Large Numbers Of Seeds Research Articles

IMPROVEMENT OF PHYSIOLOGICAL QUALITY AND SEED GROWTH OF EXPIRED CAYENNE PEPPER (Capsicum frutescens) THROUGH INVIGORATION TECHNIQUE USING YOUNG CORN EXTRACT

One of the problems in companies engaged in the seed. Production is the large number of seeds that can not be sold immediately or accumulate in storage warehouses resulting in expired seeds. Seeds in this condition will experience deterioration and decrease in quality so special treatment is needed to improve their physiological quality. The purpose of this study was to determine the increase in the physiological quality and growth of expired cayenne pepper (Capsicum frutescens) seeds through invigoration techniques using young corn extract (Zea mays). The research was conducted in the laboratory and Green House of Seed Production Techniques, Polytechnic of Jember, using the Non-Factorial Completely Randomized Design (CRD) method with the concentration of young corn extract (K) as the treatment factor. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and followed by DMRT level of 5%. The K factor consists of 5 levels, namely K02 (without soaking in young corn extract), K1 (20% of young corn extract), K2 (25% of young corn extract), K3 (30% of young corn extract), and K4 (35% of young corn extract ). The results showed that the use of young corn extract for expired cayenne pepper seeds invigoration had a significantly different effect on the parameters of growth synchrony and vigor index, and had a very significant effect on the parameters of germination power, maximum growth potential, and growth speed. These results indicate that young corn extract is capable of acting as a bio-invigorator in improving the physiological quality of expired seeds.

The risk of dandelion invasion

Dandelion originated in the Mediterranean coastal region, under suitable conditions, its seeds can spread and spread with the wind, and there are a large number of seeds. This article uses the WINDISPER-L model to analyze the propagation distance of seeds under different settling rates, settling heights, and wind speeds. And it was considered that the number of seeds and inflorescences may vary due to random factors such as climate during different growth cycles. After four growth cycles, most of the dandelion falls about 30 meters away from its mother body and grows and reproduces normally. Subsequently, when establishing a risk assessment system for invasive species, three aspects were considered: the characteristics of the species themselves, the natural environment, and human activities. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to assign weights to indicators at each level, and ultimately all indicators at all levels passed the consistency test. And use a risk assessment system to calculate the potential risks that may arise from the invasion of dandelion, Canadian Solidago, and Ambrosia trifida. This can provide some inspiration and reference for corresponding managers in evaluating whether a species is an invasive species.

Comparative carpological assessment of F1 hybrids of Brassica napus L.

The article presents the results of a study of the morphological structure of the fruits of 26 commercial winter hybrids Brassica napus L., collected in July 2023 at the Breeding Station named after N.N. Timofeev Russian State Agrarian University - Moscow Agricultural Academy named after K.A. Timiryazev. Marker carpological characteristics of pods of B. napus hybrids have been established, which can be used in identifying and assessing the potential seed productivity of plants. Statistical analysis showed that the pods of the studied B. napus hybrids were characterized by stable and slightly varying morphometric parameters. The ratio of fruit length to its diameter was the greatest in F1 BS10, amounting to 19.4, and the smallest ratio of fruit length to its diameter was found in F1 BS22 - 8.34. The largest number of seeds in pods was observed in F1 BS10, and amounted to an average of 36.45 pieces; F1 BS22 (12.5 pieces) was characterized by the smallest number of seeds in the fruit. The longest pod stalk was observed in F1 BS17, which averaged 2.28 cm, and the shortest pod length was observed in F1 BS22 (1.28 cm). The greatest angle of departure of the pod stalk from the raceme was observed in F1 BS16 plants, which averaged 94.33o; the smallest angle is set for F1 BS4 (75.4o). As a result of the initial selection assessment and analysis of carpological data, a promising hybrid F1 BS10 was isolated, which differs from other B. napus hybrids in large pods with the largest number of seeds in the fruit.

Combining ability analysis of Cucurbita moschata D. in Côte d'Ivoire and classification of promising lines based on their gca effects.

