The effect of pre-sowing treatment of sunflower seeds with Agro.Bio preparations and other physiologically active substances on the quality of seed material
In modern scientific literature there are a number of works which quite definitely show that various physiologically active substances influence plants not only throughout their individual development, but also leave certain traces in subsequent generations.
For example, modern researchers studied the aftereffects of pre-sowing stimulation with succinic acid on second-generation corn yield. Seeds from stimulated plants yielded a yield of 117.8% of the control. Researchers studying the effects and aftereffects of organic acids, glycerol, and glucose on sunflowers concluded that the experimental plants exhibited increased kernel oil content and transmission to first-generation offspring compared to the control. Seed husk content and yield also changed.
Ukrainian agronomists have shown in their work that the effect of physiologically active substances was evident not only in parental forms, but also in the first generation of seeds that did not directly receive stimulants.
In their previous studies, Agro.Bio specialists confirmed that the physiologically active substances studied (vitamins, Agro.Bio's Potassium Humate , and Krebs cycle acids) caused profound physiological changes in plants: increased nucleic acid content, increased yield, more active fat-synthesizing enzymes, and increased oil content in treated seeds.
Considering fundamental research in the field of humic fertilizers, which shows that the physiological response of plants to biologically active substances is primarily based on their influence on the cellular cybernetic apparatus (responsible for both protein self-reproduction and the transmission of genetic information, i.e., the DNA-RNA-protein system), it could be assumed that these changes would affect not only the ontogenesis of sunflowers but also manifest themselves in subsequent generations. This prompted us to conduct research to study the influence of physiologically active substances on subsequent reproduction.
Our task was to establish:
- Does the treatment of elite seeds with physiologically active substances affect only the sunflower yield obtained from intact plants, or does it cause a change in the seed qualities of the first reproduction?
- Will these changes manifest themselves in the seeds of the second reproduction, which is obtained from the seeds of the first reproduction, and the seeds themselves were not treated with physiologically active substances.
- To clarify the question of which physiological methods will mainly determine the aftereffect of physiologically active substances on seed qualities in generations.
The tasks were solved by conducting field and laboratory experiments.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS
The Armavir 3497 sunflower variety was used in the experiment. The seeds were soaked for 24 hours in 0.0005% solutions of vitamins B2 and PP, folic and succinic acids, a solution of Agro.Bio Potassium Humate (recommended rate: 2 l/ha), and 0.001% ATP. The seeds were then dried and sown in the field.
The resulting seeds from the first generation were analyzed, and the yield was recorded during 2018–2021, while the second generation was analyzed during 2019–2021. Initially, laboratory experiments were conducted to study the growth of seedlings obtained from seeds whose parental forms were soaked in solutions of the physiologically active substances being studied.
Ten seeds of the first generation were planted in Petri dishes with water, in quadruplicate. The seeds were germinated for 15 days, and stem and root measurements were taken.
Table 1. The influence of physiologically active substances on the growth of sunflower seedlings of the first reproduction
| Substances in which the seeds were soaked | Length of stems (M±m, mm) | Stem length (%) | Root length (M±m, mm) | Root length (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (control) | 38.1 ± 1.51 | 100 | 91.3 ± 0.80 | 100 |
| Vitamin B2 | 49.1 ± 1.42 | 129 | 102.3 ± 0.98 | 113 |
| Vitamin PP | 49.5 ± 1.96 | 130 | 98.1 ± 0.80 | 107 |
| Folic acid | 46.1 ± 1.83 | 121 | 116.6 ± 1.85 | 128 |
| Succinic acid | 45.7 ± 1.98 | 120 | 105.1 ± 1.63 | 115 |
| Potassium Humate Agro.Bio | 60.2 ± 1.03 | 158 | 139.0 ± 1.29 | 152 |
| ATP | 61.2 ± 1.32 | 161 | 104.7 ± 1.04 | 115 |
The data indicate that these seedlings exhibited more vigorous stem and root growth than the control plants. Seeds obtained from intact plants exhibited greater initial growth vigor.
