Response of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to micronutrient foliar application enriched with silver

The aim of the research was to analyze the degree of infection of winter wheat by fun-gal diseases and to evaluate the morphological and physiological parameters of plants depending on varied foliar fertilization (with and without the ionic form of silver) and applied plant protection agents (active ingredients: propiconazole, fenpropidin, azoxys-trobin) in the 2016/2017, 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 growing seasons. The results showed that micronutrient fertilizers with silver and pesticides reduced the severity of fungal diseases better than the control. In most cases, foliar fertilizers enriched with the ionic form of silver at a dose of 1 and 2 l middot ha-1 were the most effective. Moreover, foliar fertilization and pesticides had a positive effect on the morphology of wheat. Combined treatment (micro-nutrient fertilizer with silver and pesticide at a dose of 1 l middot ha-1) increased stalk length and weight, ear weight and thousand grain weight to the greatest extent in comparison to the other treatments, while the pesticides stimulated ear length the most. In turn, microele-ment fertilizers with silver at a dose of 1 and 2 l middot ha-1 were better in terms of flag leaf length. Wheat treated with foliar fertilizer and pesticide significantly improved the chlorophyll content based on the leaf greenness index (SPAD). It was found that the foliar application of microelements with silver is promising for use in agriculture because they controlled fungal diseases and ensured the good condition of plants more effectively than pesticides harmful to the environment.