COMPARATIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF OILY FLAX VARIETIES BY ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE SOUTHERN STEPPE OF UKRAINE

When choosing a variety for cultivation in a particular region, one should take into account its genetic potential, biological characteristics and purpose of use. The highest seed productivity of flax is possible if the growing conditions meet the biological requirements of the crop.The research material was ten varieties of the Institute of Oilseed Crops of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine (Aysberg, Debyut, Orfei, Vodohrai, Svitlozir, Zaporizkyi Bogatyr, Vogni Dniprohesu, Dobrodar, Zhyvynka, Linsan), four varieties of the NNC "Institute of Agriculture of the National Academy of Sciences" (Evrika, Blakytno-pomaranchevyi, Pivnichna zirka, Akvamaryn) and one variety of foreign selection Lirina (Germany).Varieties were sown in 2020-2021 in a demonstration polygon on the fields of scientific crop rotation Institute of Oilseed Crops of the NAAS, located on the territory of the Zaporizhia district Zaporizhia region, which, according to soil and climatic zoning, belongs to the southern Steppe of Ukraine.The cultivation technology is generally accepted for the cultivation of oil flax. Sowing continuous row with a row spacing of 15 cm, seeding rate – 50 kg/ha. Plot area 25 m × 3.0 m (75 m2). Varieties were analyzed according to the main economic characteristics (duration of the growing season, plant height, yield per hectare, weight of 1000 seeds, oil content in seeds, content of unsaturated fatty acids in oil). The oil content in the seeds was determined on an AMB-1006 laboratory analyzer, the content of fatty acids in the oil was determined by gas-liquid chromatography on a Selmichrome-1 instrument. Seed yield was adjusted to standard moisture content (10%) and listed per area unit (c/ha). Mathematical data processing was carried out according to Dospekhov B.A. in the program STATISTICA. The weather conditions of the growing season of oil flax in 2020 and 2021 differed in terms of the main hydrothermal indicators (temperature regime, amount of precipitation and their distribution by vegetation phases).The aim of the work was to identify the most productive commercial varieties of oil flax in terms of economic characteristics in the conditions of the southern Steppe of Ukraine.As a result of the study of 15 varieties of oil flax in the conditions of the southern Steppe of Ukraine, according to economically valuable traits, the following were identified: early ripe varieties – Debyut (83.5 days), Dobrodar (85.3 days), Zhyvynka (85.1 days), which can be recommended for cultivation in the northern and western regions of the country; tall ones – Zaporizkyi Bogatyr (65.4 cm) and Svitlozir (67.2 cm), which can be recommended for double use for vegetable oil and fiber; large seeds – Svitlozir (8.2 g), Zaporizkyi Bogatyr (8.5 g), Dobrodar (8.4 g), Evryka (8.3 g); small seeds – Zhyvynka (5.7 g), Linsan (4.4 g), Liryna (5.8 g), which can be recommended for the confectionery industry; high-yielding – Debyut (19.4 c/ha), Orfei (18.5 c/ha), Vodograi (18.3 c/ha).According to biochemical indicators, the following varieties were distinguished: with a high content of oil in the seeds – Svitlozir (47.9 %), Blakytno-pomaranchevyi (48.7 %); with a high content of linolenic acid in oil – technical grades Vodograi (61.5 %), Svitlozir (63.5 %); with a high content of linoleic acid in oil – food varieties Zhyvynka (39.6 %), Linsan (69.1 %).