Optimisation of the density of chufa (Cyperus esculentus L.) plants in the Kyiv region

Abstract

To achieve the optimal compromise between yield and soil fertility that will help balance two important aspects of agricultural production – high crop yields and long-term soil fertility – it is necessary to understand the impact of changing row spacing on vegetable crop growth and the soil environment. The research aims to determine the adaptive properties of the Pharaoh variety by studying the feeding area and plant density to obtain high-quality chufa nodules in the Kyiv region. The main research methods were field studies and analysis of the variance of morphological traits and economically valuable indicators of chufa. It was found that different plant densities had an impact on the development of vegetative organs of chufa due to competition for resources during the growing season. The variety “Pharaoh” showed a high intensity of aboveground mass formation in sparse crops with a plant density in the range of 28-33 thousand plants per hectare, with the number of leaf bundles reaching 145.2-147.4 pieces, and their average height is 50.4-52.3 centimetres. At the same time, the size of the nodules increased with a lower plant density, since with a larger feeding area, plants formed more powerful ones with thicker leaf bundles. Plants arranged in a 60 × 60 cm spacing (28 thousand plants/ha) formed larger nodules with the largest dimensions: 3.1 cm in length, 1.0 cm in width, and 1.2 cm in thickness. It has been substantiated that chufa of the “Pharaoh” variety was characterised by higher economic and valuable indicators under the schemes of planting 60×50 and 60×60 cm nodules. The high marketable yield of freshly harvested nodules was formed at a plant density of 28-33 thousand units/ha and amounted to 4.2-4.6 t/ha. The highest average yield of nodules after drying was obtained under the plant spacing of 60 x 60 and 60 x 50 cm, which was 3.35 and 2.99 t/ha, which was 20.9 and 7.8% higher than the control, respectively. Chufa is a promising crop in terms of food security and income generation, and precise management of plant placement will help to balance yield and soil fertility

Keywords

• nodules
• arrangement
• bush
• leaf bundles
• rhizome
• productivity
• yield