Improvement of elements of oil flax cultivation technology on gray forest soil

Abstract The article proposes the results of investigations on agroecological assessment of oil flax varieties depending on the sowing time in the southern part of the Nonchernozem belt of Russia. The experiments took place at the agrotechnological experimental station of Ryazan State Agrotechnological University Named after P.A. Kostychev on gray forest soil typical of the region. It should be noted that the introduction of new varieties into the zone requires a more detailed study of the technology of their cultivation, including the determination of the optimal seeding rate and sowing date for specific weather conditions. The objects of investigations were domestic varieties of flax: Istok, VNIIMK 620, Sunlin and LM 98. Sowing was carried out in two terms - the third decade of April and the first decade of May. According to the results of experiments, it can be concluded that the yield was formed due to the density of planting, largely due to better survival in the second term of sowing. Despite significantly lower yield parameters of the second crop, such as the number of bolls per plant, the mass of 1,000 seeds, the number of seeds per boll, the yield of Sunlin and LM-98 varieties was higher than in the first term of sowing. On average, the maximum productivity was shown by Istok variety when the first sowing period (21.2 dt/ha) and Sunlin variety when the second period of sowing (20.6 dt/ha). During the years of studying varieties, flax oil content was 36.3-46.3 %. There was a decrease in this parameter in all experimental varieties by 1-3.5 % in the second period of sowing.