Method for increasing seed productivity, sowing and yield quality of particolored hybrid alfalfa

Agricultural producers of the Republic of Tatarstan in recent years get little potash in its purest form. Received potassium in the composition of complex mineral fertilizers is mainly used for grain and row crops (sugar beet and potatoes) crops. As for the main fodder crop alfalfa it is neglected. This results in decrease in seed productivity of alfalfa which needs an increased amount of this nutritional element. This happens when plants do not have enough exchange potassium. On grey forest soil of heavy loam granulometric composition having a typical agrochemical indicators in 2014-2016 field studies to determine the influence of foliar nutrition of plants on seed production, sowing qualities and yield quality of seeds of alfalfa were conducted. The experiment scheme was as follows: 1) control without application of feeding, 2) foliar sprays of potassium sulfate, 3) the same of kalimagnesia, 4) potassium monophosphate, 5) potassium chloride. The dose of mineral fertilizers in the calculation of 8 kg/ha of active material and 200 litres of water per 1 ha. Foliar feeding of alfalfa plants during flowering contributed to the increase in the number of formed pods on the pollinated flowers, increasing the number of full seeds per bean. The increase in the number of full seeds per 1 plant and the weight of 1000 seeds was accompanied by the increase in seed yield of 18-45 kg/ha in all years of study. Simultaneously with the increase in seed yield improvement of seed quality of alfalfa is noted. Among indicators of sowing quality an increase in alfalfa seed germination energy on all variants of foliar application of potassium fertilizers irrespective of the type of fertilizer is noted. Yield quality of seeds obtained on the variants with application of foliar fertilization with mineral potassium was 18-22 kg/ha higher compared to control with the average yield of the control 203 kg/ha.