Modern strategies for combining foliar feeding and plant protection products in soybean cultivation technologies

Abstract

Purpose. To substantiate ways to improve the realization of the genetic potential for productivity and grain quality of soybeans by optimizing elements of cultivation technology (inoculation, foliar feeding systems, application of biostimulants, and integrated phytosanitary protection) across various soil and climatic zones of Ukraine. Methods. The study is based on a systematic generalization and analysis of field experiment data, laboratory and analytical measurements, and statistical data processing methods from scientific developments focused on the leaf area index, physiological and biochemical parameters, symbiotic activity, and seed productivity of soybeans. Results. Regularities in the formation of photosynthetic and seed productivity of soybeans under the influence of foliar feeding, inoculation, and plant protection products were established. Pre-sowing seed treatment combined with vegetative treatments using biological products and microfertilizers was proven to promote leaf surface expansion, increase the intensity of biological nitrogen fixation, and yield high grain productivity. The advisability of using combined tank mixes of fungicides and herbicides with anti-stress agents was substantiated, which allows for minimizing pesticide loads, effectively suppressing pathogen and weed development, and achieving a high level of profitability . Conclusions. The systematization and synthesis of scientific data confirm the high effectiveness of integrating foliar nutrition, biostimulants, and plant protection products into unified crop cultivation protocols. The combined application of these components makes it possible to simultaneously optimize mineral nutrition, enhance plant physiological activity, increase resilience to adverse environmental conditions, and ensure more effective control of harmful organisms. Optimizing the composition and parameters of tank mixtures is a key element of resource-saving technology, as it ensures a synergistic or additive effect of the products, reduces the number of operational steps and associated costs, and promotes the more efficient use of material and technical resources. At the same time, the effectiveness of such mixtures depends largely on the physicochemical compatibility of the components, their concentrations, the timing and method of application, as well as weather conditions and the physiological state of the plants. Integrated technological solutions help mitigate the negative impact of both abiotic factors – such as drought, temperature stress, nutrient deficiencies, and waterlogging-and biotic factors, particularly disease and pest damage. By maintaining optimal nutrition levels and stimulating physiological and biochemical processes, plants develop greater adaptive potential, which positively influences their growth, development, productivity, and crop quality.