and shading at whole growth stage (S3) with natural lighting in the field as control (CK). Chemical control reagent phytase Q9 was used to regulate the shading treatments (the original solution was diluted by 100 times) and the CK exogenously, namely shading at flowering to maturity stage-phytase Q9 (S1Q), shading at ear stage-phytase Q9 (S2Q), and shading at whole growth stage-phytase Q9 (S3Q), and natural lighting-phytase Q9 (CKQ), with spraying water at the same stage as the control. The results showed that leaf area index (LAI), soil-plant analysis development (SPAD) value and net photosynthetic rate of summer maize was significantly reduced by shading, which led to decreases of yield. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) in ear-leaf decreased. The content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and free proline increased, and that of soluble protein decreased. The spraying phytase Q9 significantly increased LAI, SPAD and net photosynthetic rate in S3Q and S2Q. MDA and free proline content in S3Q, S2Q, and S1Q were significantly decreased, and soluble protein content and POD activity was significantly increased. SOD and CAT activities in S2Q and S3Q were significantly increased. The yield of S3Q, S2Q and S1Q were 19%, 8% and 7% higher than that of S3, S2 and S1 respectively. There was no significant difference between CKQ and CK. In conclusion, phytase Q9 could effectively alleviate the negative impact of low light on yield formation of summer maize, and increase grain yield by improving photosynthetic capacity of leaves and delaying leaf senescence.