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Impact of Hybrid Fertilization on Winter Triticale Yield and Its Stability Based on SVD Analysis
Nitrogen fertilization is extensively applied in agricultural activities to improve food production. However, the applied dose of nitrogen is often higher than that required for the desired productivity level of a given crop. Thus, research on methods that could increase the uptake of nitrogen supplied with fertilizers by plants is of high significance. One way to achieve this goal is to employ a hybrid fertilization technique (a combination of the application of solid fertilizers in the first dose with foliar application of liquid fertilizers in the second and third doses), using reduced doses of nitrogen fertilizers as well as fertilizers enriched with 10% sulfur in the form of thiosulfate. The aim of our study was to assess the productivity resulting from different fertilization treatments and the stability of the resulting yield based on interactions between the method of fertilizer application and environmental conditions. To determine interaction patterns, an additive main effects and multiplicative interaction model was employed. The key finding is that sulfur-enriched fertilizers can significantly increase yield, but at the expense of reduced stability. However, yield stability was more strongly related to meteorological conditions. Understanding of such interactions can help increase the efficiency of selection and accuracy of recommendations for new technologies of crop cultivation.
A Case Study on the Effect of Foliar Nitrogen Fertilization on the Microbiological and Biochemical State of the Soil and the Uptake of Macro- and Microelements by Winter Triticale (Triticosecale)
Due to the increasing demand for food, the agricultural sector is facing a huge challenge related to its production without having a negative impact on the environment. The above issues are regulated by the current EU policy, indicating the need to conduct plant production by the European Green Deal strategy (2020), based on reducing the use of chemical plant-protection products by 50% and reducing the level of mineral fertilization by 20% by 2030. Using appropriate techniques of applying mineral fertilizers, which have a positive effect on the development and activity of soil microorganisms, the availability of nutrients in the soil can be increased while reducing fertilizer applications. This study aims to show whether the use of foliar nitrogen fertilizers in combination with sulfur in a two-year field experiment with triticale stimulates the multiplication of selected groups of microorganisms and the level of soil enzymatic activity. In addition, effects on the content of available forms of nutrients in the soil, triticale yield, and total nutrient uptake were analyzed. It is shown that the applied foliar fertilizers enriched with sulfur, compared to fertilization with ammonium nitrate, contributed to a 100% increase in the number of analyzed groups of microorganisms, urease, and alkaline phosphatase activity; a 44% increase in dehydrogenase activity; and a 15% increase in acid phosphatase activity. The hybrid application technique, with reduced doses of nitrogen fertilizers enriched with sulfur by 20 and 25%, resulted in grain yields exceeding 8 t/ha. Moreover, compared to conventional fertilization based on ammonium nitrate, an increase in the grain yield of triticale was obtained in the range of 16 to 24%, as well as an increase in the accumulation of nutrients in the plant. It is shown that foliar fertilization is a promising alternative to standard fertilization techniques.