Purpose. Studying variety samples of winter triticale of various ecological and geographical origin for revealing polymorphism of the culture for its susceptibility to pathogenic complex of Fusarium head blight and defining high-yielding and resistant to diseases varieties that later can be put into the production and breeding process. Methods. Field experiments, statistical evaluation. Results. It was defined that the development of Fusarium head blight in different variety samples of winter triticale depends on the hydrothermal conditions and genotype of the host-plant. Resistance of varieties and hybrids to the disease was partial, and no immune samples were found among the analyzed ones. The following varieties proved to be tolerant to Fusarium head blight: ‘Granat’, ‘Zorro’, ‘Obrii Myronivskyi’. The positive correlation between the development of Fusarium head blight and root rot of winter triticale was found. It was determined that in the pathogenic complex of Fusarium head blight the amount of the following pathogens is increasing: Fusarium sporotrichioides, F. аvenaceum and F. poae. Conclusions. The leading varieties that combine high yields and resistance to Fusarium head blight are as follows: ‘Obrii Myronivskyi’, ‘ADM 8’, ‘Yuvileine Volynske’, ‘Yukon’, ‘Zorro’, ‘Tsekad 90’, ‘Zerniatko’, ‘Legion’ and ‘Rarytet’. These varieties should be involved in the selection process to breed the hybrids with the augmented resistance to the disease and high yields.

Purpose. Analysis of hexaploid triticale breeding process for drought resistance through the use of systemic ecological tests in contrasting conditions. Methods. Dialectical, field, laboratory and statistical ones. Results. Medium-grown (‘Amos’, ‘Nikanor’, ‘Rarytet’, ‘Yaroslava’) and low-stem (‘HAD 69’, ‘HAD 86’, ‘HAD 110’, ‘Timofei’) multiline varieties of winter and alternate hexaploid triticale were developed with higher adaptability, potential yield of 9–12 tons per ha and high bread-making properties. Among the most drought resistant genotypes, such varieties as ‘Amos’, ‘Buket’, ‘Harne’, ‘Markiian’, ‘Kharroza’, ‘Shalanda’, ‘Nicanor’ and ‘Yaroslava’ showed high values of yield, plasticity and stability. Conclusions. The use of interspecific hybridization instead of intergeneric one in hexaploid triticale breeding, together with systemic testing of the hybrid material in contrasting agro-ecological zones, ensured the creation of multiline competitive varieties with an optimal combination of yield and adaptive properties

Purpose. Reporting peculiarities of new forms of edible corn and prospects for their use in food production that have been created jointly by scientists from the Plant Production Institute nd. a. V. Ya. Yuryev of NAAS and Ustymiv­ka Experimental Station for Plant Production on the base of the environmentally friendly method that uses biochemical effects of natural mutations of corn grain endosperm structure. Methods. Field study, laboratory analysis, mathematical and statistical evaluation. Results. Original series of inbred lines as well as promising varieties and hyb­rids of sugar and waxy corns were obtained. Varieties and hybrids are universally usable for obtaining both fresh and canned products, characterized by good taste, provide yields of up to 10 tons per hectare of commercial products and aimed to grow in various soil and climatic conditions. Brief economic and morphological characteristics of corn varieties and hybrids created jointly by scientists from the Plant Production Institute nd. a. V. Ya. Yuryev of NAAS and Ustymivka Experimental Station for Plant Production were given. Conclusions. The use of biochemical effect of natural mutations of endosperm structure is cost-effective and environmentally friendly method for creating lines, varieties and hybrids of corn for direct consumption and processing into food products. ‘Biliavka’, ‘Nika’ varieties and ‘Binom F1’, ‘Solo F1’, ‘Twister F1’ hybrids created with the help of this method are promising for commercial use

Purpose. Determination of the possibility to diffe­rentia­te triticale samples by starch grain size and identify samples with a minimum size of granules that have a significant positive correlation with the efficiency of the starch transformation into ethanol. Methods. Light mic­roscopy of grinded triticale grains. Results. Analysis of the starch granule size in triticale samples was performed. The minimum average granule size was observed in line Kc-270/14 (23.78 µm), maximum one – in line KR-110/14 (28.06 µm). The size of starch granules in a soft winter wheat variety ‘Tsvit Kalyny’ was 24.2 µm that was within the values typical for winter triticale varieties and lines. The size of the majority of granules ranged from 15 to 35 µm, but their distribution was uneven in the studied lines. Conclusions. Considerable polymorphism of winter triticale for the starch granule size was established. It was found that the minimum average size of starch granules was observed in the samples characterized by minimum maximum size of granules, low frequency of granules of more than 35 µm, and therefore, minimum dispersion. Based on this, assumption can be made about the possibility to evaluate a sample for the presence of granules larger than 35 µm that can significantly reduce the number of measurements and speed up analysis.

