Foliar Fertilization Research Articles

Facile Synthesis and Characterization of Cupric Oxide Loaded 2D Structure Graphitic Carbon Nitride (g-C3N4) Nanocomposite: In Vitro Anti-Bacterial and Fungal Interaction Studies.

The active and inexpensive catalyst cupric oxide (CuO) loaded foliar fertilizer of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is investigated for biological applications due to its low cost and easy synthesis. The synthesized CuO NPs, bulk g-C3N4, exfoliated g-C3N4, and different weight percentages of 30 wt%, 40 wt%, 50 wt%, 60 wt%, and 70 wt% CuO-loaded g-C3N4 are characterized using different analytical techniques, including powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The nanocomposite of CuO NPs loaded g-C3N4 exhibits antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). The 20 μg/mL of 70 wt% CuO/g-C3N4 nanocomposite showed an efficiency of 98% for Gram-positive bacteria, 80% for E. Coli, and 85% for P. aeruginosa. In the same way, since the 70 wt% CuO/g-C3N4 nanocomposite showed the best results for antibacterial activity, the same compound was evaluated for anti-fungal activity. For this purpose, the fungi Fusarium oxysporum and Trichoderma viride were used. The anti-fungal activity experiments were not conducted in the presence of sunlight, and no appreciable fungal inhibition was observed. As per the literature, the presence of the catalyst g-C3N4, without an external light source, reduces the fungal inhibition performance. Hence, in the future, some modifications in the experimental conditions should be considered to improve the anti-fungal activity.

Load and Stability Optimization Based Carbon Arm with Split Tank on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for Foliar Fertilizer

This research focuses on the load and stability of unmanned aerial vehicles that are as light as possible but with optimal stability functions and increasing the capacity of liquid fertilizer lifted by unmanned aerial vehicles. The increase in lift is related to the payload and stability to be carried by the unmanned aerial vehicle. By optimizing the arm using the arm carbon method, so without reducing the strength and function of the drone, the gross weight of the components becomes much lighter, so that the weight can be focused on increasing the capacity of liquid fertilizer. With the increase in liquid fertilizer capacity, of course, the weight also increases, this raises a new problem, which is to make the balance value when the drone take-off has a large magnitude, thus affecting stability which causes the potential to fail to fly, therefore this research was carried out so that the drone has stability. maximum and can minimize the effects of shocks from increasing capacity after using arm-carbon. The measurements taken were the success rate of the system in flying over agricultural land, power testing and current measurements. After testing, it was found that by using a split tank and carbon arm system, current and power tend to be more stable, so that battery life is longer, liquid fertilizer capacity can be increased and the potential for flight failure can be minimized with a split tank system with 90% accuracy, carried out optimizing weight with carbon arms and increasing the capacity of liquid fertilizer by 30%, using a split tank system increases the stability of the drone at take-off by up to 80%.

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ РОСТУ ТА РОЗВИТКУ СОРТІВ НУТУ ЗВИЧАЙНОГО ЗАЛЕЖНО ВІД ВНЕСЕННЯ МАКРО- Й МІКРОДОБРИВ

Встановлено, що за проведення позакореневого підживлення мікродобривами у фазі інтенсивного росту й розвитку рослин та, можливо, на початку бутонізації на тлі передпосівного внесення мінеральних добрив тривалість міжфазного періоду нуту від повних сходів до повної стиглості зерна коливалася в межах 89–95 діб, або збільшилася на 4–6 діб порівняно з контролем за нерівномірного вологозабезпечення та зміни температурного режиму в період вегетації. Таким чином, позакореневе внесення бору та молібдену підвищувало енергію проростання насіння нуту і його схожість, а також сприяло збереженню рослин у комплексі з позакореневим підживленням упродовж усього періоду вегетації порівняно з контролем без передпосівного внесення мінеральних добрив.

