Effect of sapropel fertilizer on the quality of the yield of some field crops.

Sapropel is specific water body sediments containing a high level of organic matter formed from remains of water biota mixed with mineral components. One of the most promising utilisation ways of sapropel is agriculture where it can be used as soil amendment to improve soil physical properties and thus obtain economically viable and high quality yield of field crops. For three years the experiments were conducted at Priekuli Research Centre of the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Economics. Dehydrated sapropel mass from Lake Bizas was studied as soil biological fertilizer to determine its suitability for use in field crop production. Researches were carried out in organic crop rotation, in the fields of potato, winter rye and field bean. Three different doses of sapropel fertilizer were applied. During the three-year period (2020-2022), the yield indicators of the plant species included in the study were evaluated, and the quality of the yield of these species was assessed. The results of research confirm the positive effect of sapropel on yield quality indicators - protein (field beans), starch (potatoes) falling number and 1,000 seed mass (winter rye). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]