Purpose. To create a multiplex system for identification glyphosate-tolerant sugar beet by using PCR. Methods. Molecular genetic analysis. Results. The article presents the results of studies to determine the parameters of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in order to develop a multiplex system for identification of the structural elements of the design of transgenic gene cp 4 epsps, which provides tole­rance to glyphosate. For amplicon target DNA sequences, the following values of temperature conditions of PCR were determined: step 1 (initial denaturation) 95 °C – 3 min; step 2 (specific reaction products accumulation): denaturation 95 °C – 45 s; hybridization of primers 55 °C – 50 s; elongation 72 °C – 1 min; number of cycles – 40; step 3 (final elongation) 72 °C – 6 min. A series of PCR were carried out for the purpose of selecting the optimal amount of DNA matrix for efficient estimate of transgenic sugar beet plants for the presence of specific sequences. Conclusions. To identify transgenic glyphosate-tolerant sugar beet, it is advisable to determine 35S promoter and gene cp 4 epsps in individual genotypes. It was found that during the selection of temperature parameters of multiplex reaction a 5 °C rise in primer hybridization temperature did not affect the identification of gene als that allowed to include specific primers for determination of this sequence as an internal control. Based on the results of test multiplex reactions, concentrations of dNTPs and Mg2+ ions were determined that allowed to exclude the possibility of non-specific fragments and false-negative results. The optimum amount of matrix DNA (100–150 ng) for an efficient estimate of transgenic sugar beet plants for the presence of specific sequences was determined. Obtained results allowed to develop a multiplex test system for identification of transgenic glyphosate-to­lerant sugar beet which can be used for simultaneous determination of the 35S promoter, cp 4 epsps gene and als gene as an internal reaction control.

Purpose. To evaluate results of old garden roses varieties introduction based on the analysis of their decorative pro­perties and economic characters. Methods. Field study, comparative analysis, generalization. Results. The collection of roses at M. M. Hryshko National Botanical Garden (the city of Kyiv) was analyzed. A comparison was drawn between their gene pool and the world collection of roses. After collection screening, 22 old varieties were found at M. M. Hryshko National Botanical Garden and described. Their decorative pro­perties, economic characters and winter hardiness were eva­luated, the final result ranged from 81 to 100 points. Evalua­tion of winter hardiness that was based on the records of shoot damage degree in the field during the winter showed that in Kyiv conditions 13 cultivars were exceptionally resistant to frost, the other 9 appeared to be frost-sensitive. Conclusions. As follows from the analysis of decorative va­lues, economic characters and winter hardiness, 12 varieties of old roses such as ‘Cardinal de Richelieu’, ‘Commandant Beaurepaire’, ‘La Reine’, ‘Louise de Odier’, ‘Madame Plantier’, ‘Maiden’s Blush’, ‘Marie Baumann’, ‘Mousseuse Rouge’, ‘Persian Yellow’, ‘Poppius’, ‘Reine des Violettes’, ‘Versicolor’ were found to be perfectly suitable for landscaping.

Purpose. To estimate genetic resources collection of soft winter wheat plants (new collection accessions) of Ustymivka Experimental Station for Plant Production and select initial material for breeding of adaptive, productive and qualitative soft winter wheat varieties. Methods. Field experiment, laboratory testing. Results. The authors pre- sented results of study of over 1000 samples of gene pool of soft winter wheat from 25 countries during 2001–2005 in Ustymivka Experimental Station for Plant Production of Plant Production Institute nd. a. V. Ya. Yuriev, NAAS of Ukraine for a complex of economic traits. More than 400 new sources with high adaptive properties were selected that combine traits of high productivity and high quality of grain, early ripening, resistance to biotic and abiotic fac- tors (the assessment of samples for 16 valuable traits is given). The selected material comes from various agro-cli- matic zones, including zones of unsustainable agriculture. Conclusions. Recommended sources of traits that have breeding value will allow to enrich high-quality assortment of wheat and considerably accelerate breeding process du- ring development of new soft winter wheat varieties.

