№ 3 (2024)

The possibilities of using artificial intelligence in the agricultural sector were investigated, in particular, the optimization of the analysis of the phases of vegetation of bast crops. The implementation of this task was most effective within the framework of a traditional mechanism for studying plants in the reference time of their life and through the integration of hardware and software complexes, including a client part consisting of an unmanned aerial vehicle (helicopter, airplane or combined type), photo-video recording modules and a transmission device significant data, as well as the server part, which includes a server in which a convolutional neural network and a database equipped for specific tasks function, in which information about the studied objects and their analyzed features is segmented, as well as the receiving device. The application of advances in science and technology, especially information technology, in the state sector of agriculture will significantly increase the effectiveness of solving strategic tasks in this area.

The information on the biological role of triterpenoids in plants, possible mechanisms of the phytoregulatory action of triterpenoids and their glycosides is summarized, the physiological and biochemical aspects of the action of plant growth regulators (PGR) based on tritepenoids: Silk, Biosil, Novosil, Alfastim, etc. on wheat plants in different phases of ontogenesis under normal conditions and under the action of stress factors are considered. Data on the effect of these PGR on the incidence of phytopathogens, yield and grain quality of winter and spring wheat are presented.

The results of a study devoted to the study of the effect of the content of mobile potassium in various soils on the yield of major crops and the effectiveness of the use of nitrogen fertilizers for them are presented. According to the data obtained, the availability of mobile potassium in soils plays a very significant role in increasing the yield of cereals, potatoes and flax. To the greatest extent, this affected sod-podzolic soils, on which the yield increase was higher due to an increase in their potash level and a higher return on nitrogen fertilizers. Among the studied crops, winter wheat stood out, which reacts better than others not only to an increase in the K₂O content in the soil, but also in general to their agrochemical cultivation. On sod-podzolic and gray forest soils, its yield increased 3 times, on leached chernozems – 2.5 times, whereas on the same soils, the yield of spring wheat increased 1.2–1.3 times, potatoes – 1.5 times and flax, depending on the predecessor – 1.7–1.9 times. The dependence of the efficiency of nitrogen fertilizers on the content of mobile potassium in soils has been established.

The effect of fertilizers and soil tillage on the photosynthesis productivity of winter wheat and sugar beet crops was studied in a stationary field experiment on leached chernozem of the Central Chernozem region. It was found that a significant increase in crop yield is achieved by optimizing soil tillage and fertilization, as well as by increasing the total area of the leaf surface, the photosynthetic productivity of which decreased per unit of leaf surface.

A laboratory assessment of the effect of 4 fungicides containing active substance (a. s.) of different chemical classes on the growth of strains of 2 dominant species of Fusarium fungi, pathogens of fusarium dry rot of potatoes, was carried out. The drug containing benomyl most effectively suppressed the growth of F. sambucinum and F. solani strains by an average of 76 ± 4% compared with the control. The drug containing azoxystrobin turned out to be the least effective ‒ inhibition of strain growth averaged 35 ± 5%. The significant influence of the factors “species affiliation” and “region of origin” of the strain and their interaction on the sensitivity of strains of both Fusarium species to each of the 4 fungicides has been shown. The risk of developing resistance in F. sambucinum to a. s. of different classes was noted.

The long-term use of pesticides in the forest nurseries of the Sverdlovsk region has led to a decrease in the quality of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) planting material. As a way to reduce pesticide stress and create optimal conditions suitable for the conifers growth, a once use of forest litter (20 kg/m²) was proposed. This substrate is easier to obtain from a plantation near to the forest agrocenosis. However, by something cases, forest litter may be obtained from locations that are geographically far from the forest nursery. The article presents the results of a study the possibility of applying forest litter obtained from places located at different distances from the forest nursery in the bioremediation of pesticide-contaminated soil and improving the quality of Scots pine planting material. In the field experiment, samples of the forest litter were taken near two forest nurseries and introduced into the soil of the experimental plots before sowing pine. Part of the plots contained roundup (3 l a. s./ha), the other remained without treatment. In each nursery, plots were created containing both litter from a nearby stand and from a more remote forest area. It was found that the peak of the transforming activity of the microbiocenosis in the introduced forest litter and decreasing of the pesticide contamination, most likely, will be observed in the first stages of the microbiocenosis introduction. The observed effect takes place regardless of the distance from the application site where the forest substrate was obtained.

In 2020–2021, in the central zone of the Krasnodar Territory, a study was conducted on the effectiveness of a biostimulator based on triterpene acids Grow–B on tobacco of the promising variety Sheptalsky 63. According to the results of the use of a growth-stimulating agent with a fungicidal effect in laboratory conditions, it was found that pre-sowing soaking of tobacco seeds at a concentration of 0.05% for 6 hours increased the weight of tobacco seedlings by 43%. Sowing of treated tobacco seeds in a greenhouse together with additional double treatment of seedlings in the development phases “ears” and “fit for planting” with a solution of the biostimulator Grow–B in a concentration of 0.05% increased the number of leaves on plants by 18, the length of seedlings from the root neck to the point of growth – by 37, to the end of the elongated leaves – by 24, the diameter of the stem is by 30, the crude mass of the aboveground part and the root system is by 96 and 95%, respectively. The yield of standard seedlings per unit of greenhouse area increased by 29%. The survival rate of plants in the field reached 98, their height increased by 12 by the end of the harvesting period, the area of tobacco leaves of the middle tier – by 28, yield – by 37% compared with the control. Pre-sowing soaking of seeds and seedling treatment with the Grow–B biostimulator increased the amount of nicotine in tobacco raw materials by 34, carbohydrates by 68, and reduced the amount of proteins by 13%. The number of Schmuck (carbohydrate-protein ratio characterizing the quality of raw materials) increased by 89% against the background of a biostimulator.

The results of a study of the number and enzymatic activity of microorganisms in the soils of the Zardob district (Azerbaijan), from the territory of the pesticide storage base, are presented. It was revealed that the soils of the base were polluted to a very strong extent, and the content of pesticides (including DDT) exceeded the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) by tens to hundreds of times. Microbiological studies of soil samples showed that, unlike pure soil, in all soil samples contaminated with pesticides, the number of microorganisms and enzymatic activity decreased, which indicated the negative impact of soil contamination with pesticides on the structure and activity of microbiocenosis and was an indicator of limited assimilation potential and low self-cleaning ability of these soils in relation to pollutants.