Spring Barley Cultivation Research Articles

The influence of climatic factors on the effect of growth regulators in agrocenoses of spring barley

Relevance. In recent years, under the conditions of climate change, there has been a tendency to reduce the acreage of spring barley, reduce the quantity and quality of grain. From the point of view of ensuring the stability of gross grain harvests and ecology, it is necessary to manage the agrocenosis.Methods. The experiments were conducted in 2021–2024 agricultural years in the conditions of the Azov sea zone of the Rostov region. Objects of research: Leon spring barley variety and growth regulators “Artafit” (0.3 l/ha), “Biodux” (3 ml/ha), “Obereg” (60 ml/ha), “Trainer” (3 l/ha), “Fulvohumate” (0.4 l/ha).Results. The climatic conditions in 2024 were extreme in terms of low rainfall and high amounts of spring temperatures. The year 2023 was the most favorable from this point of view. The yield level correlates with the level of moisture in the spring period, the highest indicators were observed in 2023, and the lowest in 2024. In the current market conditions and annual price increases, unit production costs are increasing. Thus, in 2024, the cultivation of spring barley turned out to be unprofitable. Moreover, the use of biological products did not allow us to gain a plus. In 2022 and 2023, the use of the drug “Trainer” turned out to be unprofitable due to the high cost of the drug. “Biodux” and “Obereg” showed the highest profitability.

Продуктивность пивоваренного ячменя в зависимости от приёмов основной обработки почвы и регулятора роста Моддус

In modern conditions, the most effective way to increase the gross production of spring barley is to select the most productive varieties and realize their potential productivity by improving the technology of cultivation of spring barley for specific soil and climatic conditions of the zone. In this regard, the improvement of the complex of agricultural practices that increase the yield of barley is relevant and of particular scientific and practical interest. The purpose of the research was to improve the techniques of basic tillage and the use of growth regulators in the cultivation of spring malting barley. The research was conducted from 2022 to 2024 in the Moscow region at the experimental field of the Federal Research Center "Nemchinovka". The soil is sod-podzolic, heavy loamy. pH is 5.4 units. The humus content is 1.7%. As a result, on average for 2022-2024, observations of the spread of weeds in malting barley crops found that the smallest number of all weeds was fixed on the variant of chisel processing by Ranch workers with pruning paws to a depth of 0.27-0.30 m and amounted to 154 pcs/case. The highest height of brewing barley plants of the Reliable variety on average for 2022-2024 turned out to be on the variant of chisel tillage m without the use of growth regulators and was 69 cm. The largest number of productive stems was established on the variant of chisel tillage to a depth of 0.27-0.30 m without the use of a growth regulator and amounted to 498 pcs./m2, that is, 51 pcs./m2 more than the lowest value. The largest grain mass in the ear was set on a variant of chisel tillage to a depth of 0.27-0.30 m using the growth regulator Moddus CE at a dose of 0.4 l /ha and was equal to 1.25 grams, that is, 0.17 grams more than the lowest value. The highest yield was also formed on the variant of chisel processing by the working body of the Ranch with pruning paws to a depth of 0.27-0.30 m using the growth regulator Moddus CE at a dose of 0.4 l /ha and averaged 6.10 t/ha.

Sustainability improvement of grain productivity of beet crop rotations in the foreststeppe of the Central Blackearth region

