The article contains the results of mathematical modeling of grain sorghum yield in the South of Ukraine under different input parameters of wetting and growing season duration.

Global climate changes and fossil fuel reserve depletion are drivers for the search for environmentally friendly renewable energy sources. In Europe, biomass represents the main alternative to fossil fuels. Among energy crops, sorghum is a promising crop for arid regions. The biomass yield and energy efficiency of sorghum (both silage and grain) were studied based on field experiments conducted in Southern Ukraine. The following climate changes were identified: an increase in temperature and a decrease in precipitation. The total energy inputs for sweet sorghum were estimated at 11.256 GJ/ha. The main contributors to the energy inputs are mineral fertilizers (56.99%). The experiment showed that a yield of 40.6 t/ha could be achieved with annual precipitation of 350 mm. The energy efficiency ratio was determined to be 11.18. The total energy inputs for grain sorghum was 16.081 GJ/ha. Its yield (grain) varied from 1.92 to 7.05 t/ha. The energy efficiency ratio of grain sorghum ranged from 2.8 to 16.7.

Землеробство, рослинництво, овочівництво та баштанництво favorable conditions for forming the highest grain yield and high level of crop profitability. For example, on average in the years of researches, in wheat plants of winter variety Zamozhnist, under this variant of fertilizer the grain yield at the level of 4.99 t/ha was formed, and the conditionally net profit per 1 ha of crops in the above mentioned variant was UAH 17484.5, and the profitability level was 127.6%, which exceeded the variant without fertilizers when growing the same variety by 58.2 and 56.2%, respectively. Growing the variety Zamozhnist provided the lowest cost per unit of production for fertilizing Escort-bio crops against the background of mineral fertilizers, where it amounted to 2746.1 UAH / t, which is 18.1% less than for winter wheat in control without fertilizers. Formation of grain yield and economic efficiency indicators of winter barley cultivation depended on the variety and microfertilizers. It was found that the pre-sowing treatment of the latter seeds contributed to 5.97-6.84 t/ha of grain. At the same time, the highest rates of economic efficiency of cultivation were recorded for the cultivation of the Deviatyi Val variety and the use of fertilizers Mifosat-1 and Chelat Kombi. Thus, the conditionally net income for this variant of experience was the highest and amounted to 17108,4 UAH / ha. It should be noted that the cost of growing grain of winter barley of the Deviatyi Val was 2298.8 UAH / t, which provided a level of profitability of 108.8%.

In recent years, interest in cultivating Ginkgo biloba L. as a medicinal plant has grown in Ukraine, and improvement of the technology of growing this plant in the conditions of the North-East of Ukraine is a relevant problem. The purpose of this article to present research on the morphological structure, growth and viability of young G. biloba plants in grown from seeds by different technologies and comparative analysis of growth and development of G. biloba plants under greenhouse conditions and on open soil. The experiment on G. biloba cultivation was initiated in 2014 in three variants (the plants were grown from the seeds). Variant No 1: G. biloba growing in a greenhouse at 60–80% humidity and temperatures not below +27 ºС; shading (shading level 60%) by green agronetting. Variant No 2: growing in open soil; shading (shading level 60%) by green agronetting; the climatic conditions were typical for Sumy region. Variant No 3: growing in open soil; there was no shading; climatic conditions were typical for the Sumy region. Plant analysis was conducted in June 2018. The following morphometric parameters of G. biloba plants were measured: plant height, annual growth of shoots, number of leaves, leaf size and leaf area, phytomass of the shoots, phytomass of leaves and phytomass of the stem, diameter of the shoots. The sampling used 60 samples. The leaf area was determined by the method of drawing contours on millimeter paper. Statistical processing of research results was carried out by generally accepted modern methods of mathematical statistics using dispersion, correlation, regression and vital analysis. In the conditions of the Ukrainian North East, G. biloba seedlings can be grown successfully in greenhouses and open soil, both with 60% shade by agronetting and without it. Differences between the plants grown in such conditions are insignificant and statistically unreliable. The obtained three to four year old G. biloba seedlings grown using different technologies were 25–30 cm in height and formed 13–17 leaves per plant. The seedlings were of quite high viability (Q is 0.22–0.30) and morphostructural integrity (67.8%). The output of viable seedlings (vital classes “a” and “b”) in variant 1 was 60%, variant 2 45% and variant 3 60%. Ecological-cenotic stability of G. biloba was observed repeatedly, though certain limitations on G. biloba cultivation may be that the plant is photophilic and thermophilic. But the conducted experiments show that the climatic conditions of the Ukrainian North-East are quite favourable for this species. Based on the data obtained for the Ukrainian North-East, it is possible to recommend the technology of growing G. biloba seedlings in open soil without agronetting as quite effective and low-cost.

