The Influence of Precursors and Technology Elements on the Efficiency of Winter Wheat Cultivation in the Arid Conditions of the Volga Region

Research was carried out in order to identify promising links in crop rotation and technology elements in the cultivation of winter common wheat in the arid conditions of the Volga region. The work was carried out in 2021–2023 in the Samara oblast on ordinary chernozem with 4.0–4.5% of humus, 60–70 mg/kg of hydrolyzable nitrogen, 170–200 mg/kg of mobile phosphates, and 180–200 mg/kg of potassium in the soil (according to Chirikov). The experimental design included the following variants: predecessor (factor A): bare fallow, occupied fallow (peas); technology elements (factor B): plowing; plowing + mineral fertilizers; no autumn tillage (background); background + biopreparation; no autumn tillage for all crops of the crop rotation + fertilizers; background + fertilizers; background + fertilizers + biopreparation. The variant without autumn tillage with the use of fertilizers and a biopreparation was the most promising; its grain yield was at the level of the variant with plowing and application of fertilizers; its increase, compared to other variants, was 0.13–0.63 t/ha (2.8–15.3%) for bare fallow and 0.12–0.83 t/ha (3.4–29.5%) for occupied fallow. On average, the highest energy efficiency for two crop rotation links was shown for the variant without autumn tillage with the use of a biopreparation: 5.48 units, which is higher by 0.15–0.33 units than the variant without the use of fertilizers and by 0.72–1.05 units compared to the variants with their application. According to the results of the studies, peas and bare early fallow should be considered the best predecessors of winter wheat. With resource-saving technology, it is advisable to combine the refusal of autumn tillage with the application of ammonium nitrate when resuming spring vegetation (N₄₀) and the biopreparation Bionex Kemi at the end of tillering. In the technology without fertilizers, it is recommended to use the biopreparation Bionex Kemi at the beginning of the spring vegetation of wheat.