The purpose of the current study was to identify the effect of various crop rotations and rates of application of mineral fertilizers on productivity of winter wheat and spring barley, the productivity of crop rotations and the economic efficiency of cultivating crops. The study was carried out in a stationary field trial of the FSBSI “Kursk FARC” on typical heavy loamy blackearth (chernozem) in 2015–2023. Agricultural crops were grown in three crop rotations: 1 – grainrow fallow (black fallow, winter wheat, sugar beets, maize for silage, barley); 2 – grain-row green manure fallow (green manure fallow, winter wheat, sugar beets, maize for silage, barley); 3 – crop rotation (horse-bean for grain, winter wheat, sugar beets, white lupine for grain, barley). During the trial there have been compared two contrasting levels of mineral fertilizer application N30Р30К30 and N52Р52К52 per hectare of crop rotation area. The non-marketable portion of the harvest of all crops was used as fertilizer. Agricultural technology was generally conventional for the area. There has been established that, under all weather conditions, the highest yield of winter wheat at a low background of fertilization (N30Р30К300 per hectare of crop rotation area) is produced in green manure fallow, and at a high background of fertilization (N52Р52К52 per hectare of crop rotation area) in black fallow. There was found that the most favorable conditions for cultivating barley were created when cultivating with white lupine for grain. Fertilization increase led to productivity increase of the grain crops, but, at the same time, to a production profitability decrease. There has been determined that productivity of crop rotations with fallow forecrops is 14 % higher compared to crop rotations with a legume forecrop (horse-bean for grain). According to calculations, on average over the years of study, the most profitable was the winter wheat cultivation in black fallow, and spring barley cultivation in white lupine for grain. At the same time, the indicator of production profitability level decreased with an increase in the rate of mineral fertilizing, which results in production costs’ increase.

The Use of a Composition of Bacterial Consortia and Living Mulch to Reduce Weeds in Organic Spring Barley Cultivation as an Element of Sustainable Plant Production

The Use of a Composition of Bacterial Consortia and Living Mulch to Reduce Weeds in Organic Spring Barley Cultivation as an Element of Sustainable Plant Production

Evaluation of the effectiveness of the use of humic fertilizers in the cultivation of spring barley in the soil and climatic conditions of the central chernozem region

The results of studies of the effect of humic fertilizers of domestic (ECO-SP) and foreign (Fulvigrain Classic, Gumiful Pro) production on the yield and quality of spring barley grain of the Prometheus variety, when cultivated according to the following scheme: without treatment with humic fertilizers (control); ECO-SP – seed treatment (0.5 l/t) + treatment of plants in the tillering phase (0.5 l/ha) + treatment of plants in the tube exit phase (0.5 l/ha); Fulvigrain Classic – seed treatment (0.8 l/t) + treatment of plants in the tillering phase (0.4 l/ha) + treatment of plants in the tube exit phase (0.4 l/ha); Humiful Pro – seed treatment (0.1 l/t) + processing of plants in the tillering phase (0.1 l/ha) + processing of plants in the tube exit phase (0.1 l/ha). The work was carried out in 2020–2022. in the experiments of the Kursk Federal Agrarian Scientific Center (Kursk region, Kursk district, Cheryomushki village), the soil of the experimental site is a typical powerful, heavy-loamy chernozem. It was found that the treatment of spring barley seeds with humic fertilizers increased their germination energy by 2…7 %, laboratory germination by 3…5 % in comparison with the variant where the seeds were not treated with humic fertilizers. When processing seeds and plants with humic fertilizers, the yield of spring barley increased by 0.46…0.56 t/ha or by 12.7…15.5 %, grain size – by 0.7… 1.6 %, protein content – by 0.2… 0.4 %, starch – by 0.4…0.9 %. Higher yields of spring barley were provided by humic fertilizers ECO-SP and Fulvigrain Classic – 0.52…0.56 t/ha. The effectiveness of humic fertilizer Humiful Pro was lower, the yield increase from its use was 0.46 t/ha or 12.7 %, grain size increased by 0.7 %, protein content – by 0.6 %, starch – by 0.3 % compared to the control.

