Features of vitality structure of planting of Ginkgo biloba L. plants in the Ukrainian North-East

Abstract

Today, there are about 12,000 plants in the world that have healing properties and are used in both traditional and folk medicine. One of these plants is Ginkgo biloba L. In recent years, interest in its cultivation has increased in Ukraine, and improving the technology of growing this plant in the Ukrainian North-East is a relevant problem. Studies of G. biloba plants growing in the experimental area of Sumy NAU were conducted. On the basis of morphometric analysis, a number of morphoparameters 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 vital analysis, as well as the variance, correlation and regression analyses were carried out. G. biloba seedlings up to 3–4 years of life with different growing technology have a height of 25–30 cm and form 13–17 leaves per plant. The totality of morphometric characteristics in all variants of the G. biloba plant experiment corresponded to an equilibrium population of equilibrium type, in which in close proportions individuals of all three vitality types are present: a, b, and c. But at the same time a higher proportion (40 %) of individuals of class "a" was in the variant with the cultivation of G. biloba in greenhouse. The smallest part of individuals of high viability (only 20 %) was formed by cultivation of G. biloba in open soil without protection of the agro-grid. The ecological-coenotic stability of G. biloba has been noted many times, a certain limitation of G. biloba cultivation may be that this plant is light loving and thermophilic, but the climatic conditions of the Ukrainian North-East are favorable for it. Complex studies have shown the prospects and feasibility of growing G. biloba in the conditions of t the Ukrainian North-East as medicinal raw materials. Despite the stressful growing conditions for G. biloba, this species is characterized by high stability and adaptability, which is confirmed by our comparative morphometric and vital analysis of plants. Given that the age of the seedlings is negligible, further studies to determine the adaptability of G. biloba plants to growing conditions are not only desirable but also necessary.