Improvement in evaluation methodology of small plot trial nutrient supply

Kornél D. SZALAY 1 – Ákos TARNAWA 2 - István BALLA 2 – Imre T. TOLNER 3 – László FENYVESI 3

1. 1Hungarian Institute of Agricultural Engineering- Outer Agricultural Technical Department,  

Szent István University, Gödöllő, szalay@fvmmi.hu

2Crop Production Institute, Szent István University, Gödöllő

3Hungarian Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Gödöllő

Abstract

In the year of 2008 ‘Alföld 90’ wheat variety was sown on chernozem soil (calciustoll) at Hatvan-Nagygombos (Central Hungary), in order to evaluate the correspondence between different nutrition levels. The aim was to study the possibilities of growing the variety in organic way where the magnitude of the capability of resistance and the adaptability of the species increase, because in the organic way there is less possibility to support and defend the plant than in a conventional way. The variety is widely used in conventional farming and showed really good tolerance to different biotic and abiotic stresses. “Ecological” or “organic” food is not only healthy for people, but the way of production of that is safer for the environment as well, while reducing various stresses related to both alimentation and agro-technology. Hence an environmentally sound method is needed to produce food without any synthetic residues. Ecological farming has strict regulations, which do not permit the use of chemical fertilizers, as well as using synthetic chemical substances in plant protection. Without these treatments, with the application of those natural based nutrition and plant protection, the purpose is to manifest not only the quantity, but also the quality of food. Consequently the practical way is to start the plant improvement under organic conditions to breed species for ecological farming specifically. While breeding new species and introduce them into organic farming, there is a possibility to choose varieties from conventional species according to their adaptive abilities to the organic conditions. These varieties should be able to provide their genetically terminated quantity and quality in ecological farming, too. However certain level of depression in both may be expected. ‘Alföld 90’ was studied in agronomic replicated blocks, modeling the first year of the conversion to ecological farming. Treatments are representing organic and conventional plant nutrition. Organic versions have not received any mineral fertilizers, while conventional blocks were supplied with identical 80 kg/ha N amounts in form of ammonium nitrate. Both variants have been simultaneously treated with foliar fertilizer substances. Treated and untreated plots were evaluated concerning plant height (cm), leaf area (cm2), ear size (cm), yield (kg/plot), germination (%), and quality parameters – farinographic value (BU), wet gluten content (%), protein (%), furthermore thousand kernel weight (g) and hl-weight (kg/hl). The results suggest that wheat crop performance was influenced by means of plant nutrition. The significant amount of nutrient abstraction on the area compared to earlier years caused extremely diverse results in the last two experimental years, although the effects of the foliar fertilizers are consequent in some quality parameters. While the homogenous experimental area, the variety, and the different nutrition levels of nitrogen and foliar fertilizers, or rather the agro-technology were constant, the quantity and the distribution in time of precipitation were different. The available water capacity highly influences the crop production all over the world and its importance increases due to the variable weather of Hungary. This study was inspired to indicate the magnitude of the differing precipitation typical to the cropyear of 2008 or 2009 influencing the nutrient availability and the effect of foliar fertilizers during the less certain balance of processes of the first year in conversion. In order to clarify the correlations examined the vegetation of the year of 2010 is about to be evaluated with hyperspectral technology with purpose of tracking the nutrients with ‘in situ’ method by testing the soil and plants in different fenophases.

Keywords organic farming, precipitation, nutrient availability, nitrogen and foliar fertilizers