Cucurbita moschata varieties grown in Africa have very low yield. They have been neglected, and totally ignored in agricultural research programs. However, interest in their fruits, seeds, flowers and leaves is growing nowadays due to their nutritional and medicinal potentials. That growing interest has prompted plant breeders and agronomists to develop research programs for their improvement. A complete diallel cross analysis of four parental lines, Long, Zouan-H, Oval, and Soubre and their twelve F1 hybrids, was carried out in a farming environment at the University Nangui Abrogoua, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. The four parental lines and the F1 hybrids were evaluated for their general performances, combining abilities, potency ratio and heterosis effects. The investigated traits included plant height, and eleven fruit- and seed-related characters. The analysis of variance showed significant differences for all traits studied. In addition, the diallel model yielded highly significant gca effects of the female parents. The gca effects of the male parents were significant for all traits except plant height, length of the fruit, width of the fruit and length of the seed. Highly significant sca effects were observed in the crosses for all the traits. Strong maternal effects were observed for the weight and diameter of the fruit, weight of the pulp, number of seeds per fruit, weight of the fresh seeds and 100-seed weight. The general predictive ratio approached the value 1 for all the traits except weight of the fresh seed and width of the dry seed. Most of the characters under this study are predominantly determined by the effects of additive genes. But, weight of the fresh seed and width of the dry seed may be controlled by non-additive genes. Mid-parent heterosis was significant for all measured traits in the crosses, except the length of the fruit. And better-parent heterosis was significant for all traits except plant height, number of fruits per plant and length of the fruit. Gene expression is described by a super-dominance for many traits, and partial dominance for some other traits in all twelve F1 hybrids. Classification of the parental lines based on the effects of their general combining ability grouped the Soubre lines as promising contributors to fruit yield. The parental lines Long and Oval formed another group likely on the basis of the small size of their fruits, the small pulps, the smaller number of fruits per plant and the large number of seeds per fruit. However, Long would be a candidate parent for the development of cultivars with longer vegetative growth. The parental line Zouan-H formed the third group and it was mostly characterized by its large number of seeds per fruit and relatively large fruits.

Productivity of brown mustard plants depending on pre-sowing application of mineral fertilisers and foliar feeding

Brown mustard has a prominent genetic potential for seed productivity, which can be fulfilled by optimising the elements of cultivation technology, namely the nutrition system, which makes research relevant. The purpose of this study was to determine the complex effect of the combination of different variants for pre-sowing mineral feeding and foliar feeding with water-soluble fertilisers on the formation of productivity elements and biological yield of brown mustard seeds. Field, laboratory (for accounting for structural elements of the crop), and statistical (for mathematical processing of materials) research methods were used in the study. The study was conducted in 2020, 2021, and 2023 on the basis of the farm “KYRYCHENKO M” located in the central part of Borivskyi district of Kharkiv region. The experiment compared five variants of pre-sowing mineral feeding and five variants of foliar feeding with various combinations of water-soluble fertilisers. The largest number of seeds on the plant and the largest mass were in the variants of the combination of pre-sowing application of N45P45K45 and carrying out two foliar feedings during microphases 21-23 and 50-53 with a mixture of carbamide and complex fertiliser Quantum technical – 627.3 pcs. and 1.97 g, respectively. However, these indicators did not significantly differ from the variant with a lower dose of presowing fertilisers – N45P30K30. Generally, according to the experiment, the highest biological yield of brown mustard seeds in an average of three years was in the variants of the combination of pre-sowing application of N45P45K45 and N45P30K30 with two foliar top dressings with different mixtures of fertilisers – 2.72-2.79 t/ha. Proceeding from this, the best variant in the experiment was the pre-sowing application of N45P30K30 in combination with two foliar feedings during microphases 21-23 and 50-53 with a mixture of carbamide and the complex watersoluble fertiliser under study in single doses of 10 kg/ha and 2.0 l/ha, respectively. It was established that the highest biological yield of mustard seeds in all years was on the variants of pre-sowing application – N45P45K45 and N45P30K30. There was no significant difference between these variants by year. The findings of this study can be used by agricultural enterprises to adjust the nutrition system (pre-sowing application of complex fertilisers and foliar feeding), which will ensure a more complete fulfilment of the genetic potential of brown mustard productivity

Structural and morphogenetic features of Erythronium L. (Liliaceae) fruits

The Lilioideae fruits are loculicidal capsules, with a large number of seeds, which are in most cases anemochorous. Gagea and Erythronium are characterized by a greater degree of endosperm development compared to the rest of the Lilioideae and indicating myrmecochoria elaiosomes on the seeds. To identify the structural features of the fruits of myrmecochore Lilioideae and to determine the morphogenetic patterns of the their fruits development, anatomical structure of the ovary wall and the pericarp of Erythronium species were studied with light microscopy method. A large number of cavities in the pericarp of the Erythronium species have been identified. The morphogenetic pattern of the presence of these cavities is the saving of resources for the development of pericarp due to the formation of elaiosomes in seeds, which is more energy- and resource-intensive compared to the production of anemochorous seeds.

