Yield and quality of soft winter wheat depending on the sowing rates

Abstract

The study has found that on average for two years of research, the yield of soft winter wheat was the highest at sowing rates of 5 million/ha – 5.53 t/ha. Under sowing rates of 4 million/ha the indicator made 5.28 t/ha or only 5 % less compared to the sowing rate of 5 million/ha. Sowing rate increase to 8 million/ha reduced grain yield by 3–5 %. In addition, the stability index was high – 0.95–0.98. The yield varied from 4.82 to 5.59 t/ha in more favorable 2021, and in 2020 – from 4.56 to 5.47 t/ha depending on the sowing rate. Increased sowing rate of soft winter wheat contributed to reduced protein content in the grain. Thus, its highest content was at the lowest seeding rate – 15.8 %, and at 8 million/ha – 12.6 %. Protein content varied due to weather conditions during the ripening period of soft winter wheat. Thus, with moisture defcit in 2020, the protein content was the highest – 12.9–16.1, and in 2021 it made 12.2–15.4 % depending on the experiment variant. Stability index was high – 0.93–0.97. Starch content varied inversely with protein content. Thus, with the increase in sowing rate, this indicator increased from 55.6 to 59.0 % with a stability index of 0.98–0.99. On average, over two years of research, gluten content decreased from 33.9 to 27.3 % or 20 %. Its highest content was obtained under the cultivation of soft winter wheat in 2020 – 27.7–35.8 %, and in 2021 – 26.8–31.9 %. An increase in sowing rate decreased the sedimentation index of soft winter wheat. Thus, on average over two years of research, this indicator decreased from 63.7 at the lowest sowing rate to 35.9 cm3 or 1.8 times. The strength of soft winter wheat flour decreased from 334 to 228 units of instrument with an increase in sowing rate or 1.5 times. The grain unit of soft winter wheat increased from 696 g/l at sowing rates of 3 million/ha to 725– 729 g/l at sowing rates of 4–5 million/ha or by 4–5 %. With the increase of the sowing rate to 6–8 million/ ha, the grain yield decreased to 694–718 g/l or by 2–5 % compared to the indicator obtained at sowing rates of 4–5 million/ha. Stability index was high – 0.97–0.99. Grain unit has hardly changed over the research years. In the agrotechnology of LP 2666 soft winter wheat line, the sowing rate should be 4–5 million/ha. In this scenario, the yield is 5.28–5.53 t/ha, protein content– 14.3–15.1 %. Key words: soft winter wheat, yield, sowing rate, grain quality, stability index.