The effect of Adept humic fertilizer on yield and quality of tobacco, essential oil crops - lavender, sage, rose.
The soils of the Kherson region are diverse in their mechanical and chemical composition and are in great need of organic fertilizers. As is known, the main organic fertilizer is manure. In the conditions of the southern part of the region, manure is generally unavailable and has to be imported from the steppe zone or neighboring regions.
The tobacco and essential oil crops grown here are responsive to organic and organo-mineral fertilizers. Considering that Ukraine has organized industrial production of organo-mineral-ammoniacal humic fertilizers, we decided to study their effectiveness for fertilizing the above-mentioned crops.
We tested the Adept preparation, imported from the production of Agro.Bio company from Chernihiv. The experiments used agricultural techniques commonly accepted for these crops in the conditions of the Kherson region. Fertilizers were applied according to the experimental schemes: for tobacco - in marker furrows before planting seedlings, and for essential oil crops - in interrows during their cultivation. During the growing season, we conducted phenological observations and biometric measurements. The yield was recorded using the method of complete harvesting, and the obtained data were processed mathematically. The plot size in the tobacco experiments was 50-60 m² with four replications, for lavender and sage - 150-300 m², and for rose - 300-500 m² with three to four replications.
Results of Adept Agro.Bio experiments with tobacco
The effect of various doses of Adept Agro.Bio on the yield and quality of tobacco was studied on two varieties - Virginia and Burley.
In 2018 and 2019, increasing the dose of Adept Agro.Bio to 4 l/ha for the Virginia variety slightly increased the tobacco yield, and only in the dry year of 2020 was the increase from this dose smaller than from 2 l/ha of Adept Agro.Bio (Table 1).
The Burley variety (Table 2) was more responsive to humic fertilizers and higher doses. In this experiment, the equivalent set of mineral fertilizers was less effective than organo-mineral fertilizers.
According to the chemical analysis of tobacco raw material (Tables 1 and 2), humic fertilizers had a minor effect on changing its quality compared to the control - in the Virginia variety, the content of protein nitrogen slightly decreased and the carbohydrate content slightly increased, while in the Burley variety, conversely, the protein nitrogen content was slightly higher compared to the unfertilized variant.
Table 1. Effect of various doses of Adept Agro.Bio on yield and quality of Virginia tobacco variety
| Experiment variants | Dry leaf yield by years, c/ha | Yield increase | Nitrogen, % | Carbohydrates, % | Nicotine, % | Ash (raw), % | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | average yield | c/ha | % | total | protein | |||||
| Control | 12.0 | 8.4 | 3.9 | 8.1 | - | - | 1.82 | 1.57 | 13.74 | 1.64 | 25.43 | |
| Adept Agro.Bio, 2 l/ha | 14.1 | 10.6 | 6.5 | 10.4 | 2.3 | 28.4 | 1.80 | 1.34 | 13.74 | 1.49 | 27.0 | |
| Adept Agro.Bio, 4 l/ha | 15.9 | 11.3 | 5.9 | 11.0 | 2.9 | 35.8 | 2.07 | 1.43 | 14.38 | 1.70 | 25.65 | |
| N7P7, equivalent to 2 l/ha Adept Agro.Bio | х | х | 4.4 | - | - | - | 1.80 | 1.40 | 12.1 | 1.62 | 30.8 | |
| Experiment P = 7.0% 2.6% 2.0% | ||||||||||||
| Note. Chemical analysis results are given for the third break of the 2020 harvest. Equivalents were calculated based on the chemical analysis of Adept Agro.Bio. Х - not determined. | ||||||||||||
Table 2. Effect of various doses of Adept Agro.Bio on yield and quality of Burley tobacco variety
| Experiment variants | Dry leaf yield by years, c/ha | Average yield over three years (2019-2021) | Nitrogen, % | Carbohydrates, % | Nicotine, % | Ash (raw), % | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | c/ha | % | total | protein | |||||
| Control | 7.0 | 5.9 | 2.0 | 4.96 | 100 | 2.9 | 1.9 | 7.70 | 3.85 | 17.5 | |
| Adept Agro.Bio, 2 l/ha | 10.6 | 7.2 | 3.4 | 7.07 | 142.5 | 3.1 | 2.1 | 8.34 | 4.20 | 18.7 | |
| Adept Agro.Bio, 4 l/ha | 13.2 | 9.9 | 2.9 | 8.66 | 174.6 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 6.75 | 4.86 | 18.9 | |
| N10P4, equivalent to 2 l/ha Adept Agro.Bio | х | 6.9 | 2.6 | - | - | 3.5 | 2.2 | 6.75 | 4.00 | 16.5 | |
| N21P9 equivalent to 4 l/ha Adept Agro.Bio | х | 7.9 | 2.6 | - | - | 3.1 | 2.2 | 6.11 | 4.81 | 18.5 | |
| Experiment P = 1.8% 6.3% 14.9% | |||||||||||
| Note. Х - not studied. | |||||||||||
It is known that tobacco is a crop responsive to microelements. Therefore, in our experiments, we tried to study the effectiveness of introducing microelements into the composition of Adept Agro.Bio.