Korean pine, Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc.: seed quality and soil conditions for growth at the Verkhneussuriysky Forest Station (Primorsky Krai, Russia)

This publication presents research results on Korean pine seed quality and soil conditions at the Verkhneussuriysky Forest Station of the Federal Scientifi c Center of Biodiversity FEB RAS. The purpose of research is selecting plus trees based on seed productivity. High seed quality depended on favorable soil conditions for tree growth: soils with thicker horizons rich in organic matter, with high soil enzymatic activity contributing to the transfer of elements into more accessible forms for plant nutrition. Tree No.7 had very large cones with a large number of seeds, while the empty seed yield was 42%. We believe that the 1000-kernel weight does not always refl ect the seed quality. The soil conditions under that tree were extremely unfavorable for a high quality crop. The following conditions contributed to an effi cient harvest of Korean pine seeds: higher content of mobile phosphorus in the AU horizon (tree No.4), and favorable acid/alkaline conditions for brown soil formation (Cambisols). Brown soils have high catalase enzyme activity due to abundant plant residues in the AU horizon and strong content of organic carbon, which indicates high biological activity in their surface horizons. Studying changes in optical parameters of soils within the phytogenic fi elds of model trees allowed to establish the mutual correlation between the organic carbon content and the integral refl ection of soils (R). This will allow us to use the indicator P to indicate the state of soil fertility in forest ecosystems in further research. Data showed that seed quality depends on favorable growth conditions and the location of the tree.

Extraction conditions to improve antioxidant and antibacterial activity of carrot seed oil

Competition to secure seeds is intensifying due to an increase in food demand and industrial use of biofuels. Therefore, every year, a large number of seeds are produced, but seeds that have exceeded the warranty period or are of poor quality are also discovered during the inspection process. Therefore, a strategy for utilizing non-commercial seeds as agricultural products is required. In this study, extraction methods for enhancing the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of carrot seed oil from non-commercially available (NG) seeds were explored. For this, the carrot seeds were classified into NG and commercially available grade, and the effects of extraction methods [cold pressed extraction (CE), hexane extraction, and soxhlet extraction] and pretreatments [hydro-priming, freeze-thaw (FT), and microwave] were evaluated. Based on the results of the extraction method evaluation, the CE yield was low, but its biological activity was high, and the method eco-friendly. Therefore, as a result of the pretreatment, high-quality oils with desired physicochemical composition, as well as increased extraction yield and biological activity were achieved. In addition, the optimal pretreatment was found to be five repetitions of FT. The methods described in this study can be used to increase the value of seeds by using NG seeds as useful biological materials.

Evaluation of physicochemical, antioxidant, antibacterial activity, and sensory properties of watermelon rind candy

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is consumed all over the world that contains a large number of seeds and rind, which is discarded. These by-products contain phytochemical compounds with great nutritional potential. This study aims to evaluate physicochemical properties and sensory values of watermelon rind candy. In this study in order to make the waste of watermelon a more sustainable and value-added food product, the watermelon rind was dried using an osmotic dehydration technique which comprises gradual impregnation of syrup (50 and 70% w/w – 1 to 5 h) before drying at 40 and 60 °C in 8 and 10 h. Various variables such as moisture content, chemical composition, water loss, solid gain, rehydration water, acidity, pH, antioxidant activity, antibacterial activity, residual toxins, phenolic and flavonoid contents during osmotic dehydration of watermelon were investigated. Results showed by rising temperatures, dehydration becomes more severe. Increasing the temperature in both osmotic samples in a concentrated solution (70%) and in osmotic samples with a dilute solution (50%) can enhance the mass transfer, water loss, solid absorption, as well as dehydration intensity. However, antioxidant activity, phenolic and flavonoid content significantly decreased after osmotic dehydration. TPC decreased from 35.83 mg/100 g to 27.45 mg/100 g and TFC of the watermelon rind (8.71 ± 0.01 mg/100 g) decreased to 2.63 ± 0.02 mg/100 g and also antioxidant activity after the osmotic process decreased from 61% to 40%. Also, osmotic dehydration had no significant impact on acidity and pH. The watermelon rind dehydrated sample (osmosis temperature: 40 °C, osmotic solution concentration: 70%, immersion duration: 5 h) was the best choice of panelists due to the highest score in the sensory evaluation including taste, texture, and overall acceptability. By determining the hardness of the watermelon rind candy and comparing it with the results of texture analysis of other dried products, it can be concluded that this product can be used as a healthy snack with longer shelf life properties.