Modeling Climate Change Scenarios for Spring Barley in Southeast of Almaty in Kazakhstan Using the LINTUL Approach

Barley stands as a cornerstone in agricultural landscape of Kazakhstan, weaving through diverse climate zones, and annually gracing over 1.5 million hectares. The intricate interplay between climate and food systems necessitates thorough analysis and strategic measures to food safety and nutritional security, as the evolving climate significantly influences both the quantity and quality of our food resources. This study aims to employ the LINTUL-MULTICROP Model to assess how spring barley adapts to both today’s climatic conditions and potential climate change scenarios to elevated levels of carbon dioxide and temperature under the specific conditions of southeast of Almaty. Three different global climate change models were studied (GCMs); i) GFDL-ESM2M, ii) HadGEM2-AO, and iii) MPI-ESM-MR for historical period (1986-2005) under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 during the periods of i) 2040-2059 years scenarios, ii) 2060-2079 years scenarios, and iii) 2080-2099 years scenarios. Overall, the HADGEMAO and MPIESMMR models exhibited promising results in simulating yield, projecting an increase in spring barley yield for both RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios in GFDL-ESM2M model case also demonstrated stable increase in rainfed conditions. In conclusion, it should be noted that in the conditions of Kazakhstan, the cultivation of spring barley tends to change to growth in the southeast of Almaty.

Energy and Environmental Assessment of Bacteria-Inoculated Mineral Fertilizer Used in Spring Barley Cultivation Technologies

In the scientific literature there is a lack of information on the integrated effect of bioenriched complex mineral fertilizers in the energy and environmental aspects of spring barley production technology. The aim of this study was to validate the type of phosphorus-releasing bacteria and to carry out an energy and environmental assessment of the use of mineral fertilizers enriched with them for barley fertilization. The experimental field studies (2020–2022) were carried out in open ground on sandy loam soil in southern Lithuania. Four barley cultivation technologies (SC) were applied. Control (SC–1) did not use complex mineral fertilizers; in SC–2, 300 kg ha−1 of N5P20.5K36 fertilizer was applied. In SC–3, the same fertilizer was enriched with a bacterial inoculant (Paenibacillus azotofixans, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus mucilaginosus, and Bacillus mycoides) at a rate of 150 kg ha−1, and in SC–4, 300 kg ha−1 of N5P20.5K36 fertilizer were applied and the same enrichment with the bacterial inoculant was carried out. The results confirmed the hypothesis that spring barley cultivation technologies using bacterial inoculants (SC–3 and SC–4) have higher mineral fertilizer efficiency than SC–2. In all three years, the bacterial inoculant had a positive effect on phosphorus fertilizer efficiency. In SC–4 (2020) it was 8%, in 2021—7%, and in 2022—even 17% higher compared to SC–2. In terms of energy balance, a significant influence of the bacterial inoculant was found. In 2020 and 2021, the energy balance of SC–4 was 10%, and in 2022, 22.8% higher compared to SC–2. The increase in fertilizer use efficiency resulted in a positive environmental impact, with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions decreasing by 10% in 2020, 15% in 2021, and 19% in 2022 when comparing SC–4 and SC–2. The use of the tested bacterial formulations, without changing the mineral fertilizer rate, can lead to an average reduction in GHG emissions of about 15%. This study demonstrates that enriching mineral fertilizers with specific bacterial inoculants for spring barley cultivation significantly enhances phosphorus efficiency, improves energy balance, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, underscoring the potential for bioaugmented fertilizers to optimize agricultural sustainability.

Evaluation of the Efficacy of the Use of Humic Fertilizers in the Cultivation of Spring Barley in the Soil and Climatic Conditions of the Central Chernozem Region

Evaluation of the Efficacy of the Use of Humic Fertilizers in the Cultivation of Spring Barley in the Soil and Climatic Conditions of the Central Chernozem Region

Productivity of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) with the complex use of biological preparations

The article reflects the results of studies conducted in the period from 2021 to 2023 in the dry steppe zone of the Russian Federation to assess the effectiveness of the integrated use of biological products in the cultivation of spring barley. The effectiveness of pre-sowing treatment of spring barley seeds with a biofungicide followed by foliar treatment during the tillering phase with biological products that suppress the development of phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria, stimulate plant growth and development, and also increase plant resistance to adverse environmental factors has been studied. Indicators of the prevalence and degree of development of root rot on spring barley were determined. Data are presented for recording the phytometric indicators of spring barley crops with the integrated use of biological products. Indicators of productivity and grain quality of spring barley were determined using biological products INBIO-FIT, BIOFIT-1.0 M and biofungicide Strekar

