White mustard yield and sowing qualities depending on treatment of seeds with physiologically active agents

Abstract

Studies of physiologically active agent effects on the white mustard plant performance and sowing qualities are topical. The assortment of physiologically active substances approved for use in mustard cultivation has expanded recently. However, the effects of these substances on the white mustard yield and basic sowing qualities have not been studied.

Aim and tasks of the study. To determine the white mustard plant performance indices, yield and sowing qualities, depending on pre-sowing treatment of seeds with physiologically active substances.

Materials and methods. The study was carried out in the experimental field of Kharkiv National Agricultural University n.a. V.V. Dokuchaev in 2014–2016. The experiments were laid out in accordance to B.A. Dospekhov’s requirements to experimentation. Seeds were treated with physiologically active substances right before sowing.

Results and discussion. It was found that pre-sowing treatment of white mustard seeds of variety Talisman with Baikal EM-1U and Vympel enhanced the germination energy by 2.5–2.9%, laboratory germinability – by 3.7–3.9% and field germinability– by 2.6–6.8% compared to the control. In the Baikal EM-1U and Vympel experiments, the plant weight was higher than the control value by 11 and 24 %, respectively. At the same time, the pod number per plant increased by 9 and 29 %, respectively. The physiologically active substances positively influenced the plant density, which increased, however, the 1000-seed weight slightly decreased. The highest white mustard yield (12.1 cwt/ha) on average throughout the study years was achieved with Vympel. Seed treatment with Vympel increased the yield by 2.7 cwt/ha, and with Baikal – by 1.5 cwt/ha compared to the control. It was shown that the positive effects of Terralit Plus on the plant density, plant performance and yield were insignificant.

It was found that in Vympel- or Baikal-treated seeds the germination energy and the laboratory germinability were higher by 2–4 % and by 2.0–2.5 % than the control values.

Conclusions. It was found that it was expedient to conduct pre-sowing treatment of white mustard seeds of variety Talisman with physiologically active agents Baikal EM-1U and Vympel in order to improve the laboratory and field germinabilities, to augment the vegetative mass and plant survival and to boost the plant performance.