Economic aspects of foliar feeding in winter rape (Brassica napus L.) cultivation

Abstract

Production of rapeseed in Poland is characterized by low stability resulting from both high yield variability and fluctuations in the profitability of growing this plant. The aim of the research was to determine the profitability of winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) seed production under conditions of foliar feeding with sulfur, boron and amino acids. The profitability analysis was performed on the basis of the research results from the field experiment carried out in 2016–2019 at the Zawady Agricultural Experimental Station belonging to the University of Natural Sciences and Humanities in Siedlce. The experiment investigated the influence of various variants of foliar feeding: 1. control object (K) – without the use of foliar feeding and amino acid,  2. Aminoplant amino acid (A), 3. Siarkomag foliar fertilizer + Bormax foliar fertilizer (S+B), 4. Siarkomag foliar fertilizer + Bormax foliar fertilizer + Aminoplant amino acid (S+B+A). The own research showed that the size of harvested winter rape seed yield depended on individual variants of foliar feeding. It was found that the highest seed yield was obtained using a mixture of Siarkomag and Bormax foliar fertilizers and the amino acid Aminoplant – 3.77 t·ha^–1, while the lowest yield was obtained on the control object (without foliar feeding) – 3.18 t.ha^–1, yield growth was 18.5%. The direct surplus from 1 ha of winter oilseed rape cultivation ranged from 1391.55 ha^–1 (control object) to 2155.53 ha^–1 (a mixture of Siarkomag and Bormax foliar fertilizers and the amino acid Aminoplant). On the other hand, the income from cultivation of 1 ha, including direct payments, ranged from PLN 1896.23 ha^–1 on the control object to PLN 2660.21 ha^–1 in variant 4.