Impact of sowing depth and seed size on the dynamics of germination and productivity of spring wheat

Abstract

In the years of 2013–2014, pot experiments were conducted to determine the influence of sowing depth and seed size on the dynamics of spring wheat emergence and yields. The study was carried out in Mitscherlich pots using the random block method, in four replications. The experiment included spring wheat cultivar Tybalt. The first factor of the experiment was the sowing depth of seeds (1, 3, 5, 7 cm), while the second factor was the seed yield. Four levels of the second factor were taken into account: a1 – certified material (purchased), a2 – small-sized seeds (1.8 – 2.2 mm), a3 – medium seeds (2.2 – 2.5 mm), a4 – large seeds (> 2.5 mm). Adequate size of seeds for the study was ensured by sorting out of the certified material on Vogel screens. The research showed the joint impact of seed size and sowing depth on grain yield formation, number of plants and ears per pot and production tillering. The application of the sowing depth of 7 cm resulted in a significant decrease in grain yield from the pot of all seed fractions, especially the smallest fraction of seeds (1.8 – 2.2 mm). The variant of sowing large seeds (> 2.5 mm) at the depth of 3 cm turned out to be the most beneficial for grain yield.