EFFECT OF METHODS OF BASIC AND PRESOWING SOIL TREATMENT ON SUDAN GRASS YIELDS UNDER THE CONDITIONS OF SARATOV ZAVOLZHYE
The article deals with the results of three-year studies on the problem of influence of the type of basic and presowing soil tillage on the biometric and yielding characteristics of the Zonal-6 Sudan grass variety under the conditions of arid Zavolzhye steppe. The peculiarities of the above plants growth, development and yields formation, having been observed on 9 variants of the basic and pre-sowing soil treatment, are described. The main parameters of the elements of total water consumption and their dependence on weather conditions and methods of soil treatment have been thoroughly studied. The effectiveness of soil moisture and rainfalls utilization has been proved by calculation the co-efficient of water consumption. It is found that the most favorable conditions have been achieved for Sudan grass sown by means of deep plowing to the depth of 25-27 cm and with two pre-sowing cultivations. It is proved that deep plowing contributes to accumulation of moisture in soil before spring so that the co-efficient of water consumption is 30.0 mm and 216.5-272 mm/1t of seeds respectively, this being at 15.1-14.8% lower as compared with traditional plowing, moreover, weed infestation of the fields is reduced by 1.3-1.6 times. The plowing to the depth of 25-27 cm, combined with three cultivations, reduces weed infestation by 2.2-1.5 times, as compared with other variants.