Table 2. Effect of seed treatment of parental forms on the size of seeds of the first reproduction
| Substances | 7 mm (%) | 6 mm (%) | 5 mm (%) | 4 mm (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (control) | 1.1 | 11.5 | 54.5 | 32.9 |
| Vitamin B2 | 1.3 | 14.6 | 57.4 | 26.7 |
| Vitamin PP | 2.5 | 22.3 | 54.3 | 20.9 |
| Folic acid | 3.5 | 20.3 | 55.4 | 20.8 |
| Succinic acid | 1.3 | 13.5 | 56.0 | 29.2 |
| Potassium Humate Agro.Bio | 1.6 | 14.3 | 58.9 | 25.2 |
| ATP | 2.1 | 14.4 | 57.1 | 26.4 |
Table 3. Effect of physiologically active substances on the energy and germination of first-generation seeds
| Substances | Fraction size, mm | Germination energy, % | Seed germination, % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water (control) | 7 | 75 | 95 |
| 6 | 70 | 95 | |
| 5 | 75 | 96 | |
| 4 | 55 | 95 | |
| Vitamin B2 | 7 | 70 | 98 |
| 6 | 80 | 100 | |
| 5 | 90 | 97 | |
| 4 | 75 | 75 | |
| Vitamin PP | 7 | 80 | 96 |
| 6 | 85 | 100 | |
| 5 | 80 | 95 | |
| 4 | 70 | 90 | |
| Folic acid | 7 | 80 | 98 |
| 6 | 90 | 100 | |
| 5 | 80 | 100 | |
| 4 | 95 | 97 | |
| Succinic acid | 7 | 75 | 95 |
| 6 | 80 | 99 | |
| 5 | 85 | 100 | |
| 4 | 85 | 99 | |
| Potassium Humate Agro.Bio | 7 | 70 | 98 |
| 6 | 95 | 99 | |
| 5 | 95 | 100 | |
| 4 | 75 | 94 | |
| ATP | 7 | 80 | 96 |
| 6 | 85 | 100 | |
| 5 | 80 | 98 | |
| 4 | 80 | 90 |
When sowing in the field, seeds of the medium fraction (6 and 5 mm) were selected, since they fully reflect all the biological characteristics of the variety.
Table 4. The effect of physiologically active substances on the yield of parental forms and their aftereffect on the seeds of the second reproduction (2019-2021)
| Substances | Action (I reproduction) | Aftereffect (II reproduction) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yield, c/ha | Increase, c/ha | Increase, % | Yield, c/ha | Increase, c/ha | Increase, % | |
| Dry seeds | 21.5 | — | — | 21.0 | — | — |
| Water | 22.7 | 1.2 | 5.5 | 21.6 | — | — |
| Vitamin B2 | 23.8 | 2.3 | 10.7 | 23.6 | 2.0 | 9.3 |
| Vitamin PP | 25.1 | 3.6 | 16.7 | 23.6 | 2.0 | 9.3 |
| Folic acid | 24.3 | 2.8 | 13.0 | 23.2 | 1.6 | 7.4 |
| Succinic acid | 24.3 | 2.8 | 13.0 | 23.6 | 2.0 | 9.3 |
| Potassium Humate Agro.Bio | 23.6 | 2.1 | 9.8 | 23.2 | 1.6 | 7.4 |
| ATP | 24.0 | 2.5 | 11.7 | 22.9 | 1.3 | 6.0 |
Analyzing the yield data for three years of research, it is necessary to note that the studied physiologically active substances increase not only the yield of parental forms, but also affect the offspring, i.e., they increase the yield of sunflower seeds of the second generation.
Table 5. Dynamics of dry matter accumulation, seed weight and fat formation (2020 field experiment)
| Substances | % dry matter (days) | Weight of 1000 pcs. of absolute dry seeds, g | % fat on absolute dry matter (days) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 22 | 36 | 7 | 22 | 36 | 7 | 22 | 36 | 66 | |
| Water (control) | 10.8 | 23.9 | 51.5 | 2.9 | 24.8 | 59.6 | 2.73 | 26.65 | 46.34 | 48.59 |
| Vitamin B2 | 11.7 | 27.2 | 56.9 | 3.9 | 32.8 | 68.5 | 3.50 | 32.30 | 48.29 | 48.76 |
| Vitamin PP | 11.4 | 26.4 | 56.1 | 3.2 | 31.7 | 62.8 | 3.06 | 29.85 | 48.34 | 50.01 |
| Folic acid | 11.0 | 24.2 | 51.9 | 3.2 | 29.1 | 62.0 | 5.41 | 28.59 | 48.59 | 49.71 |
| Succinic acid | 10.7 | 26.2 | 57.3 | 3.4 | 33.5 | 66.5 | 4.77 | 27.60 | 48.92 | 50.34 |
| Humate Agro.Bio | 11.0 | 25.3 | 54.5 | 3.1 | 28.2 | 68.4 | 2.83 | 30.75 | 48.00 | 48.69 |
| ATP | 10.8 | 24.0 | 54.4 | 3.7 | 29.0 | 69.1 | 4.59 | 28.35 | 47.63 | 48.03 |
DYNAMICS OF NUCLEIC ACIDS AND SUGARS
Experiments conducted by Agro.Bio laboratory specialists have shown that the influence of physiologically active substances accelerates the synthesis of nucleic acids, and then protein.
