Productivity of sunflower hybrids using Clearfield® Plus herbicidal protection technology in various soil and climatic conditions

Abstract

Goal. To determine the productivity of sunflower hybrids using Clearfield® Plus herbicidal protection technology in the Steppe and Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Methods. Field (study of the influence of Clearfield® Plus herbicidal protection technology on the productivity of 4 sunflower hybrids), laboratory (determination of the structure of the crop — the diameter of the basket, the mass of seeds from the basket, the mass of 1000 seeds, the husk), chemical (determination of the oil content in the seeds), mathematical and statistical (assessment of the reliability of the research results). Results. During research in 2021–2024, high efficiency of the Clearfield® Plus protection system against weeds was established for growing sunflowers in the Forest-Steppe (vil. Cherkas, Bilotserkivskyi district, Kyiv oblast) and Steppe (vil. Vynogradivka, Samarivskyi district, Dnipropetrovsk oblast), which influenced the productivity of the culture and the quality of seeds. The average sunflower productivity over the years of research was at the level of 3.6–4.0 t/ha in the conditions of the Forest-Steppe, and 2.9–3.3 t/ha in the Steppe. Plants of the hybrid EU Genesis at the use of the Clearfield® Plus herbicidal protection system showed the highest resistance to changing weather conditions, and formed the highest productivity (in the Forest-Steppe zone — 4.0, Steppe — 3.3 t/ha). The cultivation of the hybrid SI Bakardi KLP was less effective, and the seed yield was the smallest in the experiment (in the Forest-Steppe zone — 3.6, Steppe — 2.9 t/ha). Also, this hybrid had the worst indicators of the crop structure: the highest seed husk — 22.3% and 23.8% and the smallest oil content in the seeds — 46.3–46.7% in both study zones. Conclusions. It is proved that to obtain high and sustainable yields of sunflower seeds in the conditions of Forest-Steppe and Steppe using the technology of herbicidal protection Clearfield® Plus, it is advisable to grow an early-ripe hybrid EU Genesis, which ensures the yield at the level of 3.9–4.1 and 2.7–3.4 t/ha, respectively, with an oil content in the seeds of 47.4–49.1%, and its yield from 1 ha 1964.0 and 1564.2 kg. Among the mid-season hybrids for growing in the Forest-Steppe zone, the most highly productive is the hyb­rid LG5555 KLP; in the Steppe zone — the hyb­rid P64LP130. Their cultivation using Clearfield® Plus protection technology in unstable weather conditions makes it possible to obtain in the Forest-Steppe zone an average seed yield of 3.9 t/ha, oil content — 48.9%, and its yield from 1 ha — 1907.1 kg, in the Steppe zone — 3.1 t/ha, 48.5%, 1503.5 kg/ha, respectively.