The leading role in fodder and brewing grain crops directions belongs to spring barley. The given culture yields increased is the key index characterizing the effectiveness of perspective cultivation technologies [1,3,6].

In recent years the researchers' attention was attracted by polymeric hydrogels which have high water sorbing ability and can be used to improve crop plants moisture provision [4].

The purpose of this work was to study the reaction of spring barley Volgograd 08 on promising elements of cultivation resource-saving technologies on light-brown soils of the Volgograd region.

Research program solved the following tasks: 1) the study of spring barley Volgograd 08 biological characteristics and comprehensive evaluation on light-brown soils conditions in the Volgograd region, 2) evaluation of soil hydrogel and mineral nutrition influence on the features of spring barley grain vegetation quantity and quality and their aftereffects in a part of crop rotation. Production tests were carried out on the following scheme: two agricultural backgrounds - control (without soil hydrogel and fertilizers) and NPK (N₂₀P₂₀K₂₀) (factor A) and three doses (aftereffect) of polymeric hydrogel application - 30, 80 and 130 kg/ha (Hydrogel 30, Hydrogel 80, Hydrogel 130) (factor B).

The test was carried out according to the B.A Dospekhov's guidelines [2]. Variants replication was three times, the placement was systematic. Seeding rate was 3.5 million of germinable seeds/ha. The predecessor was winter wheat.

Table 1

Polymeric hydrogel doses (aftereffect) and complete mineral fertilizers influence on the yield of spring barley Volgograd 08, t/ha (average)

НСР₀₅=0,013 t

НСР₀₅ on factor А= 0,007 t

НСР₀₅ on factor В = 0,009 t

The dependence of spring barley grain productivity on the weather was revealed during the analysis of agro-climatic conditions. Strong atmospheric and soil droughts (spring-summer 2011-2012, the soil is light chestnut alkaline loamy, extra-arid region). Thus the highest values were variants of Hydrogel 80 and Hydrogel 80 + N₂₀P₂₀K₂₀ - 0.57 and 0.67 t/ha respectively (yield increase was 0.40 and 0.48 t/ha) (Table 1).

The quality of spring barley Volgograd 08 grain during the experiments was studied only according to the following indicators - grain unit, kernel size, protein. For the general characteristics these figures are of the highest priority [5] (see Table. 2).

Table 2

Polymeric hydrogel doses and complete mineral fertilizers influence on the grain sort Volgograd 08 qualities indices (average)

The data in Table 2 shows that the applied single dose of the hydrogel (aftereffect) contributed to the reduction of protein content from 1.59 to 2.16% compared with absolute control. Against the background of the hydrogel soil mineral fertilizer N₂₀P₂₀K₂₀ also reduced the rate from 0.22% (control + N₂₀P₂₀K₂₀) to 2.45% (Hydrogel 80 + N₂₀P₂₀K₂₀). It should be pointed out that the minimum values of protein were noted in the Hydrogel 80 variants.

In terms of kernel size the highest values of Hydrogel 130 and Hydrogel 130 + N₂₀P₂₀K₂₀ variations were 64 and 67%. The value of the spring barley grain cup weight for all variants was very low - 417.4-462.8 g/l. It is worth to point out that the studied factors raised this criterion from 10.1 to 45.4 g/l.

2. Dospekhov B.A. Methods of field experience/B.A. Dospekhov; 5th edition, revised and enlarged edition. – M.: Agropromizdat, 1985. – 351 p.

3. Ivanov V.M. The study of winter and spring crops cultivation methods in the Lower Volga region/V.M.Ivanov, V.I.Filin. – Volgograd: Volgograd state agrarian academy, 2004. – 296 p.

4. Tibirkov A.P., Filin V.I. The polymer hydrogel and mineral nutrition conditions influence on winter wheat yield and quality on light chestnut soils//Proceedings of the Lower Volga agrarian university complex: Science and Higher Vocational Education. -2012. - № 3. -P. 66-70.

5. Tikhonov N.I. The organization of malting barley harvest, placement and storage/N.I. Tikhonov//Beer and drinks. - 2006. - № 6. - P.42 - 43.

6. Tikhonov N.I. Improving of spring barley Ergeninsky 2 seeding crop structure/N.I.Tikhonov//International agricultural magazine. - 2007. - № 6. - P. 54 - 56.