Foliar Fertilizer Application Alters the Effect of Girdling on the Nutrient Contents and Yield of Camellia oleifera

Improving the economic benefits of Camellia oleifera is a major problem for C. oleifera growers, and girdling and foliar fertilizer have significant effects on improving the economic benefits of plants. This study explains the effects of girdling, girdling + foliar fertilizer on nutrient distribution, and the economic benefits of C. oleifera at different times. It also explains the N, P, and K contents of roots, leaves, fruits, and flower buds (sampled in March, May, August, and October 2021) and their economic benefits. The results showed girdling promoted the accumulation of N and K in leaves in March 2021 (before spring shoot emergence) but inhibited the accumulation of P, which led to the accumulation of P in roots and that of N in fruits in August 2021 (fruit expansion period). Foliar fertilizer application after girdling replenished the P content of leaves in March 2021, and P continued to accumulate in large quantities at the subsequent sampling time points. The N and P contents of the root system decreased in March. In October (fruit ripening stage), girdled shrubs showed higher contents of N and K in fruits and flower buds, and consequently lower relative contents of N and K in roots and leaves but higher content of P in leaves. Foliar fertilizer application slowed down the effects of girdling on nutrient accumulation in fruits and flower buds. Spraying foliar fertilizer decreased the N:P ratio in the flower buds and fruits of girdled plants. Thus, foliar fertilizer spray weakened the effects of girdling on the nutrient content and economic benefits of C. oleifera. In conclusion, girdling changed the nutrient accumulation pattern in various organs of C. oleifera at different stages, increased leaf N:K ratio before shoot emergence, reduced root K content at the fruit expansion stage and the N:K ratio of mature fruit, and promoted economic benefits.

Changes in Plant and Grain Quality of Winter Oat (Avena sativa L.) Varieties in Response to Silicon and Sulphur Foliar Fertilisation under Abiotic Stress Conditions

In order to investigate the abiotic stress (drought) tolerance of oat (Avena sativa L.) with silicon and sulphur foliar fertilisation treatments, and monitor the effect of the treatments on the physiology, production, stress tolerance, plant, and grain quality of winter oat varieties, a field experiment was conducted in the growing season of 2020-2021. As a continuation of our article, published in another Special Issue of Plants, in this publication we evaluate the effect of silicon and sulphur treatments on the quality of winter oats. The whole grain sulphur content was significantly different between varieties. The foliar fertiliser treatments caused greater differences in both the carbon and nitrogen, and sulphur contents in the green plant samples, compared to the differences measured in the grain. Foliar treatments had a significant effect on the sulphur content of both plant samples and grains. Significant differences in the Al, Ba, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Sr, and Zn contents of oat grains were measured, both between treatments and between varieties. Winter oat varieties did not respond equally to the foliar fertiliser treatments in terms of either macronutrient or micronutrient content. When P, K, Ca, Mg, and S were summarised, the highest values were in the control plots. Significant differences in protein content were identified between winter oat varieties in response to the treatments, but the varieties did not respond in the same way to different foliar fertiliser treatments. Based on our results, we recommend the use of foliar fertilisation in oats in drought-prone areas.

Iodine application in Vitis vinifera L. cv. ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ improve bioactive compounds and enzymatic activity in berries

Iodine (I) deficiency disorders represent a worldwide public health problem, with at least 1.9 million people estimated to have an unsatisfactory intake of this trace element. I content in plant foods is particularly low; however, it can be improved by biofortification. In this study, the effect of foliar fertilization with I (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, and 1.25 mg L-1) on yield, bioactive compound content, and bioaccumulation in grapevine berries was evaluated. Biofortification with I has positively modified yield, bioactive compound content and bioaccumulation. Intermediate doses (0.75 mg L-1) increased yield (57%), while high doses (1.25 mg L-1) decreased yield (28%) and incremented the phenols, flavonoids, antioxidant capacity, vitamin C, anthocyanin (50,34,31,71,26% respectively), catalase (73%) and peroxidase activity (57%), and their bioaccumulation in berries (59%). Agronomic biofortification with I is an alternative to increase yield, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, as well as the concentration of this trace element in grape berries.

