Influence of mineral fertilizers on the height of spring barley and peas plants

Abstract

Purpose. To determine the specific effects of mineral fertilizers on the intensity of growth processes and the productivity of spring barley in monoculture and mixed stands with seed peas.
Methods. Field, laboratory, and statistical methods were employed during the study to establish the response of barley to various levels of mineral nutrition (,, and ).
Results. The application of mineral fertilizers in most variants led to an increase in the height of both seed pea and spring barley plants; however, the optimal dosages varied depending on the composition of the agrophytocenosis. In monocultures, maximum growth parameters were primarily achieved at higher nutrition levels, although the efficiency of incremental growth gradually declined. Observations indicated that the most intensive vertical growth of spring barley occurred 60 days after full emergence with the application of mineral fertilizers at a rate of 60 kg/ha, reaching 1.53 cm per day. Reducing the seeding rate of both crops in the stand by 50 % of the full norm provided an average daily height increment of 1.60 cm for spring barley and 1.43 cm for seed pea under maximum fertilization. Thus, this agrophytocenosis exhibited favorable conditions for both crops at an optimal component ratio, where the species mutually enhanced each other’s growth during the growing season compared to monocultures. By 80 days after full emergence, a deceleration of growth processes was observed in the stand, with the average daily height increment for barley and pea ranging between 1.02 1.21 cm and 0.94 1.15 cm, respectively.
Conclusions. The results confirm that combining barley with peas in mixed stands enhances nutrient use efficiency, ensures stable growth and development, and allows for a reduction in the requirement for high fertilizer doses. This holds significant practical importance in the context of resource conservation and the ecological optimization of agricultural production.