Developing seed‐ and shoot‐based restoration approaches for the seagrass, Zostera muelleri

The restoration of seagrass habitats is a relatively young field with several successful restoration attempts highlighting the feasibility of large‐scale restoration. Successful restoration of seagrass habitats requires an understanding of the most appropriate techniques to use for the target species and local conditions of restoration sites, however, there are currently limited studies on Zostera muelleri. Here, we conduct field trials to explore the use of seed‐ and shoot‐based restoration approaches for Z. muelleri in Victoria, Australia. We assessed the feasibility of collecting and germinating seeds in the field for restoration purposes and trialed the success of four shoot‐based transplanting techniques. We found that seed collections for Z. muelleri were highly successful and scalable, with seed collection rates improving from 489 to 1,939 seeds/hour over 2 years. In addition, in situ seedling germination increased from a maximum of 10.80–25.25% over 2 years. In contrast, shoot‐based restoration approaches were more variable, with plants transplanted with their sediment‐intact outperforming all bare‐rooted approaches. Shoot‐based transplanting approaches appear to have more limited application, but may be appropriate for some restoration sites, or used in combination with seeds to achieve the best restoration outcome. Seed‐based approaches have the potential to be viable and scalable for Z. muelleri given that large numbers of seeds can be collected and stored for at least 7 months before successfully germinating in the field. However, further studies are required to overcome the seedling survival bottleneck (approximately 4 months from emergence) and further increase in situ germination rates.

A new pea variety ‘Skif’

The wide distribution of peas among leguminous crops relates to its diverse use. Grain is used for food and feed; green mass is an excellent high-protein animal feed. A significant role in improving productivity and increasing the gross harvest of peas is given to breeding by developing new productive varieties that are adaptive to cultivation conditions. Breeding made it possible to change the traditional leaf-type pea varieties with a large biomass to mustachioed forms with a determinate stem. New varieties have increased the gross harvest and the manufacturability of pea cultivation in аgricultural production. The development of such pea varieties is still relevant today. In this regard, the purpose of the current paper was to develop a new pea variety that combines high productivity, resistance to extreme environmental factors with high feed and nutritional traits.As a result of the breeding work, there has been developed a promising pea line ‘G-1002’, which was sent to the State Variety Testing of the Russian Federation under the name ‘Skif’ in 2021. In the Competitive Variety Testing (2019–2021), the variety’s yield was from 2.10 to 3.81 t/ha, which is higher than that of the standard variety ‘Aksaisky Usatyi 5’ (1.90–3.42 t/ha) on 0.23 t/ha on average over the years of testing. Analysis of the yield structure of the variety ‘Skif’ has shown that the yield increase of the variety ‘Skif’ was due to a higher seed productivity of one plant (2.4 g) and a larger number of seeds per plant (15.7 pcs.) than that of the standard variety ‘Aksaisky Usatyi 5’ (2.2 g and 13.0 pcs., respectively).The variety is characterized by a high potential for seed productivity, resistance to negative environmental effects, manufacturability, having a low stem, mustachioed leaves, and non-shattering seeds. The protein percentage in seeds ranged from 25.0 to 25.8 %. The positive qualities inherent in the variety make it possible to successfully cultivate it in the recommended cultivation regions, as well as to use it in further breeding process as an initial material. The calculation of economic efficiency of a variety cultivation showed an increase of up to 4000–5000 rubles per hectare.

