Effect of Rhizobium inoculation of seeds and foliar fertilization on productivity of Pisum sativum L.

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is the second most important grain legume crop in the world which has a wide array of uses for human food and fodder. One of the major factors that determines the use of field pea is the yield potential of cultivars. Presently, pre-sowing inoculation of pea seeds and foliar application of microelement fertilizers are prospective solutions and may be reasonable agrotechnical options. This research was undertaken because of the potentially high productivity of the 'afila' morphotype in good wheat complex soils. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of vaccination with Rhizobium and foliar micronutrient fertilization on yield of the afila pea variety. The research was based on a two-year (2009–2010) controlled field experiment, conducted in four replicates and carried out on the experimental field of the Bayer company located in Modzurów, Silesian region. experimental field soil was Umbrisol – slightly degraded chernozem, formed from loess. Nitragina inoculant, as a source of symbiotic bacteria, was applied before sowing seeds. Green area index (GAI) of the canopy, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were determined at characteristic growth stages. The presented results of this study on symbiotic nitrogen fixation by leguminous plants show that the combined application of Nitragina and Photrel was the best combination for productivity. Remote measurements of the pea canopy indexes indicated the formation of the optimum leaf area which effectively used photosynthetically active radiation. The use of Nitragina as a donor of effective Rhizobium for pea plants resulted in slightly higher GAI values and the optimization of PAR and NDVI. It is not recommended to use foliar fertilizers or Nitragina separately due to the slowing of pea productivity

Application of biostimulants influences shoot and root characteristics of seedlings of winter pea (Pisum sativum L.)

In the cooler regions of Europe, the success of winter pea cultivation depends strongly on proper plant development before winter. Previous research has suggested that plants need to develop short internodes and at least their first two leaves before the arrival of frost. However, this stage of growth is sometimes not reached in the event of late sowing, due to factors such as unpredictable weather conditions or the delayed harvest of a previous crop. An effective solution may be the application of plant growth regulators before the sowing of seeds. The aim of this study was to assess the seedling developmental characteristics of winter pea dependent on biostimulator applications in low temperature conditions (4°C). Seven different winter pea cultivars were treated with three biostimulants: Asahi SL, Kelpak SL, and Primus B. After 21 days of seedling development, basic biometrical characteristics were measured (length and weight of shoots and roots). It was found that ‘Enduro’ and ‘Aviron’ showed greatest root development, regardless of the applied biostimulants. The highest germination was achieved by ‘Aviron’. The efficiency of biostimulators on the cultivars tested was low, although slightly better results were found for Asahi SL in combination with ‘Enduro’ and ‘Aviron’

Impact of inoculant and foliar fertilization on root system parameters of pea (Pisum sativum l.)

In recent years, sustainable crop development has played a key role in current strategies to improve roots activity, which increase nutrients uptake in pulse crop. Our study presents the relationship between root system morphology, inoculant application with and without foliar fertilization and nitrogen accumulation in soil and plants. Two inoculants: Nitragina and IUNG, foliar fertilizer (Photrel), as well as two pea cultivars were studied in three years (2009–2011) period. The research has shown that bacterial inoculants have signifiant inflence on the selected parameters of pea root systems. Gel inoculant signifiantly increased mean root diameter (0.44 mm), compared to control (0.33 mm), whereas combination of Nitragina inoculant with micronutrient fertilization signifiantly increased root length density (1.05 cm·cm-3), compared to control (0.85 cm·cm-3). Additionally, the bacterial inoculant IUNG has signifiantly decreased the root length density in roots classes between 0.2–0.5 mm in the most humid year. The impact of inoculants on roots parameters was strongly related to weather conditions. In a dry year, a signifiant decrease of mean root diameter, specifi root length and increase of root dry mass were observed. Nitrogen accumulation in seeds signifiantly increased after gel inoculant application. A higher N content was proven in the fodder cultivar, but the edible cultivar was observed to accumulate more N in the seeds, which caused a Nitrogen Harvest index for this plant (80.0%)

