The influence of weather conditions and cellulolytic activity of soil on the yield of durum wheat in the steppe zone of the Southern Urals

The work is devoted to the problems of assessing the dependence of durum wheat productivity on a number of factors in unstable climatic conditions. In the presented work, the influence of air temperature, precipitation, dry wind days, cellulolytic activity and nitrate nitrogen content in the soil on the productivity of durum wheat in the system of six-field, two-field crop rotations and monoculture in the arid conditions of the Southern Urals was studied for the first time. Field experiments were carried out on a long-term experimental plot for crop rotations and monocultures. Durum wheat crops were placed in crop rotations and monoculture near the village of Nezhinka, Orenburg region (coordinates: 51.775125^o N and 55.306547^o E). Research (2002-2022) established average values ​​of air temperature - 5.7-22.7 °C, precipitation - 22-364 mm, number of dry wind days - 68, cellulolytic activity of the soil - 0.69-0.76%, nitrate nitrogen content - 0.32-0.75 mg/100 g of soil, crop yield - 0.48-0.97 t/ha. A correlation was found between grain yield and air temperature in May, June (r = 0.49-0.65) and during the growing season (r = 0.40-0.47), with precipitation in May, June (r = 0.33-0.67) and during May-August (r = 0.44-0.60), with the number of dry wind days (r = 0.30-0.41), with the hydrothermal coefficient in May, June (r = 0.41-0.76) and during the growing season (r = 0.50-0.66). The lowest relationship between weather factors and yield was noted in July and August. A weak relationship was found between cellulolytic activity of the soil and yield (r = 0.17-0.31). A weak dependence of grain yield on the nitrate nitrogen content in the soil after sowing the crop (r = 0.13-0.34) and the difference (N-NO₃) during the growing season (r = 0.01-0.17) was noted. In the arid conditions of the Southern Urals, a slowdown in the vital activity of microflora is noted due to a lack of soil moisture, which contributes to a decrease in the relationship between cellulolytic activity and the yield of spring durum wheat. Thus, weather conditions are fundamental in the formation of the yield of spring durum wheat.