Numerical simulation on dendritic growth of Al–Cu alloy under convection based on the cellular automaton lattice Boltzmann method

A numerical model is developed by coupling the cellular automaton (CA) method and the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) to simulate the dendritic growth of Al–Cu alloy in both two and three dimensions. An improved decentered square algorithm is proposed to overcome the artificial anisotropy induced by the CA cells and to realize simulation of dendritic growth with arbitrary orientations. Based on the established CA-LBM model, effects of forced convection and gravity-driven natural convection on dendritic growth are studied. The simulation results show that the blocking effect of dendrites on melt flow is advanced with a larger number of seeds. The competitive growth of the converging columnar dendrites is determined by the interaction between heat flow and forced convection. Gravity-driven natural convection leads to highly asymmetric growth of equiaxed dendrites. With sinking downwards of the heavy solute, chimney-like or mushroom-like solute plumes are formed in the melt in front of the columnar dendrites when they grow along the gravitational direction. More details on dendritic growth of Al–Cu alloy under convection are revealed by 3D simulations.

Characterization and Optimization of a Conical Corona Reactor for Seed Treatment of Rapeseed

Plasma agriculture is a growing field that combines interdisciplinary areas with the aim of researching alternative solutions for increasing food production. In this field, plasma sources are used for the treatment of different agricultural goods in pre- and post-harvest. With the big variety of possible treatment targets, studied reactors must be carefully investigated and characterized for specific goals. Therefore, in the present study, a cone-shaped corona reactor working with argon was adapted for the treatment of small seeds, and its basic properties were investigated. The treatment of rapeseed using different voltage duty cycles led to an increase in surface wettability, possibly contributing to the accelerated germination (27% for 90% duty cycle). The discharge produced by the conical reactor was able to provide an environment abundant with reactive oxygen species that makes the process suitable for seeds treatment. However, operating in direct treatment configuration, large numbers of seeds placed in the reactor start impairing the discharge homogeneity.

Introgression of Trifolium ambiguum Into Allotetraploid White Clover (Trifolium repens) Using the Ancestral Parent Trifolium occidentale as a Bridging Species

White clover (Trifolium repens) is an allotetraploid pasture legume widely used in moist temperate climates, but its vulnerability to drought, grazing pressure and pests has restricted its wider use. A related species, Caucasian clover (Trifolium ambiguum), is a potential source of resistances to drought, cold, grazing pressure and pests that could potentially be transferred to white clover by interspecific hybridization. Although direct hybridization has been achieved with difficulty, the hybrids have not been easy to backcross for introgression breeding and no interspecific chromosome recombination has been demonstrated. The present work shows that interspecific recombination can be achieved by using Trifolium occidentale, one of the ancestral parents of T. repens, as a bridging species and that large white clover breeding populations carrying recombinant chromosomes can be generated. A 4x hybrid between T. ambiguum and T. occidentale was crossed with T. repens and then backcrossed for two generations. Five backcross hybrid plants with phenotypes appearing to combine traits from the parent species were selected for FISH-GISH analyses. Recombinant chromosome segments from T. ambiguum were found in all five plants, suggesting that recombination frequencies were significant and sufficient for introgression breeding. Despite early chromosome imbalances, the backcross populations were fertile and produced large numbers of seeds. These hybrids represent a major new resource for the breeding of novel resilient forms of white clover.

Fruit and seed morphology in some representatives of the genus Malus Mill.

Aim. The study of morphological characteristics of fruits and seeds of the genus Malus is the key to the effective use of the apple genetic diversity in landscape-gardening, fruit growing, introductory and breeding. Methods. Morphological features of fruits and seeds of nine species and three varieties of apple (M. baccata, M. coronaria ‘Red Tip’, M. floribunda, M. fusca, M. halliana, M. niedzwetzkyana, M. × purpurea, M. × purpurea ‘Ola’, M. × purpurea ‘Royalty’, M. × purpurea ‘Selkirk’, M. trilobata, M. tschonoskii, M. toringoides) were studied. Generally accepted tech- niques of research was used. Results. The fruit weight of apple species and varieties varied from 0.30 g (M. fusca) to 61.20 g (M. coronaria ‘Red Tip’), the weight of 1000 seeds — from 5.00 g (M. fusca) to 62.77 g (M. coronaria ‘Red Tip’). The largest number of seeds in the fruit was characteristic of M. toringoides (6.64), the smallest — M. tschonoskii (0.25); developed seeds were not detected in the fruits of M. trilobata for 2019–2020 years. The lowest level of variability among biometric indicators of the studied representatives of the genus Malus was in terms of fruit height, fruit diameter and seed height, the highest — in terms fruit weight and number of seeds in the fruit. Conclusions. Detailed characteristics of fruits and seeds of the genus Malus, growing in the National Dendrological Park “Sofiyivka”, were compiled as a result of research. The obtained data can be used as a supplement to the botanical characteristic, and as a comparative material for taxonomy and phylogeny.