Optimization of spring barley seeding rates in the Volga region

Studies on ordinary chernozem to identify the optimal seeding rate for modern technologies of spring barley cultivation in the conditions of increasing processes of aridization of the Volga climate are presented. In different weather conditions in the years (2019-2021), when testing 3 seeding rates without seed dressing (1.0, 3.0 and 5.0 million/ha) and 5 with the use of the Scenic Combi protectant (from 1.0 to 5.0 million/ha), the highest grain yield was established at seeding rates of 3.0-5.0 million/ha (Scenic Combi) – 2.66-2.73 t/ha, which is 0.24-0.87 t/ha more options with norms of 1.0 and 2.0 million/ha (Scenic Combi) and 0.28-1.12 t/ha options with norms of 1.0-5.0 million/ha (without seed dressing). The largest conditional net income of all the studied options was established when using the Scenic Combi protectant at the rates of 2.0-4.0 million/ha – 15079.5-16280.0 rubles/ha, which is 468.3-1669.2 rubles/ha (3.2-11.4 %) more than the best option without seed etching. The maximum level of profitability was obtained at seeding rates of 2.0 and 3.0 million/ha (Scenic Combo) 150.4-156.7 %, which is 17.8-51.3% more than the other studied options. Based on the data obtained during the cultivation of spring barley with the use of the drug Scenic Combi, after winter wheat, a seeding rate of 2.0-3.0 million / ha of germinating seeds is proposed.

STRUCTURAL-AGGREGATE COMPOSITION AND SOIL WATER RESISTANCE BASED ON TILLAGE REGIMES IN SOUTHEAST KAZAKHSTAN

The promotion and rational development of drylands employed two tillage regimes (plowing to 20–22 cm and no-till) during the spring wheat and barley cultivation in Southeast Kazakhstan. The results established that the no-till scheme contributed to forming an excellent aggregate state of the arable soil layer for spring wheat and barley (65%–69%). The water-resistant aggregates were the highest with no-tillage (19.3%–21.8%), indicating the unsatisfactory water resistance of the soil structure. Enhancing the water-resistant aggregates requires using organic fertilizers to improve the establishment of perennial grasses, green manuring, and cover crops. No-till system inclined to boost the optimal soil density from a loose and slightly compact state of 1.19–1.23 g/cm3 to a dense 1.32–1.39 g/cm3. According to crop cultivar and tillage methods, the spring wheat and barley grain yield varied between 2.84 and 3.89 t/ha. High grain yield came from the spring barley cultivar Symbat. Spring showed promising performance when the plowing level was 20–22 cm and inferior only by 0.25 and 0.15 t/ha with no-till. Based on the two-factor analysis of variance, the cultivar contribution to the spring wheat and barley grain yield buildup depended on the shares of crop season of the research (year – environment) (40.9%–62.2%) and the tillage regimes (22.4%–32.2%). The grain yield formation was more dependent on the studied crops and their cultivars, and the dependence increased over the crop seasons due to weather conditions during the crop period.

Yield shortfall of cereals in Ukraine caused by the change in air temperature and precipitation amount

Yield shortfall of cereals in Ukraine caused by the change in air temperature and precipitation amount

Effectiveness of the Use of Fertilizers with Trace Elements on Spring Barley Crops in the Conditions of the Kursk Region

