PRODUCTIVITY OF WHITE SWEET CLOVER IN PURE AND COMPATIBLE CROPS WITH CEREAL CROPS DEPENDING ON FERTILIZATION AND SEEDING RATE IN TYPICAL BLACK SOILS IN THE RIGHT-BANK FOREST-STEPPE OF UKRAINE

Abstract

Three-year results of research the cultivation of white sweet clover in compatible crops with annual cereal forage crops in the Right-bank forest steppe. It was determined the impact of seeding rate of white sweet clover and fertilization on species composition, for the best cereal components to create the mixed high performance.

Research was conducted during the years 2015-2017 in the research laboratory of Feed processing, reclamation and meteorology at the separate unit of National University of life and environmental sciences of Ukraine "Agronomic Research Station".

Conducted studies was found that the yield of sowings white sweet clover in single-crop and compatible sowings with annual cereals depended from seeding rate of culture, mineral nutrition and type of mixture.

On average, over the years of research, increment to yield, depending on the component of grass mixtures, was observed on variants of a compatible sowing with sudanese grass and sorghum, with its variation from 0,2 to 4,2 t/ha in comparison with white sweet clover in a single-crop.

The most impressive it was in the variant of a compatible crops with the sudanese grass. This indicates that culture has proven to be significantly more competitive in grass mixtures than in other variants.

The yields of compatible sowing with corn were lower by 0,2-2,3 t/ha, indicating the presence of less favorable conditions for growth and development of the mentioned culture in the grass mixtures and the certain suppression of white sweet clover.

The yields on variant with millet proved to be the lowest – 2,6 - 5,9 t/ha. The investigated culture was marked by slow growth at the beginning of the vegetation. Subsequently, this caused some oppression of the legume component and than a decline of productivity of the compatible sowing.

The highest yields of forage crops in pure and compatible crops were obtained when applying the maximum fertilizer N₆₀P₉₀K_90.

Growth of the crop, in comparison with the control in a single-crop of the white sweet clover currant fluctuated within the range of 5,6 – 9,4 t/ha, and on variants of compatible sowing with corn – 4,4 – 7,8, millet – 3,6 - 8,4, sudan grass – 5,5 – 10,3 and sorghum – 4,8 – 9,1 t/ha. Such a pattern indicates a positive role as nitrogen fertilizers, especially for the cereal component, and phosphorus-potassium, to a large extent for the legume grass.

An increase in the norm of seeding of white sweet clover currant caused a certain decrease in the productivity of both pure and compatible crops. In the norm of 18 kg/ha the drop was 1,8 - 3 t/ha, 20 kg/ha – 3,5 – 6,3 t/ha. The least productive were the phytocoenosis for the norm of seeding of white sweet clover 22 kg/ha (by 5,6 - 8,4 t/ha), indicating a negative reaction of both legume and cereal components on the densely placement of plants per unit area and reducing their viability.

In general, over the years of research, the largest yield was observed on the variant of a compatible sowing with sudanese grass with the norm of seeding of white sweet clover currant 16 kg/ha, fertilizer at the level N₆₀P₉₀K₉₀, with an index of 51,5 t/ha. However, the yield of fertilizer N₆₀P₆₀K₆₀ was 49,5 t/ha, which is less by 2 t/ha, and therefore is within the limits of error. Accordingly, the N₆₀P₆₀K₆₀ variant is the most productive.

The variant with sorghum with the same norm of seeding and fertilization rates was lower by 3,9 t/ha. The highest yields of the compatible crops varieties with maize and millet were almost unchanged from each other and amounted to 44,8 and 43,5 t/ha, with seeding rate of white sweet clover 16 kg/ha in combination with fertilizer N₆₀P₉₀K₉₀. In a single-crop of white sweet clover with norm of seeding 16 kg/ha and fertilizer N₆₀P₉₀K₉₀ the yield was 47,3 t/ha.