Purpose. Providing information on the formation, composition, maintenance of the collection of Buckwheat (Fagopyrum Mill.) genus at Ustymivka Experimental Station of Plant Production (Poltava region), and areas of its use: introduction, preservation and study of the material, for the set of index, formation of special collections and providing research and education institutions of Ukraine with a valuable original material. Methods. Methodical developments dealing with formation and maintenance of crop collections, methodical literature on the study of buckwheat collection for breeding and agronomic performance. Results. The author represented results of the collection material study for the main breeding and economically valuable traits including yield, productivity, resistance to abiotic and biotic factors of the environment. The results of work are considered aimed on creating special collections of the gene pool – base, trait (for yield and large seeds; for productivity, drought and heat resistance; for suitability for mechanical cultivation), educational and core ones. Conclusions. All formed and registered collections are a valuable base material for solving a number of breeding goals to increase the quantity and improve the quality of plant production.

Purpose. Developing technology for clonal micropropagation of peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) plants of Ukrainian breeding based on the complex of methods of isolated tissue and organ culture in vitro. Methods. During the experiment, such methods as isolated tissue and organ culture in vitro, clonal micropropagation, detached scion grafting, chemotherapy with adding of virucide Ribavirin to the nutrient medium, biometric and statistical ones were used. Results. The stepped procedure of sterilization that we have developed allows to receive 88–100% of sterile explants. For M. piperita L. introduction into culture and clonal micropropagation, Murashige and Skoog (MS) nut­rient medium appeared to be optimal supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurine (0.75 mg/l), adenine (0.05 mg/l), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) (0.05 mg/l) and gibberellic acid (0.5 mg/l) on which the reproduction ratio on the 28th day ranged between 1:7 and 1:15. For recovery of plants from viral infection, virucide Ribavirin at concentration of 10 mg/l was added to the nutrient medium. The proposed nutrient medium for rhizogenesis, that contained IAA (0.5 mg/l) and indole butyric acid (IBA) (0.5 mg/l), allows to obtain the frequency of rhizogenesis up to 84–100%. Regenerated plants were adapted to the conditions in vivo on substrate peat : universal soil : perlite : sand in the ratio 2:1:1:1. The survival rate for peppermint varieties amounted to 96–100%. Conclusions. Biotechnological scheme was developed that permits to get healthy, purebred planting material and intensively propagate plants for supplying breeding programs of the Experimental Station for Medicinal Plants of the Institute of Agroecology and Environmental Management of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, among which such varieties as ‘Lebedyna pisnia’ and ‘Ukrainska pertseva’ were selected as the most promising for clonal micropropagation.

Purpose. To study biometric characteristics of climbing roses leaves (length of compound leaf, the number of leaf blades, total leaf area and leaf blade area) and select the best varieties on this base. Methods. General biological (biometric) study and statistical evaluation. Results. As follows from the morphological analysis, a significant leaf size variation in the studied varieties of climbing roses was revealed. The leaf size in such varieties as ‘Kahovka’, ‘Flammentanz’, ‘Krasnyi Maiak’ was the largest, in ‘New Dawn’ and ‘Krymskoe Solnyshko’ – the smallest one. Based on the leaf biometric study of 9 varieties of climbing roses, the authors defined that ‘Flammentanz’, ‘Krasnyi Maiak’, ‘Kahovka’ varieties had the highest values of leaf parameters. The ‘Veilchenblau’ variety differed significantly from the other studied samples by the form and color of leaves that had a positive impact on its decorative value. Data obtained allowed to select varieties that can be used in landscaping not only because of flower decorative characteristics, but also due to attractive leaf appearance, as well as varieties for application in breeding programs related to this trait. Conclusions. Biometric characteristics of climbing roses leaves (length of compound leaf, the number of leaf blades, total leaf area and leaf blade area) were studied, and in compliance with the results the best varieties were selected that can be re­commended for use in gardening and breeding.