Effect of Milling on Nutritional Components in Common and Zinc-Biofortified Wheat

Biofortification is one of the most successful approaches to enhance the level of micronutrients in wheat. In the present study, wheats with zinc biofortification (foliar fertilization and breeding strategies) were milled into five components (whole flour, break flour, reduction flour, fine bran, and coarse bran) and their mineral content and nutritional components were evaluated. The results revealed that biofortification greatly increased the Zn concentration (by 30.58%-30.86%) and soluble Zn content (by 28.57%-42.86%) of whole flour after digestion. This improvement is mainly in break flour, reduction flour, and fine bran. Meanwhile, the contents of macronutrients including ash, lipids, and proteins and micronutrients containing iron, calcium, and vitamins (B1, B6, and B9) increased after biofortification. In addition, there was a decline in the concentrations of vitamins B2 and B5. Although dietary fibers and starch are the major carbohydrates, total dietary fiber exhibited a declining trend in coarse bran, and starch exhibited a rising trend in break and reduction flour. There was a decrease in the molar ratio of phytates: zinc did not promote a significant improvement in zinc bioaccessibility. These results can be useful for generating wheat varieties rich in micronutrients as well as having better nutritional traits.

The effect of giving of shrimp shell waste as foliar fertilizer on productivity of long bean (Vigna sinensis l.)

This study aim was to determine the effect of liquid organic fertilizer from shrimp shell waste (Panaeus monodon L.) on the production of long bean (Vigna sinensis L.). The method used in this study was a randomized block design (RBD) method which consisted of six treatments, namely POC waste tiger prawn shells P0 = 0 ml/plant, P1 = 25 ml/plant, P2 = 50 ml/plant, P3 = 75 ml/plant. plants, P4 = 100 ml/plant, and P5 = 125 ml/plant and repeated four times. The experimental results showed that the application of POC from tiger prawn shell waste (P) showed a very significant effect on plant height (cm), fresh weight of plants, number of pods and pod weight of long bean plants and had no significant effect on flowering time of long bean plants. The higher the concentration of the application of the search fertilizer, the better the growth and yield of the plants and the highest was in Treatment P4 (100 ml/plant) resulting in plant height, plant fresh weight, number of pods and pod weight each with an average value of 171.05 cm , 194.00 g, 14.88 pieces and 197.00 g. The fastest flowering age was in the P5 treatment (125 ml/plant) with an average value of 29.00 days. The application of liquid organic fertilizer from shrimp shell waste shows optimum growth and yield at a concentration of 100 ml/plant.

Organo Mineral Fertilizers Increases Vegetative Growth and Yield and Quality Parameters of Pomegranate cv. Wonderful Fruits

In recent years, to improve sustainable production in horticultural crops, many new types of strategies have been developed, including organo-mineral fertilization to complement chemical fertilizers in order to enhance the nutritional status of plants and sustainability of the agroecosystems. This study was performed on a young pomegranate orchard of the “Wonderful” cultivar during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. The purpose was to evaluate the effects of three foliar applications (at the red ball, fruit setting, and fruit development stages) of four commercial organo-mineral fertilizers (Hendophyt®, Ergostim XL®, Siapton® 10L, and Allibio Rad®) on vegetative growth, yield, and several other physico-chemical parameters of the fruits, throughout each season. The results obtained showed several differences between the two years. The annual trunk growth of trees under all compared treatments showed significantly lower values in 2018 (average 9.7 mm) than in 2019 (average 11.8 mm). At the end of the two-year period, the biostimulant treatments resulted in significantly larger trunk diameters (average 43.6 mm) than the control (39.6 mm). Only in 2018, significantly higher number of fruits per tree, number of arils per fruit, edible part, and juice yield were obtained under biostimulant treatments compared with the control. No differences among treatments were observed for any color parameters or physico-chemical traits in the fruits for either year. In 2019, fruit morpho-pomological properties tended to be lower than in 2018, while in contrast, total phenol content and antioxidant activity were higher. The warmer and windier weather conditions of 2019 probably led to greater plant stress conditions, with a reduction in fruit size and an increase in the bioactive compounds of juice. In conclusion, due to the various positive results, foliar organo-mineral fertilizers could be recommended to improve the performance of pomegranate Wondeful cv. under similar conditions.

