The impact of climate change on the forage base in the Republic of Moldova

Abstract

The study aimed to determine the optimal conditions for using biological products to improve the agroecological efficiency of grain crops, by analysing their impact on plant physiological processes, productivity and soil resources. The study presented the results of the study of the influence of biological products on the yield, product quality, dynamics of plant development phases and soil microflora composition when growing barley of the Helios variety and buckwheat of the Antaria variety in the South of Ukraine. The experiment was conducted using nitrogen-fixing, mycorrhizal and phosphate-mobilising biological products, both individually and in combination, with the establishment of control and experimental plots. The analysis included an assessment of yields, protein content in grain, changes in plant development stages and the activity of soil microorganisms. The results of the study demonstrated that the use of biological products provided a significant increase in yields: barley showed an increase of 20-25%, and buckwheat – by 18-22% compared to the control plots. The protein content of the grain also increased, reaching 12% for barley and 14% for buckwheat. The duration of plant development phases was reduced, which contributed to more efficient use of soil resources and optimisation of growth processes. Changes in the composition of soil microflora were particularly noticeable: the number of nitrogen-fixing bacteria increased by 40% and phosphate-mobilising – by 50%, which improved the availability of nutrients for plants. The highest results were achieved when using combinations of biological products that demonstrated a synergistic effect, increasing crop productivity and improving product quality. The results confirmed the effectiveness of biological products in creating sustainable agroecosystems, ensuring environmental safety, reducing the need for chemical fertilisers and increasing the economic profitability of agricultural production. The use of biological products is a promising area for optimising modern agricultural technologies in regions with unfavourable soil and climatic conditions.