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.

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 results of investigation of pigmental complex and anatomical structure of red currant leaves in connection with the drought resistance are given. The genotypes of red currant: «Gazel», «Belka», «Jonker van Tets», «Viksne», «Selyanochka», «Niva», «Gollandskaya krasnaya», «1432-29-98» and «1426-21-80» have more xeromorphic structure of leaves, providing of ecological tolerance to drought and high temperature. Varieties «Roza», «Dana» have a low adaptation to drought resistance.

The untypical weather conditions during the extrema drought in 1993- 1994 have been described. Regularities of the accumulation and spending of the dry substance in leaves of varieties, signi ficantly different in productivity, weke considered depending on weather conditions.

Purpose. To assess introduced samples of drought-resistant species of perennial grasses, select a promising parent material and create on its base high-yielding varie­ ies with economic characters. Methods. Field experiment, laboratory testing. Results. The results of studies on introduction and breeding were given aimed to improve drought tolerance of non-traditional perennial grasses under the conditions of the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine. Based on the selected parent material, varieties were created by the use of hybridization and ecotype breeding methods and then entered into the State Register of plant varieties suitable for dissemination in Ukraine, among them: intermediate wheatgrass (Elytrigia intermedia (Host) Nevski) – ‘Hors’, crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn.) – ‘Petrivskyi’; meadow brome (Bromus riparia Rehm.) – ‘Boian’; slender wheatgrass (Roegneria trachycaulon (Link) Nevski) – ‘Co­umb’. As compared with conventional, relatively drought-tolerant species of smooth brome (Bromopsis inermis (Leyss.) Holub) – ‘Mars’, increment of dry matter content of these species in the extreme drought conditions of 2011 was increased by 1,52–3,73 t/ha. Under more sufficient moistening conditions of 2012, slender wheatgrass ‘Columb’ was at the level of the сheck variety in terms of this indicator. Other varieties exceeded it by 1.44–3.22 t/ha. The data was given including seed productivity and sowing quality indicators, after-ripening duration and economic fitness of seeds. Conclusions. The use of the recommended varieties of drought-resistant species of perennial grasses as part of grass mixtures will increase significantly the productivity of grasslands and pastures in the current context of climate change.

Assessment is made for heat-resistance of 10 promising domestic and foreign apple varieties, as well as for their drought- resistance (leaf tissue water content, water holding capacity and turgorescence); also, impact of weather conditions on implementation of its drought and heat resistance by the research subject is determined. The article highlights the best in Ukraine’s Forest-Steppe environment by the above economical and biological properties apple varieties.

Purpose of this study was to develop the main components of a model of an adaptive information system for predicting crop productivity. Methods. To conduct research on the establishment of the basic structural elements of an adaptive information model for predicting the productivity of basic crops used the method of constructing dynamic models. Results. A detailed analysis of conceptual approaches to the construction of mathematical agricultural models is carried out and the main advantages and disadvantages of modern analogues are established. It is determined that the adaptive information model is based solely on the needs of the plant and actually on the need to provide these needs with available resources in order to obtain consistently high yields with high quality indicators. The hardware and software complex must have a feedback relationship between its basic structural elements, because it significantly improves the accuracy of predicting plant productivity. Data based on the operation of certain mechanisms or indicators of weather conditions and their forecasts are used for decision making, however, if they are substantially changed, decisions about individual technology elements are reviewed. The software should be related to the economic part and should take into account market conditions and forecast data when making recommendations. In the case of low purchase prices for products, we recommend that certain agrotechnical operations (say vegetation feeding) be applied or not, in the case of significant change in growing conditions - when the application of these agro-measures will be ineffective due to the negative effects of drought, etc. Conclusions. Adaptive information system for forecasting productivity in the technological process of growing crops is formed on the basis of a model consisting of three modules of characteristics – the resultant and two components. At each subsequent stage of implementation of the model, the resulting feature becomes component, with the maximum contribution to the resulting feature of the next module.

Purpose. Assessment and selection of self-pollinated S5 maize (Zea mays L.) families with high combining ability and wide adaptive capacity obtained on the basis of specially produced hybrids by crossing elite lines of various genetic plasms with the best main agronomic characters. Methods. Field studies, mathematico-statistical evaluation. Results. An amplitude of grain yield ranging from 5.96–10.96 t/ha (x = 8.44 t/ha) in 2013 to 2.67–7.59 t/ha (x = 5.08 t/ha) in 2014 was determined in the course of study of the testcrosses of self-pollinated S5 families. It was found that different response of genotypes of the studied testcrosses to the year conditions significantly affected the average yield level, which decreased in the stressful 2014 by 3.4 t/ha as compared to 2013. The results of the assessment based on the general and specific combining ability of new parent material of mixed germplasm were shown. A significant variability of the estimates of GCA (general combining ability) effects depending on the year conditions was observed in the course of study. A marked difference in the estimates of GCA effects based on the grain yield was revealed. They were persistently high in 19% of the best self-pollinated families in both years, 14% of the families had persistently low estimates of GCA effects, 67% changed their value depending on the genotype and year conditions. Conclusions. 17 best self-pollinated families with persistently high estimates of GCA, 6 families featuring high tolerance to drought and 4 families with persistently high variances of SCA were selected. The selected families will be used as a parent material in selection programs aimed to create new high performance hybrids.

For the resistance to a soil drought in the early stages of seed germination the key role plays the primary root system: an activity of seed germination, the number of seminal roots and their length, dry weight of roots and coleoptile length and also the degree of cold resistance at the seedling stage. The stages and methods of the creation of six-row medium-grown barley varieties Vakula and Helios and semi-dwarf varieties Ros and Halychanyn are described.

The article mentions that 113 peach hybrid forms resistance to drought, to leaf curl infection Taphrina deformans Tul. and powdery mildew Sphaerotheca pannosa Lev. var. persicae Woronich have been obtained in the result of their studying. One of the most important agronomic sigh is a drought- resistance. Elite forms assessment on this indicator has been carried out in the most drought year during the last50 years. 23 forms with high drought-resistance have been selected. The leaves curl and false mildew are considered to be the most harmful fungal diseases reducing the plants peach vitality and leading to their lethality. Infection assessment has been carried out according to the average annual dates, and in epidemic (epiphytotic) year with a maximum disease revealing. As a result 14 hybrid forms infected by low leaves curl and 16 – by false mildew have been selected. According to the varieties characteristics complex 15 ones have been selected. Most varieties identified by their drought-resistance have belonged to the North Chinese eco-geographic group (59,1%), by a low leaves curl infection (Taphrina deformans Tul.) to the Iranian eco-geographic group (64,3%); by the false mildew (Sphaerotheca pannosa Lev.) to the Northern Chinese eco-geographic group (54,3%). The selected varieties perform the interest as sources of important mentioned economic valuated characteristics and they can be used in breeding.