Effect of irrigation scheduling and foliar fertilization on productivity, profitability and water use efficiency of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] under climatic variability of South Eastern Rajasthan

An experiment conducted during three consecutive years of Kharif (2013 to 2015) at Agricultural Research Station- Ummedganj, Agriculture University, Kota (Rajasthan) on soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill].The experiment consisted of twenty treatment combinations viz., four irrigation schedules (one irrigation at flowering, one irrigation at pod development, two irrigations at flowering and pod development and rainfed) and five foliar fertilization spray of N:P: K (5 g/lit. water) spray at 45, 60 and 75 DAS(17:44:00,19:19:19 ,17:44:00 ,19:19:19 and RDF) were under taken in split plot design with four replications. Three years pooled data showed that the maximum seed yield (1286 kg ha-1) obtained under irrigation at flowering and pod development stage over irrigation at flowering stage and rainfed, but it was found at par with irrigation at pod development stagein soybean. The water use efficiency did not significantly influence under various irrigation schedules. Significantly higher net returns (Rs.19452/- ha-1) and B: C ratio (1.84) were observed under irrigation at flowering and pod development stage, but it was found at par with one irrigation at pod development stage. Significantly higher seed yield (1333kg ha-1) was recorded under foliar fertilization 19:19:19 (5 gm/lit) at 30, 45, 60 and 75 DAS, but it was found at par with 17:44:00 (5 gm/lit) at 30, 45, 60 and 75 DAS over rest of foliar fertilization. The water use efficiency was found maximum (23.46 kg/ha-cm) with foliar spray of 19:19:19 (5 gm/lit) at 30, 45, 60 and 75 DAS.The foliar fertilization of 19:19:19 (5 gm/lit) at 30, 45, 60 and 75 DAS gave significantly higher net return (Rs. 21081/- ha-1) and B: C ratio (1.92), but it was found at par with foliar spray of 17:44:00 (5 gm/lit) at 30, 45, 60 and 75 DAS over rest of the treatments.

Effects of Exogenous Chlorinated Amino Acetic Acid on Cadmium and Mineral Elements in Rice Seedlings.

To explore the effect of exogenous application of chlorinated amino acetic acid on cadmium (Cd) transport characteristics in rice seedlings, X24 and Z35 rice were taken as the research objects to carry out hydroponics experiments, and the changes of Cd content in rice seedlings, rice mineral elements and amino acid content in rice were analyzed. The results showed that exogenous application of 1.2 mmol·L-1 chlorinated amino acetic acid inhibited cadmium in shoots and roots of rice seedlings; Cd content in shoots and roots were reduced by up to 62.19% and 45.61%, respectively. The majority of cadmium was in the cell wall of shoots and roots; this decreased with the increase of the concentration of chlorinated acetic acid. In addition, the Mn content in shoots and Ca content in roots of rice seedlings increased significantly after the application of chlorinated amino acetic acid. The results of amino acid analysis showed that the contents of aspartic acid, glutamic acid and cystine in rice seedlings were increased. These results indicate that exogenous application of chlorinated amino acetic acid is beneficial to the synthesis of aspartic acid, glutamic acid and cysteine in rice seedlings, increases the content of Mn in shoots and Ca in roots of rice seedlings, and significantly alleviates cadmium stress in seedlings. This provides a theoretical basis for the development of an environmentally friendly Cd-lowering foliar fertilizer for rice.