Expansion of variety and sustainable production of quality oilseed crops both in the world on the whole and in Ukraine in particular, is actual. The main factors of this are: the urgent need for raw materials, changes in weather and climatic conditions, changes in the structure of phytocenoses, development and spread of specific diseases and pests, and adaptive ability of species and varieties, etc. This problem is especially crucial when cultivating crops under stressful conditions of the Southern Steppe of Ukraine. In the cultivation of sunflower varieties and hybrids of modern plant breeding, we observe a pronounced reaction to changes in agricultural meteorological conditions of their cultivation. Our research was carried out for three years (2017-2019) in the Southern Steppe region of Ukraine, which has low rainfall. The methods of the analysis were field and mathematicalstatistical methods. We evaluated the levels of environmental plasticity in 23 sunflower hybrids. We used the Eberhard and Russel method (the plasticity and stability analysis) to fully evaluate new hybrids with regard to their adaptability to growing conditions and investigate the appropriate rate of response of genotypes to the growing technology. We have found that under the conditions of the Dry Steppe zone of Ukraine sunflower embodies its genetic potential by 45%. Based on the experimental data, we conducted the regression analysis resulting in a linear regression model that indicates the dependence of sunflower yield on agricultural meteorological indicators. The hydrothermal coefficient in 2017 was 0.75. Despite this, the sunflower plants formed the highest yield that year due to the sufficient minimum relative humidity of the air during flowering (BBCH 61-65) was 54.7%. Creating genotype shave an average value of plasticity of the yield (ranging from 0.83 to 1.19), namely: EU Arcadia SU, EU Genesis, NS-X-496, EU Generalis SL, EU Loris KLP, SI Bacardi KLP, SI Arizona. Hybrids of different intensity levels, that are genetically and biologically diverse, can be cultivated efficiently in different agricultural ecological growing zones.

No abstract

The milk thistle is a highly valuable medicinal plant, widely used in treatment of liver diseases. Soil-climate conditions of the steppe zone of Ukraine are favourable for crop cultivation. The goal of the study was to determine relations between milk thistle productivity and elements of cultivation technology, viz., primary tillage depth (14–16 and 20–22 cm), inter-row spacing (30, 45, 60 cm), timing of sowing (3rd decade of March, middle of April, 3rd decade of April) and mineral fertilizer application doses (no fertilizers, N45P45, N90P90). Field trials were carried out during the period from 2010 to 2012 on the irrigated lands of the Institute of Rice of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine by using the split plot design method in four replications. The climate of the territory of the trials is typical for the steppe zone. The soil type was dark-chestnut residual solonetz middle-loamy soil. We used the Yuhoslava variety of milk thistle in the trials. Cultivation technology was standard, excluding the studied factors. The results of the trials showed significant impact of all the studied cultivation technology elements on milk thistle seed and oil yields. The maximum average seed (1.66 t/ha) and oil (489 kg/ha) yields were obtained under the primary tillage at the depth of 20–22 cm, inter-row spacing of 60 cm, sowing in the 3rd decade of March, applying mineral fertilizers in a dose of N90P90. The highest input in seed and oil yields rise was made by the mineral fertilizers, which increased milk thistle productivity by 1.57 times comparatively with non-fertilized treatments. We also established a strong direct interrelationship between seed and oil yield: coefficient of determination was 0.96. Results of the current study are slightly limited, so further investigations in the field of milk thistle cultivation technology development and improvement are required to provide Ukrainian farmers with scientifically grounded agrotechnology of this valuable medicinal plant.

У статті наведені результати досліджень впливу різних фонів живлення на продуктивність та фенологічні показники гібриду соняшника Тунка фірми Лімагрейн за умов природного зволоження зони Південного Степу України. У дослідженнях, які проводили на полях навчально-науково-практичного центру Миколаївського національного аграрного університету, вивчали питання впливу і поєднання комплексу з висококонцентрованого халатного добрива, моноелементного мікродобрива та функціонального мікродобрива з направленою специфічною дією торгової марки Квантум виробництва НВК «Квадрат» та біопрепарату для живлення і профілактики хвороб Біокомплекс-БТУ-р підприємства Компанії «БТУ-Центр». Робота проводилась з використанням передпосівної обробки насіннєвого матеріалу гібрида соняшника, позакореневого підживлення рослин різними нормами сумішки біопрепарату з комплексом мікродобрив у фазі 5–6 листків, у фазі 9–10 листків та дворазової обробки посівів у фазах 5-6 та 9-10 листків. Тривалість періоду від посіву до збирання в досліджуваного гібриду соняшника залежно від факторів впливу варіювала порівняно з контрольною ділянкою від 2 до 13 днів, а висота рослин у період цвітіння збільшувалась під впливом препаративних форм, які використовувалися від 4,37 % до 13,1 %. Спостерігалася чітка тенденція до збільшення діаметру кошиків рослин гібрида залежно від факторів досліду, за умови максимального поєднання передпосівної обробки насіння з позакореневим підживленням у дві фази розвитку. При цьому максимальний приріст у розмірах складав 28,7 %. Відповідно до зміни умов позакореневого підживлення змінювались і показники урожайності насіння гібриду, найбільш високим він формувався посівами у разі поєднання обробки насіннєвого матеріалу та дворазового підживлення. Ці показники варіювали від 1,81 до 2,54 т/га. Зміна кількісного та якісного складу використаних препаративних форм призводило до зміни вмісту олії в насінні соняшника. Умовний вихід сирої олії у разі максимальної норми застосування комплексу мікродобрив Квантум та біоперарату Біокомплекс-БТУ-р в поєднанні з передпосівною обробкою насіння гібрида, при дворазовому позакореневому підживленні рослин у фазах 5-6 та 9-10 листків, формувався максимальним, та мав приріст порівняно з контролем 0,424 т/га.