Impact of biologization levels of brown mustard cultivation technology on water and nutrient regime elements of agrocenosis in the Southern Steppe

Abstract

Purpose. To investigate the impact of different levels of biologization of zonal technology and seeding rates on the formation of constituent elements of water and nutrient regimes in soil when growing brown mustard under the conditions of the Southern Steppe. Methods. The dependence of the dynamics of active soil moisture in the meter layer, elements of the income part of the water balance, average daily moisture consumption by crop plants and the water consumption coefficient on the cultivation technology and seed sowing rate was analyzed. The dynamics of nitrogen and phosphorus removal from the arable soil layer by brown mustard plants, as well as the total consumption of mineral nutrition elements for the formation of a unit of main production, were calculated. Results. It was established that variants of biologized and organic crop cultivation technology demonstrated significantly more economical consumption of soil moisture reserves during the vegetation period, which is confirmed by the calculation of the soil moisture reserve indicator for the final phase of crop ontogenesis and additionally by the results of calculation and analysis of such a more objective indicator demonstrating the rationality of soil moisture use as its average daily consumption. The variant in which crop plants used moisture most rationally for the formation of organic matter was recognized as the organic cultivation technology variant. Biologization of brown mustard cultivation technology made it possible to significantly optimize the use of mineral nutrition elements for the formation of the main production yield by the crop: under the traditional intensive zonal technology, the removal of mineral nutrition elements for the formation of 1 ton of seeds significantly exceeded the corresponding indicators for variants of biologized and organic technologies. Conclusions. Biologization of cultivation technology is an influential lever for increasing the seed productivity of the crop and an effective way to reduce the cost part in cultivation technology by minimizing the use of mineral fertilizers and rational use of soil reserves of the specified mineral nutrition elements.