High-Temperature Influences Plant Bio-Stimulant-like Effects of the Combination Particle Film-Forming Materials-Foliar Fertilizers on Apple Trees

Particle film forming materials were introduced as a solution to reduce the effects of excessive solar irradiation on plant photosynthesis. Covering plant leaves with particle films leads to plant bio-stimulant-like effects: increased protection against abiotic stress and increased fruit quality. We used zeolites and diatomaceous earth carriers for foliar fertilizer, known for their application as particle film-forming material. The aim of this paper was to investigate the plant bio-stimulant-like effects of this combined two-in-one product on the yield of apple trees and their photosynthetic pigments and fruit quality. The experiments were conducted for two years, 2021 and 2022, which had different agroclimatic patterns: 2021 had a deficit of precipitation, whereas 2022 was warmer by more than +4.8 °C compared to the recorded average temperature. Applying particle film-forming material and foliar fertilizer reduces the degradation of the photosynthetic pigments by drought and excessive solar radiation by 25–30%. In the year with a deficit of precipitation there was an increased yield by an additional 11.56–12.38% and the fruit quality similarly increased. Such effects of these combined two-in-one products were limited in 2022 as the temperature was higher than normal by several degrees.

Reduction of Cd Uptake in Rice (Oryza sativa) Grain Using Different Field Management Practices in Alkaline Soils.

Cadmium contamination and toxicity on plants and human health is a major problem in China. Safe rice production in Cd-contaminated alkaline soils, with acceptably low Cd levels and high yields, remains an important research challenge. To achieve this, a small-scale field experiment with seven different soil amendment materials was conducted to test their effects performance. Two best-performing materials were selected for the large-scale field experiment. Combinations of humic acid, foliar, and/or soil silicon fertilization and deep or shallow plowing were designed. It was found that the combination, including humic acid, soil and foliar silicate fertilization, and shallow plowing (5-10 cm), produced the most desirable results (the lowest soil bioavailable Cd, the lowest grain Cd concentrations, and the highest grain yield). Rice farmers are therefore recommended to implement this combination to attain high grain yield with low Cd concentrations in alkaline soils.

FOLIAR FERTILIZATION - AN INTEGRAL PART OF COMPLEX AND INTEGRATED FERTILIZATIONS – A REVIEW

In the context of demographic increase and climate change, the issue of ensuring food security is becoming increasingly important, which is why the use of chemical fertilizers in agriculture is the main means of increasing the quantity and quality of agricultural production. Alongside basic mineral (root) fertilization, which is indispensable, foliar fertilization is a measure of increase both in terms of yields and quality. Foliar fertilizers provide a surplus of fertilizing elements, especially secondary macroelements and microelements, which allows plants to thrive under optimal conditions and to resist stress factors. Foliar fertilization has become a widespread management tool in directing the nutrition of crop plants, and is often a complementary part of fertilization systems or even seen as an alternative to root fertilization. When applied correctly, foliar fertilization has an interesting potential to manipulate the yield and quality of agricultural production, with low environmental impact and relatively low costs. This review aims to highlight the importance of foliar fertilization for agricultural crops, based on experimental results from the literature, using the platforms Google Scholar and Web of Science for documentation.

Foliar Application of Humic Acid with Fe Supplement Improved Rice, Soybean, and Lettuce Iron Fortification

Iron (Fe) deficiency in humans, particularly in pregnant women and children, is caused by inadequate dietary Fe intake and is a global nutritional problem. Foliar fertilization is a cost-effective agronomic approach to increase Fe bioavailability in the human diet. We evaluated the effects of different Fe formulations (Fe-citrate, Fe-EDTA, FePO4, nano-Fe oxide, and humic acid (HA) with and without Fe) on growth, yield, and Fe accumulation in the edible parts of rice, soybean, and lettuce crops. Rice and soybean received multiple sprays at different growth stages, i.e., tillering, anthesis, and grain filling in rice as well as flowering and pod filling in soybean, while lettuce received a single foliar spray. In rice and soybean, the seed Fe accumulation increased proportionally as the number of foliar sprays increased; however, the grain yield did not show this relationship. Among Fe treatments, HA+Fe was identified as the best treatment in terms of improving overall plant growth, yield, and Fe accumulation in the edible parts of all three crops. We found a significant positive correlation between the shoot/stover Fe content and the grain Fe content, but HA+Fe showed an opposite trend, i.e., minimal Fe retention in shoots/stovers and maximal increases in the seed Fe contents in both crops, suggesting better Fe mobilization efficiency from shoots to developing seeds. We strongly recommend that HA with Fe can be used as a foliar Fe fertilizer to improve the growth, yield, and Fe status in different crops.