As a result of the research conducted in 2020–2022, the high efficiency and environmental feasibility of using complex fertilizers with microelements MicroFid Complex, MicroFid Zinc, microFid Boron with Zinc Chelate Reagent and Boron Chelate reagent in the cultivation of spring barley on chernozem soils of the Kursk region was established. The use of complex fertilizers MicroFid Complex, MicroFid Boron and MicroFid Zinc in the form of seed treatment and sowing in the phases “tillering” and “exit into the tube” provided an increase in the yield of spring barley – 0.29–0.45 t/ha (on 7.6–11.7%), protein growth in grain by 0.7–0.9%, grain size by 0.9–1.2%, relative to the control variant. The use of mono-fertilizers Zinc Chelate Reagent and Boron Chelate Reagent in comparison with complex micronutrients was less effective. The increase in the yield of spring barley from their use increased by 0.29–0.34 t/ha (7.6–8.9%), the amount of protein in the grain – by 0.1–0.2%, grain size – by 0.2–0.4%. There was a tendency of higher efficiency of microelement fertilizers containing boron: the yield of spring barley from the use of monoselate fertilizer Reakom-Boron Chelate was 0.05 t/ha higher than from fertilizer Reakom-Zinc Chelate, and complex fertilizer MicroFid Boron – 0.03 t/ha higher than MicroFid Zinc. The use of trace element fertilizers on spring barley crops was economically profitable and environmentally sound.

Agrotechnological evaluation of spring barley cultivation in the conditions of the Middle Urals

The studies were carried out in 2016–2020 on dark grey forest soil in the conditions of the Sverdlovsk region in a long-term stationary experiment. The object of observation was the spring barley Sonnet. The agrotechnological methods of spring barley cultivation were assessed in a two-factor experiment: factor A - crop rotations (precursor); factor B - food background. It was established that in the 0–50 cm layer during the sowing period, soil moisture availability on average for the predecessors varied in the range of 64.4–80.3 mm. The introduction of mineral fertilisers and their combinations with organic fertilisers in field crop rotations increased the reserves of productive moisture by 7–10 mm. The highest total nitrate and ammonium nitrogen content was noted during barley germination. The systematic use of fertilisers increased mineral nitrogen in the arable layer by 6.3–14.3 m/kg compared with the control (11.5–12.8 mg). A close positive relationship was found between the moisture content and mineral nitrogen in the 0–20 cm layer in the phase of barley seedlings. The correlation coefficient (r) was 0.67. During the crop rotation, there was no noticeable difference between the predecessors regarding the effect on the barley yield. In control, it varied at 2.63–2.77 t/ha. On fertilised nutrition backgrounds, an excess of grain harvest by 0.2–0.47 t/ha was revealed hectares when placing it as the second crop after the pure fallow to the occupied. On average, for predecessors, fertilisers provided an additional grain harvest at 1.53–1.54 t/ha compared to the control (2.71 t/ha). The organometal background of nutrition was not inferior to mineral fertilisers in terms of its impact on the productivity of grain forage crops—payback 1 kg a.i. Depending on the predecessor on the mineral background of nutrition, Fertilizers varied from 13.2 to 19.1 kg of grain. The maximum was noted in the grain-grass crop rotation. With a combination of organic and mineral fertilisers, the return decreased to 8.4–12.0 kg. A strong correlation was revealed between barley yield and mineral nitrogen content in the arable layer. On average, for the growing season, it was r = 0.97.

Innovative Spring Barley Cultivation Technology Based on the Use of Microbial Products Together with Living Mulch in Organic Farming

Field research was conducted in Poland in 2019–2021 to determine the effect of microbial products and living mulches on grain yield and grain yield structure elements as well as the biological index of soil fertility (BIF) in spring barley grown in organic agriculture. Two factors were examined: I. microbial products: control (no treatment with microbial products), inoculation with phosphorus-releasing bacteria (Bacillus megaterium var. phosphaticum, Arthrobacter agilis), and co-inoculation (simultaneous inoculation) with phosphorus-releasing bacteria (Bacillus megaterium var. phosphaticum, Arthrobacter agilis) and nitrogen-fixing bacteria (Azospirillum lipoferum Br17, Azotobacter chroococcum); II. living mulch: control (no living mulch—spring barley grown in a pure stand), red clover, red clover and Italian ryegrass, and Italian ryegrass. The study results demonstrated that the highest grain yield at 4.5 t ha−1 with superior structure was produced by spring barley following co-inoculation with phosphorus-releasing bacteria (Bacillus megaterium var. phosphaticum, Arthrobacter agilis) and nitrogen-fixing bacteria (Azospirillum lipoferum Br17, Azotobacter chroococcum). The highest value of the biological index of soil fertility (BIF II) determined at the flowering stage was obtained in plots with spring barley cultivated with the living mulch of red clover mixed with Italian ryegrass or red clover following inoculation with phosphorus-releasing bacteria and nitrogen-fixing bacteria 6.9 and 5.7, respectively.

