The relevance of the study is determined by the problem of choosing the optimal scale for identifying plant growth phases to determine the best terms for conducting agrotechnical operations for the care of sorghum plants. The purpose of the experiment was to apply a plant growth regulator with higher efficiency during crop growth stages 21, 31, 37 (BBCH) and III, IV, VI-VII on the Kuperman scale. Field and laboratory research methods were used in the study. The experiment was conducted in the Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine, two sorghum varieties of Sorghum bicolor and Sorghum saccharatum were treated with PGR. Foliar application of PGR (0.5 L/ha) in the BBСH stages 21 and 31 provides 2.8 and 4.9% better results than in stages III and IV of the Kuperman scale (the latter is based on the complex morphophysiological analysis to identify I to VII CGS). Foliar application of the PGR in microstage 21 (BBCH) promoted faster development and an increase in grain yield in sorghum varieties (0.19 t/ha in Odeskyi 205 and 0.12 t/ha in Lan 59) compared to application in stage III (Kuperman). A similar effect of the PGR applied in microstage 21 (BBCH) compared to stage III (Kuperman) was recorded for two sweet sorghum hybrids: in Dovista, an increase in the yield of biomass was 1.6t/ha, dry matter – 0.7t/ha, and sugar content in the stem juice – 0.0%, while these indices in Huliver amounted to 1.6t/ha, 0.7t/ha, and 0.2% respectively. Therefore, the BBCH scale is recommended to adopt for PGR application, and foliar application of PGR should be conducted in the 21 and 31. The practical value of the study lies in the selection of the scale of growth and development of sorghum crops and the terms of application of foliarfertilisation, optimal for the conditions of Ukraine. The study is useful from the practical standpoint of conducting foliar fertilisation of plants in production and as a theoretical assessment of plant growth and development scales forstudents and researchers
foliar application of fertilisers, identification of plant development stage, organogenesis stages, the yield of grain, biomass yield
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