Yield and Quality of Winter Wheat Grain at Different Dates and Methods of Plant Fertilization

Studies to assess the effectiveness of the presowing and postsowing use of mineral fertilizers in the cultivation of winter wheat Marathon on pure steam with a seeding rate of 5 million units/ha were carried out in the conditions of the Middle Volga region. Scientific work was carried out in 2017–2021 on leached heavy loamy chernozem with the following indicators of soil fertility: pH of salt extract of 6.3–6.5 units, humus content (according to Tyurin) of 6.5%, and mobile forms of phosphorus and potassium (according to Chirich) of 185–216 and 80–85 mg/kg, respectively. The scheme of the experiment included the study of the following options: seed complex fertilizer (factor A) (1) N₀P₀K₀ and (2) N_32.5P_32.5K_32.5; nitrogen fertilization (factor B) (1) N₀ and (2) N₃₄ in autumn, (3) N₃₄ in spring with a seeder with coulters, (4) N₃₄ early in spring, (5) N₃₄ early in spring + N₃₄ in the tubing phase, (6) N₃₄ early in spring + N₃₄ in the tubing phase + N₁₅ in the earing phase. The lack of productive moisture during sowing did not allow the authors to obtain friendly shoots (the completeness of seedlings is 80.9–84.1%). Frequent fluctuations in air temperature and precipitation during the growing season negatively affected the safety of plants (48.2–56.8%). The highest yield (4.64 t/ha) of grain was formed against the background of sowing winter wheat with simultaneous introduction of azofoski (N_32.5P_32.5K_32.5) and fractional fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers (N₃₄ + N₃₄ + N₁₅) in plant vegetation, which exceeded the control variant (3.23 t/ha) by 43.65%. The maximum content of gluten (33.3%) and protein (14.2%) was provided by the option of fractional (N₃₄ + N₃₄) fertilizing with ammonium nitrate against the background of the use of complex fertilizers during sowing. It turned out to be economically more profitable to sow winter wheat with the simultaneous application of complex fertilizers and a single spring top dressing of plants (the profitability level is 143.0% at a cost of 4120 rubles/t).