The Influence of Bacteria-Inoculated Mineral Fertilizer on the Productivity and Profitability of Spring Barley Cultivation.

The heavy use of mineral fertilizers causes imbalances in the biological processes that take place in soil. Therefore, it is necessary to develop more effective fertilizers or fertilizer complexes that ensure agricultural productivity and soil conservation. There is currently a lack of knowledge regarding the effectiveness of biologically enriched, complex mineral fertilizers for spring barley fertilization. The hypothesis of this study was that bacteria-enriched (Paenibacillus azotofixans, Bacillus megaterium, Bacillus mucilaginosus, and Bacillus mycoides), complex mineral fertilizers (N5P20.5K36) have significant impacts on the yield and potential for economic use of spring barley. Experimental studies were carried out for three years (2020-2022) with sandy loam soil in southern Lithuania. Four different spring barley fertilization scenarios (SCs) were investigated. In SC-1 (control), complex mineral fertilizer (N5P20.5K36) was not applied. In the other SCs, spring barley was sown with a drill and fertilizers were incorporated locally during the sowing operation: fertilization scenario SC-2 used 300 kg ha-1, SC-3 used 150 kg ha-1 preceded by a bacteria-inoculated complex mineral fertilizer (N5P20.5K36), and SC-4 used 300 kg ha-1 with the same bacterial complex. The results showed that the bacterial inoculant increased the efficiency of the mineral fertilizer and had an effect on plant growth in barley. For three consecutive years in the same plots, the bacterial inoculant showed significant positive effects on grain yield (changes of 8.1% in 2020, 6.8% in 2021, and 17.3% in 2022 between SC-2 and SC-4). Comparing the several different fertilizer scenarios from an economic point of view, it was observed that the highest profit per hectare was obtained with SC-4 in all three years of the study. Comparing SC-4 and SC-2, an increase of 13.7% was observed in 2020, followed by 9.1% and 41.9% in 2021 and in 2022, respectively. This study will be useful for farmers, biological inoculant manufacturers, and scientists researching the effectiveness of biological inoculants for growing agricultural crops. We found that it is possible to increase the yield of barley (7-17%) using the same rate of mineral fertilization by enriching it with bacterial inoculants. Further studies should be conducted to determine the effects of the bacterial inoculant on crop yield and soil over a period longer than 3 years.

Resource-saving technologies of cultivation of ear crops in the Central Chernozem region

Research focused on the search for the most eff ective resource-saving agrotechnologies allows us to objectively, comprehensively and reasonably determine the feasibility of reducing the need for material resources (their optimization) in the cultivation of crops based on the analysis of various factors involved in the formation of the crop, to develop and test eff ective resource-saving schemes without compromising quantitative and qualitative indicators. The purpose of the research was to study the use of resource-saving technologies for the cultivation of ear crops in the Central Chernozem region. In the work for the conditions of the Central Chernozem region the most appropriate combinations of precursors, systems and methods of basic tillage were determined, contributing to the optimization of resource consumption in the cultivation of winter wheat (combined tillage system with shallow tillage-free tillage after sideral crops or grasses), in the cultivation of spring barley (combined tillage system with surface main tillage by rowed predecessors or with zero processing after buckwheat). It was found that under the conditions of the Central Chernozem region, winter wheat yield indicators were associated fi rst of all, with changes in the content of mobile forms of potassium in the soil by 75 % or more (correlation coeffi cient was 0,9); in the second, alkaline hydrolyzable nitrogen, as well as acidity of soil (correlation coeffi cient was 0,5–0,6); in the third, the content of mobile forms of phosphorus and humus (correlation coeffi cient was 0,3–0,4). Based on the revealed features of the variability of the main indicators of the fertility of chernozem typical in technologies of various intensity levels, scientifi cally based solutions have been developed that contribute to improving the efficiency of resource-saving techniques in applied agricultural technologies.

