The effect of microfertilizer application on sunflower yield
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31210/spi2026.29.02.03Keywords:
sunflower, micronutrients, application stage, yieldAbstract
This article presents the findings of a scientific study investigated the effects of foliar micronutrient application on the biometric parameters, yield attributes, and overall productivity of the mid-early sunflower hybrid 'SY Barbati' during the 2024–2025 growing seasons. The relevance of the research is determined by the urgent need to identify effective agronomic practices aimed at mitigating the adverse impacts of prolonged droughts and temperature stresses in the Steppe zone of Ukraine. The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of foliar micronutrient fertilization at various growth stages on sunflower performance. The experiment followed a two-factor design. Factor A represented the microfertilizer application stage: 1) 4-leaf stage, and 2) budding stage. Factor B included the microfertilizers used: 1) control (water), 2) Helprost Boron (2 L/ha), and 3) Helprost Universal (2 L/ha). Foliar application of the micronutrient fertilizers resulted in a 4.9–12.2 % increase in the number of leaves per plant. The maximum value of 19.8 leaves per plant was achieved when spraying with Helprost Universal at the 4-leaf stage. Treatment with Helprost Boron at the 4-leaf stage expanded the leaf assimilation surface area by 1,600 m²/ha, while Helprost Universal increased it by 3,200 m²/ha. Applying Helprost Boron at the 4-leaf stage increased head diameter by 1.6 cm and at the budding stage by 0.7 cm; meanwhile, Helprost Universal provided increases of 2.2 cm and 1.4 cm at the respective stages. The use of micronutrients enhanced the number of seeds per head by 115–198 at the 4-leaf stage and by 34–107 at the budding stage. The highest seed count was recorded with the foliar application of Helprost Universal (1,208 seeds per head at the 4-leaf stage). The 1,000-seed weight increased by 2.9–6.0 % depending on the specific product and application timing, reaching its maximum of 51.4 g in the treatment with Helprost Universal at the budding stage. Foliar microfertilization improved sunflower seed yield by 0.18–0.38 t/ha. The peak yield of 2.34 t/ha was obtained by treating the plants with Helprost Universal during the budding stage.
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