ANALYSIS OF THE APPLICATION OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF HUMATES IN THE PRE-PLANT PROCESSING OF POTATOES
Humic preparations are unique agents that can be used to stimulate the growth and development of various plants. These preparations can be used in the process of preplanting treatment of seed material, as anti-stress drugs during growth and vegetation periods when almost all cultures are grown. When liquid humates are used for pre-planting treatment of seed potato, the tubers are treated with humate spray at a letdown temperature of no less than 30°C immediately after their removal from a storage facility. Treatment of potatoes with dry humates is carried out at the stage of planting. With the aid of plowshares, a potato-planting machine forms a furrow with supplying dry humates through feeders to the furrow pan in the seeding area, and then the tubers are delivered from the hopper. In order to examine the effect of different types of humates in pre-planting treatment of potatoes we have conducted a field experiment on Sante potato variety with application of three different preparations: liquid humate “Kormogumat AS”, dry humates “Natural humic acids” and “Humate balance”. In carrying out an analysis of the obtained data it has been found that the best results were achieved by applying humate spray “Kormogumat AS” for treatment and by using dry humate “Humate balance” in the process of planting: these specimens have demonstrated more effective germination in comparison with reference specimens and reated with the drug "Natural humic acids». Crop yield analysis has shown that the highest yield level was achieved through treating seeds with liquid humate spray due to the integrated effect of several factors. However, it should be noted, that the number of large tubers in this case is lower than in the application of dry humates. Thus, the application of compounds on the basis of humate preparations in combination with micronutrients enables to increase crop productivity and to improve qualitative characteristics of the crop yield.