Optimal growing regulations – guarantee of high productivity of sunflower

Optimal growing regulations – guarantee of high productivity of sunflower

Alfalfa breeding for the foothill zone of the RSO — Alania

Alfalfa occupies a leading position among the crops used for obtaining renewable sources of protein and energy-saturated feed, as well as a mean of biological reclamation of agricultural land, preservation and improvement of soil fertility. The aim of the research is to study the economically valuable characteristics of various varieties of alfalfa to local soil and climatic conditions in terms of seed productivity and feed value. Promising varieties that combine high feed and seed productivity have been identified. According to the indicators of seed productivity, the alfalfa variety Lada was distinguished. In this variety, the indicators of green mass, dry matter and seed productivity are most successfully combined. The Lada variety surpassed the other varieties in seed productivity, the formation of beans with a large number of seeds by 7–9%. In the average of three years, the number of stems per 1 m2 was distinguished by the varieties Lada and Vega 87 — 110–120 pcs/m2. In these varieties, the number of internodes was 18 pieces, and in the standard Nakhodka — 14 pieces. In terms of the number of stems, 2 samples significantly exceeded the standard: Lada and Pastbischnaya 88. According to the yield of green mass and leafiness, the varieties of alfalfa Lada and Ve-ga 87 outperformed other varieties by 5–7%. In the future of our research, the selected varieties will be used to form new varieties.

A grape breeding programme using different Vitis species

AbstractIntensive breeding programmes have been carried out to obtain high‐quality seedless grape cultivars. Seedless grape cultivars were used as pollinizer parents, but the number of hybrid seeds and the viability of the seed obtained could differ greatly. In this study, carried out over 3 years, the results obtained from crossing with some pollinizer cultivars belonging to different Vitis species were compared. Maternal cultivars that do not need emasculation (male sterile) and emasculated cultivars were also compared. Evaluations were based on the total number of hybrid seeds and the proportion of viable seeds. In addition, the effects of various treatments on the rates of germination of the hybrid seed were compared. Although the female parents (with female flower structure) produced more seed than did hermaphrodite mothers in 2019, different results were obtained in cross‐breeding studies in 2018 and 2020. Cold stratification was very effective in increasing germination by breaking dormancy of the hybrid seed. In addition, after treatment of cold moist storage (cold stratification), keeping the seed in distilled water overnight before planting increased germination. Although large numbers of seeds were produced by the genotype 86/1 and the cultivar ‘Beyaz Çavuş’, both of which do not require emasculation, many of these seeds did not germinate. Crosses with the cultivar ‘Red Globe’ as the maternal parent produced large numbers of viable seeds and high germination rates.

