Influence of pre-sowing sunflower seeds treatment in electric field and plant growth stimulant on water consumption and yield

Abstract

Abstract The work presents the results of the 2015-2017 field studies on the effect of presowing treatment of seeds of sunflower hybrids NK Neoma, ES Petunia and LG 5550 in an electric field of alternating voltage with an established electric field intensity of 8 kV/cm and 60 seconds exposure and a growth regulator Zerebra Agro on the yield and quality of sunflower seeds. The studies were carried out in laboratory conditions and aimed to determine the optimal mode of seed treatment in an electric field of alternating voltage, at which the maximum viability and germination energy are achieved relative to the control. The effect of the growth regulator Zerebra Agro during pre-sowing treatment was studied using the dosage of the drug recommended by the manufacturer. The influence of the studied methods of presowing seed treatment on the total water consumption and the coefficient of water consumption was experimentally established. On the options with pre-sowing treatment, less moisture was required to form 1 ton of seeds. Without pre-sowing treatment, the water consumption coefficient varied from 1258.4 m3/t for the hybrid NK Neoma to 1407.7 m3/t for the hybrid ES Petunia. Moisture was most economically consumed by hybrid LG 5550 when treating seeds in an electric field of 1172.2 m3/t. When implementing pre-sowing treatment with a growth regulator, the minimum indicator of the water consumption coefficient for the hybrid NK Neoma was 122.89 m3/t and the maximum for the hybrid ES Petunia was 1318.5 m3/t. Depending on the pre-sowing treatment method, the yield increased from 8.97% in the hybrid ES Petunia when being treated with the growth regulator to 14.78% in the hybrid NK Neoma with the treatment in an electric field.