The article concerns directions of valuable protein crops using, soybeans, growth rates of its production throughout the world in recent years, the opportunity and the necessity of making this crop strategic in our country, problems and prospects of the high-grade soybeans resources formation, the full characteristic of new soybean varieties listed in the State register of Plant Varieties suitable for distribution in Ukraine in 2013.

The article unveils results and prospects for the introduction of lesser-known vegetable crops of Cucurbitaceous family to extend the diversity among vegetables. Among 5 species the best by commodity yield and quality indexes are selected. The promising species could be recommended for use in horticulture and landscaping. Introduction onto the territory of Ukraine of new lesserknown species of Cucurbitaceous family, such as trichosanthes, luffa, lagenaria, anguria, momordica will enable to extend the use of vegetable crops in landscaping for the designing of alpine hills, ornamental beds, decorating verandas, arbours, balconies with planting, as a wonderful material for artistic visage, restaurant business and agro-tourism. To extend the diversity among the vegetables in openair espalier growing it is promising to run the cultivation of disease and pest resistant, displaying good indices of taste estimate and quality species, namely trichosanthes of 5,1 kg/sq.m. commercial yield, with fresh and canned fruits accumulating high content of a dry matter (6,5 to 10,1%) and sugars (4,1 to 8,5%) and characterized by taste estimate for the processed foodstuff of 8,5 points.

The article deals with analysis of scientific publications in the field of plant breeding, seed production and variety testing, archival documents and published government regulations. The comprehensive study lack according to creating history of a special protection system of plant variety rights is grounded, the necessary reproduction of stages of the State Protection of Plant Varieties forming is performed.

Purpose. To study effects of low temperatures on Lavandula angustifolia plants and their response depending on their age and variety as well as identify critical temperature values for such structure elements of plants as bark, cambium, wood, pith. Methods. Field investigation, spectrometric analysis, statistical evaluation. Results. Topicality of investigation of Lavandula angustifolia to be grown in the Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine was highlighted. Low temperature effects on structural elements of shoots for 8 varieties of domestic and foreign selection were analyzed. One-year shoots have suffered the most from low temperatures – 4.5 points on a six-point scale, two- and three-year shoots were damaged in a lesser degree – from 0.8 to 2 points. Plants of ‘Feuervogel’ and ‘Maestro’ varieties with total damage coefficient of 11.3% and 10.6% accordingly were the most resistant to low temperatures. These varieties can be recommended to producers for further introduction to the Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine. Conclusions. Tissues of a lavender one-year shoot were most damaged by low temperatures regardless of a variety, but this organ is ephemeral and can be removed without causing damage to a plant. Two- and three-year shoots, which provide plant recovery, were significantly less damaged. None of the plants from 8 studied lavender varieties was lost under the influence of low temperatures, though some of them were damaged significantly. Such varieties as ‘Feuervogel’, ‘König Humbert’, ‘Veseli notky’ (pith damage is on the level of 1–2 points), ‘Maestro’ (0.8–2.5 points) were the most resistant to low temperature exposure which allows to conclude about successful lavender cultivation under conditions of the Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine.

The article highlights the results of studying the soft winter wheat response to the duration of enforced winter dormancy and the time of vegetation recommencing, their impact on growth, development and the survival of the crops. It is found that the impact of those factors in the conditions of central Forest-Steppe of Ukraine is essential, which is to be taken into consideration when scheduling the measures of spring and summer care over the cultivated crops, in particular, where the spring extra nutrition takes place, pesticides and growth regulators are applied, the spaced planting resowing or partial resowing issues are to be settled down. The ecological effect of spring vegetation recommencing dates does not expose annually, therefore it is not always possible to predict the plant development type, but it is possible, nevertheless, to influence the processes of growth, development and survival of plants throughout spring-summer period and the development of their production capacity by means of introducing the intense technologies, optimization of mineral nutrition and the use of plant growth regulators, protection from rogues, diseases, pests.

