The data of long-term research aimed at improving the forage reserve in order to provide livestock with high-grade concentrated green fodder and silage are presented. The necessity of selection and comparative assessment of maize hybrids of different early maturity and improvement of the basic methods of cultivation technology has been substantiated. The seeding rates slightly changed the field germination rate. On average for 2017–2019 at a seeding rate of 50 thousand seeds per 1 hectare by the panicle-sweeping phase, the leaf surface of the mid-early hybrid Rainbow was 31.2 thousand m2/ha, which is 9.5% higher compared to the early-ripening hybrid Mashuk 185 MV ( 28.5 thousand m2/ha) and 14.3% higher compared to the ultra-early hybrid RNIISK-1 (27.3 thousand m2/ha). With an increase in the seeding rate over 50 thousand seeds per hectare, the leaf surface of all hybrids increased and was maximum at 70 thousand seeds per hectare. The minimum leaf area was at a seeding rate of 40 thousand seeds per hectare. Similarly to the formation of the leaf surface, the accumulation of green and dry biomass took place depending on the seeding rate in the ultra-early maize hybrid RNIISK-1. In the early-maturing hybrid Mashuk 185 MV and the mid-early hybrid Raduga, the accumulation of green and dry biomass did not depend on the seeding rate. Such features of the growth and development of maize hybrids, depending on the seeding rate, influenced the structure and size of the grain yield.

The data of studies on the selection and comparative assessment of the productivity of different early maturity groups of maize hybrids: ultra-early maturing - Ross 140 SV, RNIISK-1, NUR, Baikal; early maturing - Mashuk 175 MV, Mashuk 185 MV, Rodnik 180 SV, Darina MV; mid-early - Dokuchaevsky 190 SV, Krasnodar 194, Raduga, Mashuk 250 SV. All studied hybrids were distinguished by high laboratory germination capacity. Their field germination rate varied from genetic characteristics by no more than 2.1–2.8%, mainly depending on weather conditions. The features of the formation of the leaf surface, green and dry biomass, depending on the group of ripeness of the hybrids, were revealed. The maximum indicators of leaf surface formation (42.01 thousand m2), photosynthetic potential (2917 thousand m2 / ha · day) and dry biomass (9.28 t / ha) in the panicle-sweeping phase were in the mid-early hybrid Rainbow. The maximum grain yield (5.84 t / ha) was in the mid-early hybrid Raduga, which is 0.9 t / ha higher compared to the early-maturing hybrid Mashuk 185 MV and 1.16 t / ha higher than the ultra-early hybrid RNIISK- 1.

They are given results of experiments to determine the dynamics of decomposition and residual amounts of herbicides in the soil and in the products in various agricultural landscapes. It has been established that the duration of herbicides conservation in soil, primarily sulfonylureas, and the associated level of their negative effects on sensitive crops rotate depend on the relief, soil type, their physical and chemical properties, the hydrothermal regime of the environment and the nature of anthropogenic impact on the agroecosystem.