Effect of microbiological agents on spring barley cultivated in the north of the Astrakhan region

The aim of the study was to determine effectiveness of the use of microbiological agents in spring barley cultivation. The experiments were conducted in the conditions of light chestnut soils in the north of the Astrakhan region, Chernoyarsky district, Solenoe Zaymishche village in 2018-2020. The use of this cultural method contributed to two-fold increase in the productivity of spring barley (3.5 t/ha), compared with the control (without any seed treatment - 1 .4 t/ha). The pre-sowing inoculation of seeds increased field germination and number of mature plants: by 75 and 26.8 % for Mizorin, 79 and 40.9 % for BisolbiFit, 78 and 37.6 % for Rizoagrin, respectively, in comparison with the control. Application of these microbiological agents in spring barley cultivation can be recommended to both small and large farms, which will help to rise the agriculture of the region to a high level of production of spring barley.

Impact of Soil Fertilized with Biomass Ash on Depth-Related Variability of Culturable Bacterial Diversity and Selected Physicochemical Parameters in Spring Barley Cultivation.

This study investigated the effect of different doses of fertilization with biomass combustion ash (Salix viminalis L. willow) on changes in the biological, chemical, and physical properties of soil. The experiment was carried out on podzolic and chernozem soils in a one-way field experiment (fertilization dose: control (without fertilization), NPK (nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K)), 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 kg K2O ha-1). The biomass ash was characterized by a pH value of 12.83 ± 0.68 and a high content of macronutrients. The samples were collected from 0-5, 10-15, and 20-25 cm soil layers under the cultivation of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L) cv. Planet in April and August 2021. Mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) was used for microbiological analyses, which revealed the presence of 53 culturable species from 11 genera: Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Paenibacillus, Lysinibacillus, Pseudarthrobacter, Arthrobacter, Staphylococcus, Paenarthrobacter, Micrococcus, Rhodococcus, and Flavobacterium. The podzolic and chernozem soils exhibited the presence of 28 and 44 culturable species, respectively. The study showed an increase in the number of microorganisms in the top layer of the soil profile. However, the number of bacteria decreased at the depths of 10-15 cm and 20-25 cm. With depth, the bulk density (BD) and moisture increased.

Helminthosporiosis Impact on the Photosynthetic Apparatus and the Oxydative Status of Barley Seedlings at Different Stages of Development

Background: In recent years, spot blotch, a disease caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana (Sacc.) Shoem., has emerged as a serious concern with regard to spring barley cultivation. However, the effect of this pathogen on the photosynthetic apparatus and oxidative status of barley plants at different stages of chloroplast development has hardly been studied. Aims / Methods: The study aimed to evaluate the photosynthetic apparatus and protective system of a spring barley’s (Hordeum vulgare L.) response to Bipolaris sorokiniana (Sacc.) Shoem. (B.S.) at different stages of chloroplast biogenesis. The green seedlings of different ages (3-11 days) were treated with fungal spores (106 spores×ml−l). The first leaves of seedlings were analyzed 24 or 48 hours after the inoculation with the pathogen. Results: Differences in response to fungal infection were identified in leaf tissues containing chloroplasts at different stages of development. The differences manifested themselves in the non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) of absorbed energy, the total content of reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation (LPO) activity and polyphenol content. An increase in peroxidase (POX) activity in infected barley seedlings at the anabolic stage of chloroplast biogenesis and its decrease at the catabolic stage against the background of a constant increase in ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity were revealed. A high positive correlation between the chlorophyll and malondialdehyde content (MDA) was observed. Conclusion: In barley seedlings of different ages, a response to fungal contamination is different in the PS II activity, the general content of ROS and polyphenols, as well as the LPO activity. The photosynthetic and oxidative parameters of barley plants may be a useful tool to control plant immunity in view of breeding and novel protective technologies.