THE INFLUENCE OF CULTIVATION METHODS ON THE YIELD AND WATER CONSUMPTION OF OILSEED FLAX IN THE ROSTOV REGION

Purpose: to identify an effective combination of primary soil cultivation methods, seeding rates and fertilizer background on the yield and water consumption of oilseed flax varieties VNIIMK-620 and Nebesny in the Rostov region. The work was carried out in 2023–2024 at the experimental stationary of the scientific center. Materials and methods. The studied methods of primary soil cultivation (plowing, combined cultivation, chiselization) – factor A; seeding rates (7.0; 7.25 and 7.5 million pcs/ha) – factor B; fertilizer backgrounds (1 – no fertilizers; 2 – N₄₀Р₄₀К₄₀; 3 – N₈₀Р₈₀К₈₀) – factor C. Soils are ordinary chernozems. Results. In the more favorable conditions of heat and moisture supply in 2023 with HTI = 1.28–1.50, the yield of oilseed flax of the studied varieties was higher by 0.56–0.63 t/ha, or 56.0–58.9 % compared to the dry 2024 with HTI = 0.14–0.16. An increase in the seeding rate (factor B) to 7.5 million pcs/ha provided the greatest yield increases for the VNIIMK-620 variants by 25.0–25.7 and 17.9–20.7 %, and for Nebesny – by 24.4–25.3 and 19.0–19.6 % compared to the control. The fertilizer rate (factor C) of a high nutrition background (N₈₀P₈₀K₈₀) increased the yield of flax VNIIMK-620 by 26.3–26.5 and 18.2–19.1 %, Nebesny – by 26.2–27.0 and 19.8–20.2 % compared to the variant without fertilizers. The best return on fertilizers was obtained in 2023 in variants with plowing and chisel cultivation at a seeding rate of 7.5 million pcs./ha, amounting to the following varieties: VNIIMK-620 – 2.17 kg/kg, Nebesny – 2.42 kg/kg. Conclusions. The maximum flax yield of 1.20–1.95 t/ha is provided by the VNIIMK-620 variety when plowing with a seeding rate of 7.5 million pcs/ha, grown against the background of N₈₀P₈₀K₈₀ fertilizers. Under the same conditions, the Nebesny variety surpasses it in yield by 0.09–0.19 t/ha.