Increasing sunflower productivity depending on growing techniques

Abstract

The study presents the results of scientific and experimental work carried out in 2022–2024 at the research sites of Vinnytsia National Agrarian University in the conditions of the educational and research farm «Agronomichne» within the framework of the implementation of the main tasks of the applied research «Development of scientific and technological support for increasing soil fertility and rational use of the potential of bioresources». The aim of the work was to determine the effectiveness of the combined use of separate granular fertilizer and foliar feeding with micronutrients to optimize the conditions of mineral nutrition of plants and increase the productivity of sunflower hybrids in the conditions of the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe. The experiments found that the use of magnesium sulfate at a rate of 3 kg/ha and boron in an amount of 1.5 l/ha in the critical phase of vegetation – the formation of 10 leaves – in combination with granular fertilizer ensures more intensive plant development, improved photosynthetic activity and the formation of full-fledged generative organs. Analysis of the results showed that the combined action of these nutrients exhibits a pronounced synergistic effect, which contributes to the maximum use of the genetic potential of the studied sunflower hybrids and a significant increase in yield. The obtained data confirm the feasibility of integrating microelement and granular fertilizers into modern sunflower growing technologies focused on environmental sustainability, and demonstrate their effectiveness as a tool for stabilizing productivity in conditions of intensive farming. The study highlights the prospects for the use of combined plant nutrition systems to improve the quality and quantity of products, preserve soil fertility and optimize the use of bioresources, which is important for the sustainable development of agricultural production.