SPRING BARLEY CROP FORMATION USING MINERAL FERTILIZERS AND HYDROSORBENT ON GRAY FOREST SOILS OF THE REPUBLIC OF TATARSTAN

In conditions of limited water supply, increasing the efficiency of spring barley cultivation remains a significant challenge. The objective of the study was to analyze the impact of mineral fertilizers and a moisture sorbent on growth, development and yield of the crop. The study was carried out on gray forest soils in the Republic of Tatarstan from 2022 to 2024 under various agrometeorological conditions. The experimental design involved studying the following variants: without fertilizers and hydrogel (control); N37P60K73; Akvasin hydrogel 50 kg/ha; N37P60K73 + Akvasin 50 kg/ha; Akvasin 100 kg/ha; N37P60K73 + Akvasin 100 kg/ha. Spring barley was sown at a rate of 4.5 million viable seeds per 1 ha. Observations of plant growth and development were carried out according to the methods of State variety testing. The crop was harvested in plots by direct threshing, the yield was recorded recalculated for 14% moisture content and 100% grain purity. During the research years, higher foliar photosynthetic potential was formed by crops in the variants with the introduction of N37P60K73 in combination with 50 kg/ha and 100 kg/ha of hydrogel; the value of this indicator increased, compared to the control, by 41% and 50%, respectively. With fertilizer application, total water consumption was higher and water consumption coefficients were lower than the control, especially with hydrogel application. Application of N37P60K73 resulted in an average 24.5% increase in barley grain yield over three years compared to the control. With an additional application of 50 kg/ha of hydrogel, the increase was 31.2%, and with 100 kg/ha of hydrogel, 36.7%.