Peculiarities of Photosynthetic Activity of Winter Pea Plants Depending on the Sowing Rates

Abstract

Peas are a crop that is quite picky about weather conditions, therefore, against the backdrop of worsening climatic conditions, it is necessary to pay attention to the wintering form. The main advantage of overwintering peas is that it uses the moisture of the winter period and thanks to this forms above-ground and underground biomass of plants even before the onset of summer drought. At the beginning of the recovery of spring vegetation, plants have a well-developed root system that penetrates deep into the soil up to 10 cm, while spring peas at this time are just beginning to sow. As a result, the potential yield of winter peas is 2-3 times higher than that of spring peas. The purpose of the research was to determine the influence of varietal features of plants, seed sowing rates on the photosynthetic activity of crops and grain yield of winter peas in the conditions of southern Ukraine. Research methods: field, laboratory, computational, statistical. As a result of the research, the peculiarities of the growth of the above-ground mass of plants, the photosynthetic activity of crops and the formation of grain yield of winter pea varieties were studied. The optimal rate of winter pea seed sowing, at which the genetic potential of varieties is fully realized, has been revealed. The norm of seed sowing was established, at which winter pea plants formed the maximum area of the leaf surface. Research has established that in most cases the maximum level of biomass harvest is formed at the minimum density of plants in the budding phase. As the density increases, the biomass gradually decreases, which is a reliable sign of the significant advantage of crops with lower sowing rates in terms of photosynthesis productivity.It was determined that the highest winter pea grain yield, on average over the years of research and according to the studied sowing rates, was formed by the Enduro variety. Research has established that wintering peas form a small area of the leaf surface, which is characterized by a high level of difference in productivity at a reduced seeding rate. The practical aspects and conclusions reflected in the article are aimed at improving the processes of wintering pea productivity in the conditions of southern Ukraine, in particular, at significantly more efficient use of moisture during the growing season of plants for the formation of a unit of harvest.