The microelement-enriched Adept Agro.Bio preparation was applied in an experiment conducted with the Virginia tobacco variety. Boron contributed to a significant increase in its effectiveness. The application of 1 l/ha Adept 2 l/ha + Humate + B 1 l/ha increased the tobacco yield by an average of 50% (2 c/ha) over two years, while regular Adept provided an additional 1.5 c/ha of product (37% compared to the unfertilized control). Manganese, both in the form of sulfate and permanganate (waste from a bromine plant), was less effective than boron. For example, the application of Adept 2 l/ha + Humate + B 1 l/ha increased the tobacco yield by 44.3%, while the same amount of Adept 2 l/ha + Humate + Mn 1 l/ha with manganese addition increased it by 49.5%.
The experiments showed that replacing the relatively expensive manganese sulfate with waste from a bromine plant is possible. The effectiveness of microelements increased when they were introduced into the organo-mineral complex.
Chemical analysis of tobacco raw material showed that boron contributed to an increase in carbohydrate content, while manganese did not significantly affect the change in raw material quality.
Results of experiments with essential oil crops
a) True lavender
Experiments with lavender were conducted over three years on calcareous-carbonate soil in the Kherson region.
In 2018, the experiment was exploratory in nature, through which we were able to establish that lavender responds positively to humic fertilizers. The application of 2 l/ha Adept Agro.Bio not only increased the inflorescence yield by 19.5% compared to the control but also significantly increased the essential oil yield per hectare (Table 3).
Table 3. Effect of Adept Agro.Bio on yield and quality of lavender (by years)
| Experiment variants | 2019 | 2020 | Average inflorescence yield over 2 years, c/ha | Increase | Average oil yield kg/ha | Oil increase | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inflorescence yield, c/ha | Oil content | Inflorescence yield, c/ha | Oil content | c/ha | Compared to control, % | kg/ha | Compared to control, % | |||
| Control | 53.7 | 1.32 | 60.8 | 1.10 | 57.2 | - | - | 68.9 | - | - |
| Adept Agro.Bio, 2 l/ha | 64.5 | 1.43 | 61.4 | 1.41 | 62.9 | 5.7 | 9.9 | 85.4 | 16.5 | 23.9 |
| Adept Agro.Bio, 2 l/ha | 63.1 | 1.38 | 58.9 | 1.18 | 61.0 | 4.8 | 6.6 | 80.8 | 11.9 | 17.2 |
| Adept Agro.Bio, 3 l/ha | 59.3 | х | 60.9 | 1.41 | х | х | х | х | х | х |
| N15P8, equivalent to 3 l/ha Adept | х | х | х | х | х | х | х | х | х | х |
| Experiment P = 1.82% 9% | ||||||||||
| Note. Х - not determined. | ||||||||||
In subsequent years, we studied the effect of various doses of humic fertilizers and their aftereffect on the yield and quality of lavender. Based on the 2019 and 2020 experiments, the best results were obtained with the application of 2 l/ha, which ensured an increase in inflorescence yield and essential oil content in them (control - 1.32%, and with Adept Agro.Bio - 1.43%), due to which the essential oil yield per hectare significantly increased.
The aftereffect of humic fertilizers also had a positive effect on the lavender yield (Table 4). The table data show that the largest amount of oil over two years was obtained in the variant where Adept Agro.Bio was applied at a dose of 2 l/ha.
Summarizing our data, we can conclude that the best option is the application of Adept Agro.Bio in the interrows of fruiting lavender in the amount of 1.5 l/ha annually or 2 l/ha.
Table 4. Action and aftereffect of Adept Agro.Bio on yield and quality of lavender (by years)
| Experiment variants | Action, 2019 | Aftereffect, 2020 | Total oil yield over two years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| inflorescence yield, c/ha | oil yield | inflorescence yield, c/ha | oil yield | kg | % | |||
| kg/ha | % | kg/ha | % | |||||
| Control | 53.7 | 70.9 | 100.0 | 57.1 | 54.1 | 100.0 | 125.0 | 100.0 |
| Superphosphate, 300 kg/ha | 60.4 | 84.5 | 119.2 | 56.8 | 56.7 | 104.8 | 141.2 | 112.9 |
| Adept Agro.Bio, 1.5 l/ha | 64.5 | 92.2 | 130.1 | 57.5 | 60.3 | 111.4 | 152.5 | 122.0 |
| Adept Agro.Bio, 2 l/ha | 63.1 | 87.0 | 122.8 | 61.3 | 67.4 | 124.5 | 154.4 | 123.5 |
| Adept Agro.Bio, 3 l/ha | 59.3 | 84.8 | 119.6 | 57.6 | 67.7 | 125.1 | 152.5 | 122.0 |
| Experiment P = 1.8% 8.3% | ||||||||
b) Fragrant rose
Experiments with the fragrant rose variety Red Crimean were conducted by us over three years in the same region of Ukraine. In 2018, the experiment was exploratory in nature, through which it was established that rose also belongs to plants responsive to the application of humic fertilizers. Further experiments showed (Table 5) that Adept Agro.Bio, applied in the interrows, contributes to an increase in the yield of rose flowers not only in the year of application but also has a positive effect in the future. At the same time, the essential oil yield also increases.