The effect of water shortage on pea (Pisum sativum L.) productivity in relation to the pod position on the stem

The literature contains few studies on the effect of temporary soil drought on the development and productivity of pea (Pisum sativum L.) pods in relation to their position in the fruiting part of the stem. The aim of this study was to evaluate pod productivity of various pea cultivars in relation to varied weather conditions. Differences in precipitation during two growing seasons resulted in a decrease in yield of 0.62 t ha−1 in a dry year in comparison to a year with better water availability. Pisum sativum ‘Tarchalska’ proved to be the most stable in terms of the number of pods produced, whilst ‘Prophet’ was the least. Weather conditions and cultivars were the determinants of pod production. Pea pods were distinguished by their position on the productive node. Larger and more productive pods were found on the lowest four productive nodes (which had a longer period of nutrient accumulation) resulting in higher seed mass. Productivity increased in the year with favorable weather conditions, as more of the upper nodes were reproductive. The first four nodes produced 45–91% of the yield. The number of seeds in the first three nodes was significantly cultivar-dependent, whereas the number of seeds in pods at all nodes was determined by weather conditions. Significantly more seeds were formed from each node in the wetter year. Pisum sativum ‘Audit’ was not sensitive to weather conditions, producing the same yield in the both years of the study

Vertical distribution of the root system of linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) and legumes in pure and mixed sowing

Root competition for below-ground resources between edible plants may provide for long-term sustainability of agriculture systems. Intercropping can be more productive than a pure crop due to taking advantage of the morphological differences between species. In pure cropping, all biophysical interactions between plants occur through soil conditions. In intercropping, competition for water and nutrients is of major importance, but if the roots of one species occupy the zone just underneath the roots of the other crop, they can better use the resources of the root zone of the crop. The root system demonstrates a high degree of plasticity in its development in response to local heterogeneity of the soil profile and plant density. This study aimed at determining: (i) the morphological characteristics of the root systems of linseed, pea and vetch depending on the method of sowing; (ii) the root distribution in various soil types and at different soil profile depths (0–15 cm, 15–30 cm). Two three-year field experiments were conducted on two soil types in south Poland: soil A – Luvic Phaeozem (s1) and soil B – Eutric Cambisol (s2). These results show that linseed was more aggressive toward both legumes in mixture, but it produced lower yield compared to pure cropping. The environmental stress of plants in mixtures increased the relative weight of roots, which resulted in decreasing the root-shoot ratio (RSR)

Biological and production responses of intercropped plants of pea, spring wheat, and linseed

Given the growing interest in ecological intensification directed towards sustainable crop production, a study was conducted to assess the biological and production response of pea intercropped with spring wheat or linseed under various growing conditions. The experiment was conducted in 2009–2011 on a Haplic Phaeozem soil in the western part of Poland. Intercropping of pea significantly reduced the green area index and the normalized difference vegetation index values, but growing pea with linseed caused a significant increase in the number of nodes with pods, pods per stem, and seeds per stem. Intercropping with wheat increased the seed number per pod. Seed inoculation with Nitragina significantly increased the number of pea pods and seeds per stem. Wheat intercropped with pea, with inoculation and foliar fertilization, attained significantly lower straw weight and spike length. Intercropping of linseed significantly reduced the features of the yield structure. Bacterial inoculation increased the production potential of pea at the expense of the supporting plants

