Infestation of white mustard agrocenosis, depending on agricultural practices in the conditions of the forest-steppe of the Middle Volga region

Abstract

To obtain environmentally friendly products, in the technology of cultivating agricultural crops, the basis of modern weed control should be agricultural practices. In this regard, the purpose of the research is to select the optimal seeding rate and sowing method for white mustard, which increase the self-regulation of the number of weeds in the agrocenosis to obtain the highest seed yield. The experiment was carried out in 2020–2022 on the meadow-chernozem soil of the experimental plot of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education Penza State Agrarian University. The weather conditions during the years of research were different, but they met the requirements for the growth and development of white mustard. The growing season of mustard in the first and third years passed under conditions of sufficient moisture at the optimum temperature regime (HTC 1.3 and 1.0, respectively). In the second year of research, drier conditions developed, when the hydrothermal coefficient was 0.87. On average, the minimum infestation of mustard crops before harvesting was traced with an ordinary sowing method of 36-51 pcs/m2 with a wet weight of weeds of 75.8-106.0 g/m2, while with a wide-row method their number was 43-62 pcs/m2 with a mass of 91.0-129.2 g/m2, where the feeding area increased not only for cultivated, but also for weeds. Moreover, the agrocenosis was the cleanest with the maximum seeding rate (3 million germinating seeds/ha) and mustard sowing with a row spacing of 15 cm, where the vegetative mass actively suppressed weeds. The highest infestation in terms of quantity and weight of the weed component was established at a rate of 1.5 million and mustard sowing with a row spacing of 30 cm. Plants with row sowing with a seeding rate of 2.0-2.5 million germinating seeds/ha were more competitive, while providing a maximum oilseed yield of 2.46-2.58 t/ha.