PRODUCTIVITY OF SUNFLOWER HYBRIDS DEPENDING ON THE ELEMENTS OF THE GROWING TECHNOLOGY

The article deals with the solution of significant scientific issues - increasing the yield of sunflower hybrids by optimizing the basic elements of cultivation technology. The research was conducted in the period of 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 in the experimental field of VNAU on the basis of SRF “Agronomichne”, which is located in the village of Agronomichne, Vinnytsia region. Researches devoted to the effects of foliar fertilization invastigated two hybrids of sunflower of the middle-early maturity group: Bosphor and Sanai MR, the study of the impact of sowing dates and the system of basic tillage early-ripe Antey, medium-early NA sumo 2017 and medium-ripe Tutti. The soil in the experimental plot is gray forest medium loam. According to the results of measurements, the shift of sowing dates towards later years in the conditions of research caused a decrease in plant height (by 4.0-18.0 cm) of all studied forms, in comparison with the early sowing period. As for the location on the stem of the basket, mostly all plants they leaned down, except for plants of the hybrid Antey in late sowing and NA sumo 2017 - in the second, in which the baskets were located at an angle of 45oC to the soil surface. During the harvest in all variants, the seeds from the baskets were threshed very well. The largest diameter of the basket was formed in hybrids Antey, NS sumo 2017 and Tutti for sowing in the second term (April 29 - May 5 at a soil temperature of + 10-12 ° C) and was, respectively, 16.4; 16.3 and 16.5 cm. In the hybrid NS sumo 2017 this figure was almost the same for both the first and second sowing dates - 16.3 and 16.2 cm. The weight of 1000 grains and the weight of seeds from one basket was the largest (39.6- 53.5 g) in all studied hybrids during the first sowing period. However, the number of seeds in the basket varied over time depending on the hybrid. Thus, the largest number of seeds in the basket was in the hybrid Antey for sowing in the second term – 1255 pcs., Hybrid NS sumo 2017 – in the third term (1593 pcs.) And hybrid Tutti - for sowing in the first term (1257 pcs.). The highest yield of hybrids Antey, NS sumo 2017, Tutti was obtained for sowing in the early period (April 18-22) – respectively 3.54 t / ha, 3.31 t / ha, 3.50 t / ha. Implementation of foliar fertilization with microfertilizer Avangard R Sunflower in the phase of 6-8 pairs of sunflower leaves promotes productivity in the hybrid Bosphorus – 3.08 and Sanai MR - 2.99 t / ha, which is 12.43 and 11.17% more than in the control. The highest yield was established, on average for two years, was for board tillage - early-maturing hybrid Antey – 2.72 t / ha, medium-early sumo 2017 - 2.79 t / ha and medium-ripe Tutti – 3.05 t / ha, which by 0.32 t / ha, 0.19 and 0.24 t / ha, respectively, exceeded the yield of the experiment with surface treatment. With flat cultivation, the yield of sunflower hybrids averaged over two years - early ripening Antey - 2.58 t / ha, medium-early sumo 2017 - 2.63 t / ha and medium-ripe Tutti - 2.87 t / ha. Concerning the oil content depending on the sowing date, it should be noted that the highest oil content was observed in the studied hybrids Antey (49.3%) and Tutti (50.3%) when using the second sowing period April 29 – May 5 -12 ° C)), and in the hybrid NS sumo 2017 the highest oil content was observed when applying the early sowing period (I - April 18-22 (+ 6-8 ° C) - 50.2%. Seed husk was the highest in the hybrid Tutti - 22.05-23.25%, the smallest in the precocious hybrid Antey - 20.55-21.65%, and the smallest in the hybrid NS sumo 2017 - 20.50-21.65%. Sowing dates did not significantly affect the seed husk by years of research in all hybrids.

Regeneration trends along climate gradients in Taxodium distichum forests of the southeastern United States

The development of relict vegetation at the edges of some ecosystems has taken place particularly in environments where the regeneration of foundational species is declining. As an important stage of regeneration in the Taxodium distichum, this study explored the relationship of cone volume and seed number across environmental gradients in the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (MRAV) and northern Gulf of Mexico Coast (GOM) in a long-term network of forested wetlands (North American Baldcypress Swamp Network (NABCSN)) from 2007 to 2019. Resembling spheroids, the volumes of Taxodium distichum cones were based on the measured dimensions of the cones collected in swamps across southeastern environmental gradients. Cones with larger volumes also had larger numbers of seeds (r2 = 0.423, F = 113.9, p < 0.0001; Linear regression equation: Seed number per cone = 9.8925223 + 0.8854056* Cone volume cm3). Mean cone volumes were related to water availability with highest volumes in locations with moderate amounts of total annual precipitation (e.g., White River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Arkansas, Tensas NWR Louisiana, and Morgan Brake NWR Mississippi), and longer periods of annual percent time of site drawdown. Cone volume was high in 2018 following the 2017 mega-flood in the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (MRAV) generated by Hurricane Harvey. Mean annual air temperature was not related to cone volume. Along the Gulf Coast, mean cone volume increased from east to west from Florida to Texas. Especially near the edge of the range of T. distichum forests, smaller cones may be related to regeneration failure and lower seed numbers to support regeneration. A better understanding of regeneration constraints can inform managers of the emergence of relict status in these forests.