Influence of saline soils and mineral fertilizers on the germination and formation of sunflower seeds

Abstract

The research was carried out with the aid of vegetation experiments and on saline soils in production crops of the Stavropol territory farms (Andropovsky, Mineralovodsky and Kochubeyevsky districts). The goal of the research was to identify patterns of germination and formation of sunflower seeds, depending on the influence of saline soils and the use of mineral fertilizers. It was found that sunflower seeds germinate at fairly high concentrations of soil salts. In vegetation experiments, where saline soil containing 1.14% and 1.71% of chloride- sulfate salts was used, the number of sprouted seeds was 96.0% and 89.3% of the unsalted background, respectively, 14 days after sowing. The salinization type has a various impact on seed germination. A greater reduction in their germination was observed during sulfate-chloride salinization. The predominance of sulfates in the salt composition up to 0.4% did not have a negative effect on seed germination, while the predominance of chlorides reduced their germination, starting from 0.2%. If the difference between the two types of salinization at 0.4% was only 2%, then at 1.4% it reached 18%, which indicates an increase in the toxic effects of chlorides as their concentrations increase. In the process of growing plants, soil salts affect plants directly through the root system.