Yield and sowing qualities of lucerne seeds of different varieties depending on growing conditions

Abstract

Goal. To study the influence of moist conditions and growth stimulants on seed productivity, germination energy and laboratory germination of lucerne seeds. Methods. Field experiment using the method of split plots. Factor A — without irrigation and drip irrigation; factor B — varieties of lucerne Unitro and Zoriana; factor C — foliar feeding in the interphase period «beginning of flowering — mass flowering» by growth regulators: 1 — control 1 (without treatments); 2 — control 2 (water treatment); 3 — Agrostimulin; 4 — Ghart; 5 — Lutsis, and 6 — Emistym S. The sowing period was early spring. Sowing was wide-row with a row spacing of 70 cm. Results. On the grassland of the first year (2011-2013) under drip irrigation the cultivar Unitro formed the yield of conditioned seeds at the level of 203 kg/ha, which is lower than in the cultivar Zoriana by 8.4%. Without irrigation in Unitro and Zoriana varieties, this figure was 152 and 164 kg/ha, respectively. It was found that the use of growth regulations for the cultivation of lucerne contributed to the improvement of sowing qualities of seeds, which differed depending on the shelf life. Experimental data of the second year of life indicate a different reaction of lucerne varieties on seed productivity to the studied factors: moisture and growth stimulants. Thus, for irrigation the seed productivity of Unitro and Zoriana varieties was 643 and 656 kg/ha, respectively, against the non-irrigation variant of 463 and 483 kg/ha, respectively. An important result of the use of growth stimulants in research was also an increase in the sowing qualities of lucerne seeds: germination energy and laboratory germination. They are characterized by higher rates compared to the first year. On the grass of the third year of life under drip irrigation, the Unitro variety formed a yield of conditioned seeds at the level of 555 kg/ha, which is lower than in the Zoriana variety by 1.6%. Without irrigation in Unitro and Zoriana varieties, this figure was 239 and 247 kg/ha, respectively. The use of growth regulators compared to control variants contributed to increased seed productivity. Conclusions. Analysis of the obtained experimental material allows us to state that drip irrigation and growth regulators significantly increase lucerne seed productivity during three years of life. The highest yield was obtained with the application of Ghart: 236 kg/ha in the first year, 674 — the second, and 594 kg/ha — the third under irrigation, and 175; 497; 261 kg/ha, respectively, without irrigation. The best results on the weight of 1000 seeds, germination energy and laboratory germination of seeds were obtained with the use of Lutsis.