LABORATORY GERMINABILITY AND GERMINATION ENERGY OF SPELT GRAIN DEPENDING ON FERTILIZATION AND STORAGE Liubych

The article presents the results of studying the germinability and germination energy of spelt grain depending on fertilization and storage duration. The pre-storage germination energy of spelt grain was found to be 87–90%, depending on nitrogen fertilizer types, doses and application time. After 30or 90-day storage, the germination energy was the highest, amounting to 98–99%. Further storage decreased this indicator. The greatest effect was exerted by single application of 120 kg/ha of nitrogen fertilizers once in spring.

Fertilization is one of the most important measures in growing wheat technologies to increase yields and grain quality [14]. Spelt, as a high-protein crop, responds well to nitrogen fertilizers. The top grain quality is ensured by N 30 application in spring, N 30 application at the beginning of leaf-tube formation and N 30 foliar application during the in milky ripeness phase in combination with P 60 K 60 [15]. Other scientists showed [16] that the effect of single application of nitrogen fertilizers on grain quality was similar to that of divided application. Depending on fertilizer, spelt can have a 1000-grain weight of 32.5-44.4 g, test weight of 725-739 g/L and vitreousness of 77.0-83.0%.
Purpose and objectives: to assess the germinability and germination energy of spelt depending on the types, doses and timing of nitrogen fertilization and storage period.
Materials and methods. The experimental site was located in Mankiv natural agricultural area of the Middle Dnipro-Bug Region of the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe (geographical coordinates at 48°46'56.47'' north latitude and 30°14'48.51'' east longitude). The altitude above the sea level was 245 m. The soil in the experimental field was podzolic chernozem.
The study was conducted in 2014-2015. In general, the climate in this region is favorable for growing most of temperate crops. 2014 had sufficient precipitation. Thus, in April-July, the precipitation amount was 292 mm, which was by 10% more than the multi-year average. However, this year was characterized by lower air and soil temperatures after renewal of vegetation in spring. The precipitation amount for the whole year was the lowest in 2015 (520 mm, which was 1.2 times less than the multi-year average (633 mm). In 2015, a significant amount precipitated during the spring-summer vegetation (271 mm), in April-July. Thus, the weather conditions during the study years were typical for the region. Fluctuations in precipitation, temperature and relative humidity during certain periods of spelt growing did not significantly affect its productive processes and quality.
The study was conducted in the Laboratory of Evaluation of Grain and Grain Product Quality of the Chair of Grain Storage and Processing Technologies of Uman National University of Horticulture. We studied winter spelt variety Yevropa created by hybridization of Triticum aestivum L. with T. spelta L. Spelt was fertilized, as Table 1 describes. In addition, the germinability and germination energy was assessed depending on the duration of grain storage. Fertilizers were ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, granular superphosphate, and potassium chloride. The experimental plot area was 72 m 2 ; the record area was 40 m 2 . The experiments were carried out in three replications. The plots were arranged inline. The forecrop was vetch-oat mixture grown for on green feed. The field experiments, observations and assessments were conducted by traditional methods. does not specify analyses of spelt seeds. The International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) has issued requirements and methods for determining the sowing qualities of this crop [17]. It should be noted that the methods of analyzing the germinability and germination energy of bread wheat specified in DSTU 2240-93 coincide with the ISTA's corresponding methods for spelt. The germinability and germination energy were determined as percentages of the total number of seeds taken for germination (mean value, n=4). To determine these indicators, four samples of 100 seeds were taken in quick succession from a pure seed fraction and germinated in Petri dishes between filter paper sheets. Petri dishes were placed in thermostats at about 20°C. The germination was monitored daily for 7 days. The germinability was expressed as the percentage of germinated seeds to the total number of seeds. After three and seven days of germination, the germination energy and laboratory germinability, respectively, were determined.
Result and discussion. The germination energy characterizes the viability of seeds, on which the germination rate depends. Seeds with high germination energy give early and uniform sprouts [4,7]. We found that the germination energy dynamics of spelt grain depended on the duration of storage and fertilization (Table 2, Fig. 1). Prior to storage, the germination energy was 87-90% depending on fertilizers, the maximum after N 120 application. Nitrogen fertilizers significantly increased this indicator compared to not fertilized plots. The germination energy varied significantly depending on the duration of storage. After 30-and 90-day storage, the germination energy was the highest and amounted to 98-99%. Further storage significantly decreased this parameter. After P 60 K 60 application, it was the lowest: 95%, 92% and 87% when seeds were storage for 180, 270 and 360 days, respectively.
Other reserchers [18] confirmed the effect of storage duration on the germination energy of seeds. They revealed that this indicator decreased after 1-year storage of grain. In a study [19], the germination energy of wheat grain varied significantly depending on the variety and duration of storage. This indicator was the lowest in the first two months of storage. Afterwards it grew to 85-95% depending on the winter wheat variety. After 1-year storage, this figure did not decrease, but was not significantly higher than that after 9-month storage.
The laboratory germinability is the most important indicator of seed quality; it largely depends on soil, climate, cultivation technology, and fertilization [7,9]. The sowing quality of seeds depends on their germinability. Appropriate standards are set for all field crops. The germinability of sseds determines the plant density and uniformity of stem distribution. The pre-storage laboratory germinability of spelt grain was found to be excellent regardless of fertilizers (Table 3, Fig. 2). Thus, before storage and after 30-and 90-day storage of spelt grain, this indicator was 99%, and fertilizers did not change it. 180-day storage resulted in a decrease in the laboratory germinability by 1-2%, depending on fertilization. After 270-day storage, this parameter decreased to 88% in the control and 89% in the other experimental variants. The lowest laboratory germinability (81-84%) was observed after 1-year storage, depending on fertilization, which was significant compared to the contral with LSD 05 = 3. The maximum was recorded with P 60 + N 120 and amounted to 84%, while the lowest value was noticed without fertilizers or with N 60 S 70 + N 60 . It is known [19] that during storage seeds are dormant and their vital activity almost ceases. However, they remain living organisms, and processes of physiological maturation, structural and biochemical reorganization still occur in themt. These processes can occur before harvesting on parentsl plants or during storage. It explains why the germination energy of spelt in the experiment immediatelty after harvest was lower compared to 30-day storage.
In the study [18], statistical analysis confirmed that the laboratory germinability of grain also strongly depended on the duration of its storage. The reserchers [19] noted that chromatin degeneration in the cell nucleus resulting in division arrest was the most frequent cause of a reduced sowing quality of grain.
Thus, it was established that the highest sowing quality of spelt grain was achieved after 30-to 180-day storage. Longer storage decreased the germination energy by 1-2% and laboratory germinability by 15-18%, depending on the type, doses and timing of nitrogen fertilization.