Колектив Українського інституту експертизи сортів рослин та редакційна колегія науково-практичного журналу «Сортовивчення та охорона прав на сорти рослин» сердечно вітає всіх, хто присвятив себе розвиткові наукової сфери, з професійним святом – Днем науки!

In connection to the climate changing and draught frequency increasing in the spring-summer period the fractional composition of water (combined and uncombined water) in leaves of apple from May to August 2011, 2012 were studies. Combined and uncombined waters have different functionality for the life of plants. An uncombined water in leaves determines intensity of physiologic processes while the combined is responsible for plants resistance to unfavorable conditions. The fractional composition of water was studied in apple leaves of varieties bred by All-Russian Research Institute for Fruit Crop Breeding of RAAS, Bolotovskoye, Irmus, Orlik, Orlovim, Orlovskoye Polosatoye, Sinap Orlovskiy, Yubiliar in comparision to widespread varieties – Antonovka, Melba and Welsi. The study established that the varieties examined were well-adapted to drought in May, at the beginning of summer, as well as at the end of August and in September. At the beginning of July and in June higher indices of drought resistance were registered for Orlovim and Yubiliar, with the highest indices of combined water content. The completion of shoots growth and development of leaves system in all apple varieties was associated with increase of combined water amount in the leaves in August. In September, the number of combined water remained higher that suggested high adaptivity of the varieties being studied. The highest content of combined water in autumn was registered for Sinap Orlovskiy, Antonovka, Boltovskoie, Irmus.

The authors present the results of the study of pears clonal rootstocks, namely the following quince forms: IC 2-10, IC 4-6, S1 and Cydo in the nursery during 2010-2012. Experimental nursery was founded in the spring of 2010, with bushes planting designs of the following dimensions: 1,4*0,3 m. Diameter of the reference root collar of all forms of rootstocks in average over the years of the tests, ranged from 6,7 mm to 7,9 mm and satisfied the requirements of standard (6-12 mm). Among the quince forms under review the best biometric indicators for two years of examination have been registered for IC 2-10, IC 4-6 and S1quince. The IC 4-6 and S1 display better quality of the root system of vertical layers; highest standard layers yield is registered for ІC 2-10, 4-6 and S1forms. IC 2-10 rootstock and S1quince have proved to be the best varieties for the West Steppe of Ukraine by the complex of economic and biological characteristics.

The article provides progress report on the barley of F3к-10029/Saratovske 4 height decreasing throughout 1974 to 2012 by way of selecting plants of the shortest stem. 38 years of selecting the shortest stem genotypes cut down plant height by 5,7 times at the background of dominant Hl gene expression. Average plant height during 38 breeding cycles was descending by 2,69 cm, but this was not an even trend. New creative donor for ultimate short stem characteristic, Gnome 3, has been developed, with Hl-3Hl-3alleles designation. Relative impact on the efficacy of minus-selection by the plant height of the selection differential (38,00%) and inheritance coefficient in its narrow sense (14,56%) is established. Efficiency of the selection is realized with the decrease of winter rye height plants by 72,08% as expected by the relative breeding forecast. Analyzes is completed for 11 genetic and statistical clusters of average utilitarian characteristics of Gnome 3 ultra short stem rye over the period from 1974 to 2012.

The article reveals developments of national resources of cutting lettuce of Lactuca sativa var. secalina L. varie­ties and methods for new varieties development involving breeding forms of Oakleaf group. Exotic forms of common knowledge varieties of Oakleaf group of salad were researched, newly developed Dublianskiy variety was applied for the official research and technical examination of plant varieties with the view of the variety official listing, as well as the rights thereof. Description of morphological description of characteristics was applied that would enable identifying new variety during the examination for distinctness, uniformity and stability. Summary of the studying value for cultivation and use of Dublianskiy variety (yield, maturity group, taste properties, tasting score, disease resistance) which is provided, which establishes working algorithm for cutting lettuce variety in various ecological gradients of its cultivation.