SOWING QUALITIES OF CHICK-PEA SEEDS AT EX-SITY STORAGE

Economic longevity of chick-pea seeds has a considerable theoretical and practical interest for seed growing of leguminous crops. According to the current DSTU 2240-93 seed germination of chick-pea, depending on seeds category should be not lower than 80 %. The purpose of research was to study sowing qualities of chickpea varieties seeds during storage in an uncontrolled climate («ex-sity»). The seeds of three chick-pea varieties Rosanna, Triumph and Pegas of harvest 2012 were laid for storage in the laboratory «Quality of Seeds and Planting Material» of Plant Growing Department of NULES in conditions of «ex-sity». Furing next five years’ germination energy, laboratory germination and seed moisture were determined according to the existing methods DSTU 4138-2002. Was established, that economic longevity of chick-pea seeds during storage under uncontrolled conditions («ex-sity»), depending on variety, was maintained for 3–4 years. The highest loss of moisture over the years of chick-pea seed storage was 4,0 %, among the studied samples was observed in variety Pegas due to a higher initial moisture content in the samples (12,8 %), the lowest – 1,0 % in variety Rosanna, which was caused by the lower initial moisture level of seeds – 9,4 %. It is established, that the higher is moisture content of chick-pea seeds, the faster it loses its conditionality with storage under uncontrolled conditions. The sowing qualities of seeds of chick-pea varieties Rosanna and Triumph, with storage under conditions of «ex-sity» and with seed moisture, which is not exceed14%, did not fall down below the standard indicators of economic longevity. At the fifth year of storage, a sharp decrease in seed germination and loss of conditionality was occurred. Chickpea seeds variety Pegas retained its economic suitability for three years, and at the fourth year of storage it quickly lost its conditionality.