THE RESEARCH ON NON-CONVENTIONAL FOLIAR FERTILIZERS WITH PROTEIN HYDROLYSATES APPLIED TO MAIZE CROP

The use of chemical fertilizers is one of the most important causes of environmental pollution. The reduction of nutrient losses can be achieved using an alternative fertilization system, a system that includes foliar fertilization. The paper presents experiment results obtained into the greenhouse applying three new ranges ofnon-conventional foliar fertilizers. These fertilizers contain protein hydrolysates and macro-and micronutrients with the role to stimulate the plant metabolism.On chernozem soil, their application to maize (H Oriente, HS Talman) ensured important yield increases of dry matter and had a positive effect on nutrient absorption and uptake in the tested plants.

Effectiveness of foliar fertilizing spring oilseed rape in the forest-steppe conditions of central black earth economic region of Russia

Trace elements are involved in almost all processes of plant life, despite the fact that they need very small amounts. The lack of trace elements in the soil does not lead to the death of plants, but is the cause of a decrease in the rate of their development. In the end, the plants do not realize their capabilities and give a low and low-quality crop. To solve this problem quickly, you can use foliar fertilizing with microfertilizers. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of foliar fertilizing at different times with new types of complex microfertilizers on the productivity of spring rapeseed and the quality of its oilseeds.The experiments were carried out in the Lipetsk Region in Russia in 2019 and 2020 on Rif spring oilseed rape variety. Three types of fertilization during oilseed rape vegetative development were studied: a rosette stage, a bud-formation stage, and overlapping rosette + budding stage. The following agrochemical preparations were studied: Microel (0.2 L/ha), Life Force (0.4 L/ha), Boroplus (0.75 L/ha), Plantafol 20:20:20 (1 kg/ha), Plantafol 5: 15:45 (1 kg/ha) and Lignohumate (0.15 L/ha). The research results showed that processing foliar fertilization in the rosette stage with further feeding in the bud-formation phase were most effective. Because of the provision with microelements, vegetative plants were able to synthesize a full complex of enzymes. Plantafol 20:20:20 and Plantafol 5:15:45 micronutrient fertilizers provided the maximum increase in the rapeseed yield with double-spray processing, yielding 2.05 and 1.94 t/ha, respectively, and exceeding the control crops by 0.64 and 0.53 t/ha, respectively.

THE EFFICIENCY OF NANOTECH FOLIAR FERTILIZER ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD PERFORMANCE OF PECHAY

This study aimed to verify the efficiency of NANOTECH FOLIAR FERTILIZER on pechay (Brassica rapa), particularly on its growth and yield performance. The study was conducted at Children Joy Foundation, INC. Indangan, Davao City, with a duration of 2 months which started from November to December 2022. A Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was used as the experimental design which was composed of six treatments, and replicated three times. The treatments were: (T ) Control, (T ) RR of inorganic NPK fertilizer 1 2 based on soil analysis, (T ) RR of inorganic NPK + 0.5 rr of NANOTECH FOLIAR FERTILIZER , (T ) RR of 3 4 inorganic NPK + rr of NANOTECH FOLIAR FERTILIZER , (T ) RR of inorganic NPK + 1.5 rr of NANOTECH 5 FOLIAR FERTILIZER, and (T ) rr of NANOTECH FOLIAR FERTILIZER. Data on growth and yield components 6 were gathered and analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and differences between treatments were compared using Honest Significant Difference (HSD) Test. Results showed that the growth and yield performance of pechay were significantly affected by ESSEGRO NANOTECH FOLIAR FERTILIZER in terms of root length and pechay yield, but not plant height, leaf length and width and number of leaves. This study indicated that T3 – (RR of inorganic NPK + 0.5 rr of ESSEGRO NANOTECH FOLIAR FERTILIZER) significantly increased pechay yield by 100 % more compared to the control or no application. It was further confirmed that T4 – ( RR of inorganic NPK + rr of ESSEGRO NANOTECH FOLIAR FERTILIZER) had the longest root length which was substantially greater than T2 = RR of inorganic NPK fertilizer based on soil analysis. This implies that supplementing pechay with ESSEGRO NANOTECH FOLIAR FERTILIZER improves growth and yield performance.