Table 5. Action and aftereffect of Adept Agro.Bio on yield and quality of Red Crimean rose variety (by years)
| Experiment variants | Action, 2019 | Aftereffect, 2020 | total oil yield over 2 years | Oil increase | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| flower yield | oil yield, kg/ha | flower yield | oil yield, kg/ha | kg/ha | compared to control, % | ||||
| c/ha | % | c/ha | % | ||||||
| Control | 43.5 | 100.0 | 3.83 | 31.8 | 100.0 | 2.41 | 6.24 | - | - |
| Superphosphate, 300 kg/ha | 46.5 | 106.9 | 5.26 | 33.4 | 105.2 | 2.50 | 7.75 | 1.51 | 24.5 |
| Adept Agro.Bio, 1.5 l/ha | 53.5 | 123.0 | 4.86 | 36.1 | 113.5 | 3.02 | 7.88 | 1.64 | 26.3 |
| Adept Agro.Bio, 2 l/ha | 54.1 | 124.4 | 6.15 | 36.3 | 114.3 | 2.48 | 8.63 | 2.39 | 38.3 |
| Pyrite cinder, 200 kg/ha | 47.5 | 109.2 | 6.31 | 36.06 | 113.5 | 2.58 | 8.89 | 2.65 | 42.4 |
| Experiment P = 2.5% 4.6% | |||||||||
Comparison of the effect of Adept Agro.Bio with the effect of applied fertilizers showed that the application of 300 kg of superphosphate per hectare gave a much smaller effect than Adept. The effect was also smaller from the application of pyrite cinder. However, the simultaneous application of pyrite cinder and Adept Agro.Bio (Adept applied on one side of the row and pyrite cinder on the other) in production conditions was more effective than the separate application of these fertilizers. In connection with this, in 2020, we produced a series of preparations containing boron in their composition. With such fertilizers, an exploratory experiment was conducted with roses affected by chlorosis. The yield accounting results showed that the introduction of Adept Agro.Bio increases its effectiveness. At the same time, the effect of Adept Agro.Bio is higher than that of the Amino Energy preparation. Enriched Agro.Bio preparations gave better results, according to preliminary data, than regular pyrite cinder or iron pyrite applied in amounts equivalent to their content in the enriched Adept Agro.Bio preparation.
Thus, based on the results of this experiment, there is every reason to continue work on studying the effectiveness of Adept preparations containing B (boron) in their composition.
c) Clary sage
Experiments with clary sage have established that this crop responds positively to the application of humic fertilizers and is very sensitive to increased doses (Table 6).
Table 6. Effect of various doses of Adept Agro.Bio on yield and quality of clary sage (by years)
| Experiment variants | 2019 | 2020 | Average over two years | Oil yield | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| inflorescence yield, c/ha | oil yield, kg/ha | inflorescence yield, c/ha | oil yield, kg/ha | inflorescence yield | kg/ha | % | ||
| c/ha | % | |||||||
| Control | 40.6 | 11.77 | 72.8 | 18.34 | 57.6 | 100.0 | 15.05 | 100.0 |
| Adept Agro.Bio, 1.5 l/ha | 52.1 | 17.71 | 84.3 | 19.30 | 68.2 | 118.4 | 18.50 | 122.9 |
| Adept Agro.Bio, 2 l/ha | 53.0 | 16.96 | 90.6 | 20.74 | 71.8 | 125.5 | 18.85 | 125.2 |
| NмP6, equivalent to 2 t/ha | х | х | 83.3 | 22.71 | - | - | - | - |
| Adept Agro.Bio, 4 l/ha | 48.6 | 14.58 | х | х | - | - | - | - |
| Experiment P = 2.7% | ||||||||
| Note. Due to unfavorable weather conditions in 2020 and significant thinning of the stand, yield accounting was conducted using fractional plots, and the results were not processed mathematically. Х - not studied. | ||||||||
Conclusions
Based on the conducted experiments with tobacco and essential oil crops in the conditions of the Kherson region, the following conclusions can be drawn:
- Tobacco is a crop responsive to the application of humic fertilizers such as Adept, Amino Energy. For localized application during planting, it is best to apply Adept in the amount of 2 l/ha for the Virginia variety and 4 l/ha for the Burley variety.
- Essential oil crops - rose, lavender, and sage - also respond positively to the application of humic fertilizers. For fertilizing lavender, 1.5-2 l/ha of Adept can be applied, for rose - 2 l/ha, and for sage - 2 l/ha.