Efficiency of Adept Agro.Bio on chestnut soils of southern Ukraine
On low-humus and poorly structured soils of the chestnut-alkaline south of Ukraine, increasing soil fertility is impossible without regular use of organic fertilizers. They improve the physical condition of the soil and provide plants with nutrients, increasing the yield of agricultural crops. In non-irrigated conditions without watering, where the lack of moisture limits the use of nutrients, the effect is less stable. Under irrigated conditions, the increase in yield is significantly higher and more stable.
In addition to the application of organic fertilizers, organo-mineral fertilizers are widely used on irrigated lands. Their application near seeds or roots of seedlings activates microbiological activity in the sowing layer of soil, promoting the accumulation of nutrients in an assimilable form. Application near sowing ensures normal nutrition of plants in the early stages, which has a positive effect on their development and harvest. Organo-mineral fertilizers, as a source of humic compounds, participate in the metabolism of plants, increasing enzymatic activity and improving the absorption of mineral elements.
Adept is a humic-microbiological fertilizer that has a significant positive effect on the development of most agricultural crops.
Adept Trials
Our laboratory conducted tests of Adept efficiency on dark chestnut soils of southern Ukraine.
Corn
Vegetation experiment
Preliminary data from the pot experiment showed a significant effect of Adept on the accumulation of plant mass in corn. Plants that received Adept during seed treatment were characterized by vigorous development, intense coloring, and greater foliage. On the 37th day after sowing, control plants had 8 leaves, and plants with Adept had 10.7 leaves. During this period, the plants were cut off, and the weight of the above-ground mass and root system was taken into account (Table 1). The experiment was conducted in 8-fold repetition in vessels with 12 kg of absolutely dry soil.
| Experience options | Weight of above-ground mass, g | Root mass weight, g | Total weight, g |
|---|---|---|---|
| Without fertilizers | 5.30 | 5.30 | 10.60 |
| Adept 1.5 l per 1 ton of seeds + 2 l/ha, foliar treatment | 12.16 | 6.82 | 18.98 |
The development of the root system under the influence of the Adept preparation is of great importance in the non-irrigated conditions of the south of Ukraine, where the upper soil horizon may dry out in the spring. Plants with a more developed root system tolerate drought better.
Field experience
In a field experiment (4-fold replication) on chestnut soils, 100 plants were weighed during thinning. The average weight of 100 plants without Adept was 387 g, with Adept — 593 g. The increase in vegetative mass was 53.2%. Adept was tested under non-irrigated conditions for two years when applied to nests during seed treatment and during foliar treatment. The results are presented in Table 2.
| Experience options | Harvest, c/ha (2017) | Harvest, c/ha (2018) | Average for 2 years, c/ha |
|---|---|---|---|
| Without fertilizers | 59 | 42.8 | 50.8 |
| Adept (seed treatment + foliar treatment) | 68.8 | 46.2 | 57.4 |
| Adept (foliar processing) | 65.6 | 46.8 | 56.2 |
The Adept preparation increased the absolute weight of corn seeds: without the preparation – 262.8 g, with the preparation – 295 g.
In 2018, Adept was tested on irrigated corn. Due to technical problems, irrigation was untimely, but Adept provided a yield increase: without Adept - 91.6 c/ha, with Adept - 101.2 c/ha (an increase of 9.6 c/ha). A slight increase in the absolute weight of seeds was noted.
Comparison with organo-mineral mixture
At the same time, an organo-mineral mixture was tested (3 t/ha of rotted manure + 1.5 c/ha of powdered superphosphate). Under non-irrigated conditions, the mixture gave an increase of 3.6 c/ha, lower than with the use of the Adept preparation. Under irrigated conditions, the increase from the mixture was 3.6 c/ha, which is 62.5% less than from Adept.
Tomatoes
Adept showed high efficiency when applied under tomatoes under irrigation conditions. Application to nests during seedling planting (50 g of solution) changed the appearance of the field after a few days: the plants acquired a dark green color, became taller and more powerful.
At the same time, an organo-mineral mixture of rotted manure and mineral fertilizers equivalent to Adept was tested.
