Quality of soybean seeds depending on weather conditions and cultivation technology in the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe

Aim. To determine the impact of weather conditions under different cultivation technology variants on soybean seed quality. Analyzing the patterns of seed quality formation will make it possible to identify the optimal model of soybean cultivation technology and to develop measures that ensure consistently maximum yields of crude protein and oil per hectare. Methods. Field experiment, laboratory analyses, analytical methods, mathematical and statistical analysis, and comparative-calculation approach. Results. The article demonstrates that the oil content in soybean seeds was 47.6–65.6% dependent on the average daily air temperature and precipitation amount during the budding – full maturity interphase period. An increase in average daily air temperature by 1°C during this period led to a reduction in oil content within the experiment by 2.2–4.4%, while an increase in precipitation by 1 mm contributed to an increase in oil content by 0.02–0.04%. The crude protein content in soybean seeds was significantly influenced by the combination of weather conditions during the emergence – budding interphase period. In the variants with seed treatment, a rise in air temperature promoted an increase in protein content by 7.3–11.3%, whereas an increase in precipitation resulted in a decrease in this indicator by 0.04–0.10%. Conclusions. Under the conditions of the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe, the oil and protein content in soybean seeds significantly depended on the weather conditions during the vegetation period, as well as on the specific variant of the crop cultivation technology. In the experiment, the highest crude protein yield of 1.35 t/ha was obtained using a cultivation technology that included seed treatment with a mycorrhiza-forming agent and a seed dressing agent, along with foliar feeding with an organo-mineral fertilizer during the budding phase, on the background of N15P45K60+N30 application. This cultivation variant also demonstrated the highest oil yield per unit area 0.82 t/ha. The identified patterns of seed quality formation in relation to weather conditions during the vegetation period, depending on the type of pre-sowing seed treatment and foliar feeding, represent an important factor in improving soybean cultivation technology to maximize oil and protein yield per unit area.