The Role of Winter Wheat Plant Height in the Formation of Grain Yield Depending on Varietal Characteristics and Weather Conditions

Abstract

Winter wheat is one of the main food crops that ensures the national food security of Ukraine with general production and high-quality grain. The area of winter wheat sowing ranks first in Ukraine, and the production of high-quality grain is of particular relevance. In the technology of its cultivation, the selection of varieties is a decisive factor in increasing yield and improving the quality of grain. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of weather conditions and variety characteristics during the year on plant height, lodging resistance, and yield of winter wheat. This paper presents data on the results of the research of 20 varieties of soft winter wheat in the conditions of the Research-to-Practice Centre of the Mykolaiv National Agrarian University from 2017 to 2022. During the study, generally accepted methods were used: system approach, system analysis, analysis and synthesis, field and statistical method. The study also analysed the influence of variety characteristics and weather conditions in the years under study on the yield of soft winter wheat. It was established that the optimal plant height of winter wheat varieties ranged within 94.9-100.7 cm, at which the highest grain yield is formed, from 7.09 t/ha in the Staleva variety to 7.73 t/ha in the Duma Odeska variety. An increase in the height of the winter wheat varieties under study by 4.0-6.4% led to a decrease in yield from 4.5 to 20.9%. It was established that the awned varieties of soft winter wheat formed a higher grain yield, compared to the thornless forms, which had a higher plant height and less lodging resistance. The conducted studies confirmed that, on average, the resistance to lodging was higher in the thornless forms of winter wheat plants, which is 0.4 points higher than in the awned ones. The higher average grain yield of soft winter wheat was formed by varieties of spiny forms, which is 5.8% more than that of awned varieties. The obtained results will contribute to the wide application of the varieties of soft winter wheat under study for this soil and climate zone, which will further contribute to the increase in yield and gross grain harvests.