The results of observations in June are presented in Tables 3 and 4.
| Experience options | Plant height 3.06 cm | Nitrogen content in vegetative mass, % | Number of fruits per plant 15.06 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Without fertilizers | 22.2 | 3.6 | 1.9 |
| Adept 50 g of solution in the nest | 25.4 | 3.9 | 2.7 |
| Organo-mineral mixture | 21.7 | 3.7 | 2.4 |
| Experience options | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Average increase, c/ha |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Without fertilizers | 269 | --- | 921.2 | --- |
| Adept 2l/ha | 359.4 | 90.4 | 1050.2 | 129 |
| Organo-mineral mixture | --- | --- | 1046.2 | 125 |
Adept provided an annual increase in tomato yield regardless of meteorological conditions. The average increase over three years was 52% with a control yield of 921.2 c/ha. Adept improved fruit quality by increasing sugar and acid content (Table 5).
| Experience options | Solid residue, % | Sugar content, % | Acidity of malic acid, % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Without Adept | 5.2 | 4.94 | 5.5 |
| Adept 50 g of solution in the nest | 5.4 | 5.14 | 7.8 |
| Organo-mineral mixture | 5.4 | 4.70 | 6.5 |
The taste of tomatoes with Adept was significantly better than on other backgrounds.
Experiments at experimental stations
On chernozem soils, the tomato yield increase from Adept and the organo-mineral mixture was 58 c/ha with the control yield of 1160 c/ha. On chestnut solonetzic soils, the yield from Adept was 312 c/ha, on the control - 268 c/ha.
Adept is effective both when applied as seed treatment and as foliar treatment. Data from our laboratory:
- 2018: increase of 234 c/ha with a control yield of 921.2 c/ha
- 2019: increase of 158 c/ha with a control yield of 1030 c/ha
Potato
Adept demonstrated high efficiency in spring and summer planting of potatoes. An organo-mineral mixture with rotted manure and the same content of mineral elements as in Adept was tested. The results of spring planting are given in Table 6.
| Experience options | Harvest, c/ha (2018) | Harvest, c/ha (2019) | Average for 2 years, c/ha |
|---|---|---|---|
| Without fertilizers | 217.6 | 149.8 | 183.6 |
| Adept 50 g of solution in the nest | 266 | 179.2 | 222.6 |
| Adept (foliar processing) | 243.2 | --- | --- |
| Organo-mineral mixture 50 g in a nest | 235.6 | 178.8 | 207.2 |
Adept contributed to earlier harvest accumulation. As of July 9, potato yield (g/plant):
- Without Adept: 166.7
- Organo-mineral mixture: 187.9
- Adept in nest: 199.6
Adept increased the yield of early potatoes by 20%.
Summer planting
The doses of Adept 10 c/ha and 2 c/ha (the latter for mechanized planting) were studied. Both doses had a positive effect on the vegetative mass and color of plants (Table 7).
| Experience options | 20.08 | 22.09 | 29.10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Without fertilizers | 638.7 | 982.0 | 759.7 |
| Adept 10 c/ha in a nest | 820.0 | 1059.0 | 702.1 |
| Adept 2 c/ha in nest | 756.2 | 1105.7 | --- |
Tuber accumulation is shown in Table 8.
| Experience options | 9.09 | 22.09 | 9.10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Without fertilizers | 179 | 510 | 970 |
| Adept 10 c/ha | 197 | 577 | 1303 |
| Adept 2 c/ha | 163 | 588 | --- |
The yield from summer planting is presented in Table 9.
| Experience options | Yield, c/ha | Yield increase, c/ha |
|---|---|---|
| Without fertilizers | 465.6 | --- |
| Adept 10 c/ha | 507.4 | 41.8 |
| Adept 2 c/ha | 502.8 | 37.2 |
Both doses of Adept gave similar results, which confirms the high efficiency of the dose of 2 c/ha for mechanized planting. Adept (50 g of solution per nest) increased the yield of spring-planted potatoes by 28%.
Conclusions
- Adept increases agricultural crop yields on chestnut soils in southern Ukraine.
- Under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions, Adept improves the development of vegetative mass and increases grain yield when applied to nests and under pre-sowing seed treatment and foliar treatment.
- Adept is highly effective for tomatoes and potatoes under irrigated conditions, increasing yield and improving the quality of tomatoes.