Productivity of winter wheat depending on varietal characteristics and moisture conditions

Abstract

Purpose. Studying the influence of varietal composition and moisture conditions on the productivity of winter wheat in the conditions of the Southern Steppe of Ukraine. Methods. Field and laboratorian trials were carried out with accordance to current requirements and standards of scientific research in agronomy and agriculture. Results. It was established that the height of winter wheat plants depended on moisture conditions. Thus, in the Ovid variety, in the version without irrigation, the height of the plants was 86.2 cm, while under irrigation – 100.4 cm, which is 14.2 cm or 14.1 % more. At the same time, the average height of winter wheat plants (on average for the studied varieties) under irrigation conditions was 96.7 cm, which is 13.1 cm or 13.5 % more than in the case without irrigation. The higher density of productive stems (940 pcs./m2) was formed in the Odeska raisin variety under irrigation conditions, and the lowest – 698 pcs./m2 in the Duma Odeska variety without irrigation. The weight of grain from 1 ear of winter wheat ranged from 0.56 g/ear in the Odeska Answer variety in the control variant (without irrigation) to 0.85 g/ear in the Duma Odeska variety (under irrigation conditions). In the years of research, the Liga Odeska variety was determined to be more productive, the average yield of which according to the irrigation factor was 6.45 t/ha. Conclusions. The use of irrigation and sowing of winter wheat varieties most adapted to the climate change conditions of the Southern Steppe of Ukraine ensures the highest indicators of plant productivity. Thus, the sowing of the Odesa League variety under irrigation conditions provided an average grain yield of 7.24 t/ha over the years of research, which exceeded the indicators of other researched varieties by 0.7 – 16.7 %. The use of irrigation ensured a 23.7 % increase in the yield of winter wheat grain.