ВЛИЯНИЕ НЕКОРНЕВЫХ ПОДКОРМОК НА АДАПТАЦИОННЫЕ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКИ СОРТОВ СЛИВЫ В АРИДНЫХ УСЛОВИЯХ АСТРАХАНСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ

The article discusses the effect of the foliar application of fertilisers on the leaf surface parameters of garden plum varieties grown in the arid light chestnut soils of the North Caspian Region. The research aimed to study the effect of foliar application of macro- and microfertilisers on the leaf surface parameters (leaf area, leaf area of one tree, leaf area per 1 ha) in plum varieties grown in the extremely arid conditions of Astrakhan region. The study was carried out in the experimental field of Caspian Agrarian Federal Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The field was laid out in 2014. Observations and records were performed in 2019–2021. The research used plum varieties such as Kabardinskaya Rannyaya, Ispolinskaya, Stanley and foliar fertilisers such as Master, Aquarin, Ultramag boron and Ultramag calcium. The chief production indices include leaf area, photosynthetic potential and photosynthesis net productivity. The indices have a close relationship with yield indices. The optimal leaf area is an important index of the technology and is crucial for the efficient absorption of light energy to initiate photosynthesis [1]. The effect of simultaneous application of microfertilisers Aquarin and Ultramag boron and Ultramag calcium on the plum leaf surface parameters was analysed. The research showed that varieties Kabardinskaya Rannyaya and Stanley responded most favourably to the fertiliser application. Variety Ispolinskayaya showed a high response to fertiliser Master. The experimental variant that simultaneously applied fertilisers Aquarin, Ultramag boron Ultramag calcium demonstrated the largest leaf area per 1 ha compared to the control (3433 m2 ). In terms of varieties, variety Ispolinskaya had the largest leaf area per 1 ha compared to the control (3020 m2 ).

USE OF MICROBIAL PREPARATIONS AND HUMICS FERTILIZER FOR EGGPLANT GROWING IN FILM GREENHOUSES

A promising direction of modern vegetable growing under organic cultivation approaches is the use of microbial preparations and humic fertilizers to optimize plant nutrition, stimulate growth processes and increase yields of high standardized quality. The purpose of the study is to establish the effect of using microbial preparations and humic fertilizers for growing eggplant in film greenhouses without additional heating. Methods. Field, computational and statistical. The results. The influence of microbial preparations of various directions and humic fertilizers on the biometric parameters of plants, productivity and yield of eggplant during its cultivation in the conditions of film greenhouses was investigated. A significant increase in leaf area was noted both in the phase of mass flowering and in the phase of mass fruiting with the use of all microbial preparations Phosphoenterin, Ecobacil, Bactopaslion and ABT. The greatest increase in the net productivity of photosynthesis of eggplant plants is provided by the use of the preparations Ecobacil and Bactopaslion (7,14-7,79 g/m2 per day). Conclusions. For the cultivation of eggplant in film greenhouses without heating, the use of microbial preparations Phosphoenterin, Ecobacillus, Bactopaslion and ABT is effective, which ensures an increase in leaf area by 17,5-48,6 %, photosynthetic productivity by 31,4-56,2 % and productivity by 0,98-3,26 kg/m2 or 16,1-47,7 % depending on the background of mineral nutrition. The use of humic fertilizers ("Nanoverm", "Gumifriend", "Gumifield") under foliar fertilization in 4 seasons led to a significant increase in plant height by 32,4-49,0 %, average fruit weight by 4,3-9,5 % and productivity by 0,87-1,73 kg/m2 or by 11,8-23,4 % relative to the control. A high level of productivity is indicated for the use of "Gumifriend" and "Gumifield" fertilizers.