Improving the quality of mustard seeds during pre-sowing preparation

Purpose. With the introduction of modern technologies for growing seeds of agricultural crops, the requirements for the quality of seed material are increasing, without which it is impossible to use advanced technologies of growing. Therefore, the development and improvement of ways to improve the quality of seeds during their pre-sowing preparation is relevant for all crops, since modern technologies provide for sowing at the final density. Therefore, the purpose of the research is to determine the efficiency of sorting mustard seeds by specific gravity depending on varietal characteristics. Methods. Laboratory, measuring-weighing, correlation-regression and mathematical-statistical. The results. The article presents the results of a study on the efficiency of seed sorting by specific gravity on a pneumatic table with the aim of increasing its similarity of different varieties of mustard, with unchanged longitudinal and transverse angles of inclination of the working surface of the pneumatic table and a frequency of oscillations of the working surface of 486 oscillations per minute ensured a reliable increase in the quality of seeds – mass 1000 seeds, germination energy and germination compared to the control. Germination energy and germination of the prepared seeds increased by 4 and 3 %, respectively (NIP0.05 = 2.7 for germination energy and 1.7 % for germination), compared to the control, while seeds with a germination energy of 91 % entered the intermediate fraction (position 3) and 79% (position 4). Seeds from position 3 should be re-sent to sorting, and seeds from position 4 should be sent to waste. A similar increase in the mass of 1000 seeds was observed, which increased, the seeds prepared for sowing, and the mass of 1000 seeds fell into the intermediate fraction, which was smaller than in the control. Correlation-regression analysis revealed a strong direct correlation between the weight of 1000 seeds and germination energy and between the weight of 1000 seeds and similarity with a correlation coefficient of 0.93 and 0.89, respectively. Conclusions. In the sorting mode with small angles of inclination of the working surface of the pneumotable and 486 oscillations/minute on average for all grades with negligible deviation – 86.8% of seeds with the highest quality indicators were obtained. Varieties responded differently to seed sorting. The energy of germination and germination of the prepared seeds of most varieties was 98–99 %, and the Pidpecheretska and Oslava varieties were maximum and amounted to 100 %.