The Influence of Herbicide Protection Technologies on Economically Valuable Traits and Yield of Sunflower Hybrids in the Central Forest-Steppe of Ukraine

In the conditions of the Central Forest-Steppe of Ukraine during 2021–2023, the influence of herbicide protection technologies on the formation of plant height, basket diameter, oil content and yield of sunflower hybrids was studied. Twelve sunflower hybrids were studied: SY Bacardi CLP, NK Kondi, SUZUKA (Syngenta Crop Protection AG), LG5555 CLP, LG5580, LG59580 (Limagrain Europe), ЕS GENESIS, ES Bellamis CL, ES AROMATIC SU (Euralis Semences), P64LP130, PR64F66, P64LE25 (Pioneer Overseas Corporation). Sunflower hybrids were studied using classical, Express (or SUMO), Clearfield® Plus (CLP) herbicide protection technologies. Taking into account the agrometeorological conditions of sunflower hybrids cultivation and their genetic potential, it was found that under the Express Sun (or SUMO) herbicide protection technology of Dupont (consisting of sunflower hybrids resistant to tribenuron-methyl-based products), the most stable was the height of sunflower plants in SUZUKA (194–197 cm) and P64LE25 (206–207 cm) hybrids. According to the technology of herbicide protection Clearfield® Plus (CLP) by BASF (based on the resistance of sunflower hybrids to herbicides of the imidazoline group), the highest stability in plant height was shown by the hybrid LG5555 CLP (175–177 cm). According to the classical technology, using soil and post-emergence herbicides and graminicides with elements of mechanical control, the hybrid ES Bellamis SL had the greatest variation in plant height from 177 cm to 223 cm during the three years of research. The most stable was the diameter of the sunflower basket in the hybrid SI Bacardi CLP (22.3–22.5 cm) with Clearfield® Plus (CLP) herbicide protection technology. According to the Express Sun (or SUMO) herbicide protection technology, high indicators of the basket diameter were obtained in the hybrids ES AROMATIC SU (20.7–23.2 cm) and SUZUKA (19.3–23.3 cm). The highest yields per plot were recorded for hybrids SUZUKA (11.15 kg), ES AROMATIC SU (11.05 kg) and P64LE25 (10.84 kg) using Clearfield® Plus (CLP) herbicide protection technology. The hybrids that provided the best yields and formed high quality seeds were P64LE25 (3.86 t/ha), with an oil content of 47.2%; ES AROMATIC SU (3.95 t/ha), with an oil content of 47.1%; and SUZUKA (3.98 t/ha), with an oil content of 47.7%, using Clearfield® Plus (CLP) herbicide protection technology. With Express Sun (or SUMO) technology, the best hybrid was LG5580 (4.0 t/ha), with an oil content of 48.6%.