Future area expansion outweighs increasing drought risk for soybean in Europe

The European Union is highly dependent on soybean imports from overseas to meet its protein demands. Individual Member States have been quick to declare self-sufficiency targets for plant-based proteins, but detailed strategies are still lacking. Rising global temperatures have painted an image of a bright future for soybean production in Europe, but emerging climatic risks such as drought have so far not been included in any of those outlooks. Here, we present simulations of future soybean production and the most prominent risk factors across Europe using an ensemble of climate and soybean growth models. Projections suggest a substantial increase in potential soybean production area and productivity in Central Europe, while southern European production would become increasingly dependent on supplementary irrigation. Average productivity would rise by 8.3% (RCP 4.5) to 8.7% (RCP 8.5) as a result of improved growing conditions (plant physiology benefiting from rising temperature and CO2 levels) and farmers adapting to them by using cultivars with longer phenological cycles. Suitable production area would rise by 31.4% (RCP 4.5) to 37.7% (RCP 8.5) by the mid-century, contributing considerably more than productivity increase to the production potential for closing the protein gap in Europe. While wet conditions at harvest and incidental cold spells are the current key challenges for extending soybean production, the models and climate data analysis anticipate that drought and heat will become the dominant limitations in the future. Breeding for heat-tolerant and water-efficient genotypes is needed to further improve soybean adaptation to changing climatic conditions

Complementary Photostimulation of Seeds and Plants as an Effective Tool for Increasing Crop Productivity and Quality in Light of New Challenges Facing Agriculture in the 21st Century—A Case Study

Climate change has prompted the search for new methods for improving agricultural practices for legume crops. The aim of the study was to test an innovative method of complementary photostimulation of seeds and plants aimed to improve the quantitative and qualitative features of soybean (Glycine hispida L. (Merr.)) yield. Complementary photostimulation of plants was shown to positively affect the yield and chemical composition of soybeans, significantly increasing the content of protein and fat in seeds of the Merlin cultivar. Significant positive effects compared to the control were obtained following irradiation of seeds and plants for 3 s (the shorter of the analyzed exposure times). The results clearly indicate the need to improve the proposed new HUGO (High Utility for Optimal Growth) technology to optimize soybean yield

Sowing Date and Fertilization Level Are Effective Elements Increasing Soybean Productivity in Rainfall Deficit Conditions in Central Europe

Soybean yield is the result of the interaction of environmental factors and agricultural practices. Agricultural practices developed for soybean assume optimal cultivation conditions. Aberrant rainfall distribution during the growing season reduces the productivity of the plants and the efficiency of N uptake, which is reflected in the seed yield and quality. Few studies in the literature focus on this question. Therefore, the purpose of this assessment was to compare yield, yield quality of two soybean cultivars (Augusta and Mavka) with two nitrogen application rate (basic and increased) and two date of sowing (early and late), in two-year field experiments under temperate zone conditions in central Europe. Results show that early sowing in combination with higher nitrogen application substantially improves crop productivity and the efficiency of nitrogen binding, especially in drought years. In contrast, delaying sowing by two weeks reduced the productivity of the plants, which was not compensated for by a higher level of mineral nitrogen application. Early sowing of the Mavka cultivar was more productive and more efficient in nitrogen accumulation in the seed yield in comparison to the Augusta cultivar. Under water deficit conditions a higher level of urea application and earlier sowing are recommended

Evaluation of the Productivity of New Spring Cereal Mixture to Optimize Cultivation under Different Soil Conditions

The aim of the study was to evaluate grain yields, protein yields, and net metabolic energy yields of different combinations of spring types of barley, oat, and wheat arranged in 10 mixtures and grown under different soil types. Naked cultivars of barley and oat were used. The three-year field experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Advisory Centre in Szepietowo, Poland. The study showed that the major factor determining yields of the mixtures was soil quality. Within the better soil (Albic Luvisols), the highest yield was achieved by a mixture of covered barley and wheat and by a mixture of covered barley with covered oats and wheat, but only in treatments with lower sowing density. Moreover, on the better soil, significantly higher protein yields were obtained for mixtures of barley (covered or naked grains) with wheat as compared to the mixture of covered barley with covered oats, or the mixture of covered barley with naked oats and wheat. The highest yields of net metabolic energy, regardless of soil type, were obtained from a mixture of naked barley with wheat, while the lowest from a mixture of covered barley with naked oats and wheat. Mixed sowings increase biodiversity of canopies, which allows a better use of production space. They also increase health and the productivity of plants