GRAIN WEIGHT ACCUMULATION IN SPRING BARLEY DEPENDING ON THE EFFECT OF FOLIAR APPLICATION OF THE MICRONUTRIENT FERTILIZER

Abstract

The purpose of the research was to determine the effect of foliar application of the GelyFLOW micronutrient fertilizer on yield formation in spring barley through the third structural component of yield performance, namely grain weight. The study also aimed to investigate the dynamics of grain weight accumulation under a three-time foliar fertilization regime. Methods – field, laboratory, analytical, and generalization methods were employed. The object of the study was the dynamics of grain weight accumulation in the spring barley cultivar Sebastian. The experimental soil was dark gray podzolized soil. GelyFLOW micronutrient fertilizer was applied at a rate of 1.5 L/ha with a working solution volume of 200 L/ha. The study demonstrated that foliar fertilization of spring barley plants is an effective agronomic practice that significantly influences grain weight, an integral component of yield structure. This technological measure enhances the realization of the productive potential of the crop’s reproductive organs by intensifying grain development. Three foliar applications of the GelyFLOW micronutrient fertilizer – two during the tillering stage and a third before the onset of flowering – significantly enhanced grain weight accumulation. Significant differences were observed compared with the treatment receiving only two applications during tillering. At the initial stage of grain development, grain weight was 0.4 mg higher under the three-application treatment. After 7 days, the difference reached 2.8 mg. On the 14th day, grain weight exceeded that of the twoapplication treatment by 3.1 mg; during the fourth observation, the difference was 2.8 mg, and during the fifth observation it was 2.4 mg. The realization of the productive potential of spring barley reproductive organs was characterized by the highest rate of grain weight accumulation at the beginning of the grain-filling stage. With an additional foliar application before flowering, grain weight increased by 21.8 mg during the first 7 days of grain filling. Subsequently, the rate of grain weight accumulation gradually declined over each following 7-day period, amounting to 11.0 mg, 7.8 mg, and 6.6 mg, respectively, during the subsequent stages of development. A similar pattern of grain weight accumulation was observed under the two-time foliar application during tillering. Comparison of the two fertilization regimes showed that foliar application of the GelyFLOW micronutrient fertilizer did not alter the overall dynamics of yield formation with respect to grain weight. However, the third application before flowering consistently resulted in higher absolute grain weight values at every stage of the analytical observations.