Table 6. Dynamics of nucleic acid content in the leaves of sunflower of the second generation
| Substances | 4 true leaves | Basket formation | Bloom | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DNA | RNA | Sum | RNA/DNA | DNA | RNA | Sum | RNA/DNA | DNA | RNA | Sum | RNA/DNA | |
| Water | 143.6 | 1178.4 | 1322.0 | 8.2 | 399.9 | 1317.9 | 1597.8 | 3.3 | 68.9 | 361.0 | 429.9 | 5.2 |
| Vitamin B2 | 184.0 | 1299.8 | 1483.8 | 7.1 | 443.3 | 1681.1 | 2124.4 | 3.8 | 79.4 | 365.5 | 465.3 | 4.9 |
| Vitamin PP | 164.5 | 1326.3 | 1490.8 | 8.1 | 455.6 | 1414.4 | 1870.0 | 3.1 | 70.7 | 448.6 | 519.3 | 6.3 |
| Folic acid | 188.3 | 1447.2 | 1635.5 | 7.7 | 532.3 | 2101.3 | 2633.6 | 3.9 | 71.2 | 420.7 | 491.9 | 5.9 |
| Succinic acid | 180.2 | 1418.9 | 1599.1 | 7.9 | 423.9 | 1398.2 | 1822.1 | 3.3 | 70.5 | 399.8 | 470.3 | 5.7 |
| Humate Agro.Bio | 182.8 | 1317.5 | 1500.3 | 7.2 | 500.5 | 1565.3 | 2065.8 | 3.1 | 88.3 | 365.7 | 464.0 | 4.1 |
| ATP | 187.1 | 1489.6 | 1676.7 | 8.0 | 481.9 | 1576.0 | 2057.9 | 3.3 | 86.9 | 441.3 | 528.2 | 5.1 |
Table 8. Dynamics of sugar accumulation in the leaves of sunflower of the second generation (% of raw material)
| Substances | 4 true leaves | Bloom | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monosaccharides | Disahara | Sum | Monosaccharides | Disahara | Sum | |
| Water (control) | 1.23 | 0.99 | 2.22 | 1.86 | 0.94 | 2.80 |
| Vitamin B2 | 1.34 | 1.13 | 2.47 | 1.64 | 2.06 | 3.70 |
| Vitamin PP | 1.41 | 0.89 | 2.30 | 1.80 | 1.95 | 3.75 |
| Folic acid | 1.12 | 1.10 | 2.20 | 1.66 | 1.29 | 2.95 |
| Succinic acid | 1.30 | 1.17 | 2.47 | 1.71 | 1.49 | 3.20 |
| Potassium Humate Agro.Bio | 1.37 | 1.33 | 2.70 | 1.75 | 1.27 | 3.02 |
| ATP | 1.28 | 0.94 | 2.22 | 1.79 | 1.78 | 3.57 |
The total sugar content of the control seeds as they ripened was higher than that of the experimental seeds, whose parent plants were soaked in the physiologically active substances studied. This indicates a more intensive conversion of carbohydrates into fat in the experimental seeds.
Table 10. Effect of physiologically active substances on fat accumulation and oil collection (average for 2018–2021)
| Substances | I reproduction | II reproduction | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % fat | Rejected. | Harvest, c/ha | Increase, c/ha | Add., % | % fat | Rejected. | Harvest, c/ha | Increase, c/ha | Add., % | |
| Water (control) | 51.80 | — | 10.20 | — | 100.0 | 51.63 | — | 9.67 | — | 100.0 |
| Vitamin B2 | 52.90 | 1.10 | 10.85 | 0.65 | 106.4 | 52.30 | 0.67 | 10.64 | 0.97 | 110.0 |
| Vitamin PP | 53.54 | 1.65 | 11.66 | 1.46 | 114.3 | 52.98 | 1.35 | 10.82 | 1.15 | 111.9 |
| Folic acid | 53.37 | 1.57 | 11.24 | 1.04 | 110.2 | 52.74 | 1.11 | 10.53 | 0.86 | 108.9 |
| Succinic acid | 53.52 | 1.72 | 11.28 | 1.08 | 110.6 | 52.94 | 1.31 | 10.81 | 1.14 | 111.8 |
| Humate Agro.Bio | 52.95 | 1.15 | 10.83 | 0.63 | 106.2 | 52.06 | 0.43 | 10.43 | 0.76 | 107.9 |
| ATP | 53.40 | 1.60 | 11.13 | 0.93 | 109.1 | 52.07 | 0.44 | 10.32 | 0.65 | 106.7 |
CONCLUSIONS
- The conducted studies clearly show that the influence of the studied physiologically active substances on plants is not limited to their direct action, but is manifested in the seeds of the second generation, which did not directly receive stimulants.
- Thanks to pre-sowing treatment of seeds with the studied physiologically active substances, it is possible to increase the oil yield of first-generation seeds from 600 kg to 1.5 centners per 1 ha.
- Under the influence of physiologically active substances, the percentage of fat and seed yield increase significantly, which increases the overall oil yield per hectare in all variants.
Agro.Bio Expert Note: The fundamental ability of active ingredients to enhance the genetic and physiological potential of future generations, described in the article, is now successfully realized in Agro.Bio's innovative products. The use of highly purified complexes, such as Agro.Bio's Potassium Humate , not only increases current season yields but also significantly improves the seed quality of reproductive material. Thanks to modern biotechnology, Ukrainian farmers have a powerful tool for genetically engineering sunflowers to achieve high viability and oil content.