The bioenergetic estimation of the use of plant growth regulators for millet sowings in the Donbass

Abstract

The main purpose of using plant growth regulators is to improve the resistance and adaptation of grain crops to unfavorable environmental factors, which ultimately result in an increase of productivity and product quality. Therefore, the energetic estimation of the efficiency of their utilization is of practical importance. The purpose of the research was to study the bioenergetic efficiency of the use of plant growth regulators and micronutrient fertilizers separately and in combination with mineral fertilizers on millet. The study was conducted on ordinary blackearth (chernozem) in the central part of the Lugansk region on the basis of the experimental plot of the Lugansk National Agricultural University in 2016–2018. In the field trials there was used the millet variety ‘Mironovskoye 51’. The trial included three nutritional backgrounds, such as without fertilizers; with N₃₀P₃₀K₃₀ and N₆₀P₆₀K₆₀; treating seeds and plants during the vegetation period with plant growth regulators ‘Kelpak’, ‘RK’, ‘Black Jack’, ‘Niva Lyuks’ and ‘Siliplant’. The trials, records and observations, and the study of bioenergetic efficiency of plant growth regulators were carried out in accordance with generally accepted methods. There was found that the use of mineral fertilizers with N₃₀P₃₀K₃₀ and N₆₀P₆₀K₆₀ significantly (by 17.4–32.1%) raised the total energy consumption by millet in comparison with unfertilized sowings. The use of the studied fertilizers increased the energy yield by 15.3–29.8% and allowed obtaining 24.8–26.6 hwt/ha of grain on average. There has been established that the largest energy yield (46.5 GJ/ha) and productivity (25.6–29.0 hwt/ha) of millet were provided by the utilization of the product ‘Siliplant’. The smallest indicator of energy output (41.3 GJ/ha) and productivity (24.4 hwt/ha) was identified when using the products ‘Kelpak’, ‘RK’ and ‘Niva Lyuks’. There have been established the such effective variants of the trial as the use of the products ‘Black Jack’, ‘Niva Lyuks’ and ‘Siliplant’ on an unfertilized background with the largest coefficient of energetic efficiency (4.0–4.3 units).