Purpose. To create and study genotypes of the secondary triticale of the hexaploid level for their effective use in further breeding and plant growing. Methods. Field study, laboratory analyses, intraspecific hybridization with subsequent individual selection. Results. New genotypes of the secon­dary triticale of the hexaploid level have been created and characterized for economic characters and agroecological traits and properties. Series of short-stem winter triticale was represented by ‘Pshenychne’, ‘Chaian’ to be adapted to the conditions of both intensive and organic farming. They are characterized by high drought resistance and winter hardiness, resistance to lodging, grain shedding, grain germination in the spike and spike fragility as well as by immunity to fungal diseases providing a high level of yield and technological quality of grain. The following new constant forms of triticale as ‘ПС_1-12’, ‘ПС_2-12’, ‘ПС_3-12’, that have an average height of the stem and belong to the Polissia-Forest-Steppe and Forest-Steppe ecotypes, demonstrated high productivity and adaptability in organic farming, particularly in case of the use of biologized elements of agrotechnology. Conclusions. For the creation a new parent material during breeding of hexaploid triticale, the method of intraspecific hybridization is desirable with the use of parent material to be contrasting for eco-geographical origin and adapted local forms, followed by individual selection of genotypes with the desired characteristics and properties in cleavable hybrid populations. New genotypes of the secondary triticale have been created and characterized for breeding, genetic and agroecological traits and properties. In breeding practice, it is advisable to use a whole new approach of agroecological and genetic certification of genotypes for the effective solution of a number of theoretical and practical tasks facing modern ecological and adaptive breeding. New parent material of the secondary winter triticale and scientific support for its cultivation is proposed for further breeding and plant growing.

Purpose. To substantiate and develop breeding technologies of soybean cultivation under various weather conditions of the Western Forest-Steppe zone. Methods. Laboratory test, statistical and mathematical analysis. Results. Analysis of the data of yielding increase due to the use of seed inoculation, green manure and spraying of crops with microbial prepa­rations showed that their effect was much dependent on the weather conditions during the year. Based on the analysis of productivity of such early ripening varieties of soybean as ‘Lehenda’, ‘Anzhelika’ and ‘Ksenia’ during 2011–2015, it was found that the influence of agrometeorological conditions during the vegetation period accounted for 47.8%. The results of the analysis of five-year data of productivity of the late soybean variety ‘Heorhina’ indicated that the share of influence of agrometeorological conditions during the vege­tation period on the studied variety was 48.8%. The use of microbial strains of nodule bacteria Bradyrhizobium japonicum 634b, 614A and M-8 against two backgrounds (in case of green manure application and without it) was compared, and microbial culture Hetomik application during the vege­tation period. Conclusion. All biological preparations and green manure considerably increased yield of soybean seeds in moderately humidified and elevated temperature conditions. For soybean growing, the application of green manure, seed inoculation with strains of M-8, 614A and Hetomik spraying of crops was effective. The use of these methods for gro­wing ‘Lehenda’ variety was the most effective. Such varieties as ‘Lehenda’ and ‘Anzhelika’ showed more stable results as compared to others in case of considerable variations of agrometeorological conditions.

Purpose. To evaluate the stability and plasticity of new varieties of grain sorghum in ecological conditions of the Fores-Steppe and Steppe zone of Ukraine. Methods. Field study, statistical evaluation. Results. It was found that in Ukraine the average yield of grain sorghum in 2015 was 3.72 t/ha and in 2016 – 3.36 t/ha. In field experiments during 2009–2016, ‘Praim’ and ‘Sprynt 2’ hybrids appeared to be significantly better as compared to averaged yields of 3.9 t/ha. Evaluation of yield plasticity in environmental conditions of the Forest-Steppe and Steppe zones showed that the hybrid ‘Praim’ did not differ from the group standard and its index is no more than one. At the same time, the ‘Sprynt 2’ is highly-plastic hybrid and ‘Dniprovskyi 39’ belongs to relatively low-plastic varieties. Conclusions. It was established that, as an average of an experiment, hyb­rids of grain sorghum ‘Praim’ and ‘Sprynt 2’ had a yield of 4,2–4,3 t/ha. According to the analysis of ecological plasticity, ‘Sprynt 2’ can be included with the intensive type and ‘Dniprovskyi 39’ – with relatively low-plastic varieties. It was found that proper selection of varieties and far­ming practices of cultivation is one of the main factors that favors high yields and respectively determine 37% and 34% of the level of grain sorghum productivity.

Purpose. To determine morphological and morphometric features of vegetative and generative organs of Persica species and varieties under the conditions of the Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine for further use in breeding. Methods. Biological (morphological analysis) and statistical (processing of morphometric parameters) ones. Results. It was found that except ternate multiple buds, in peach hybrid ‘Suputnyk’collateral buds were prevalent which was not common to other tested varieties and species. Buds of each species and variety have a certain number of scales. The most scales were observed in ‘Suputnyk’. Pubescence of abaxial side of the leaf in P. davіdiana and ‘Suputnyk’ plants was not revealed. Species of P. vulgaris (‘Pecherskyi’, ‘Antotsianovyi’, ‘Poleskyi’) was characterized by increase in size of leaf blades, flowers and fruits. The distinctive features of P. davidiana and ‘Suputnyk’ are that stamens were accumulated in their flowers while in P. vulgaris they are branched. Raphe of a P. vulgaris stone protrudes above the edges of the bordering creases and consists of a number of narrow plates. Conclusions. For the breeding purposes, plants have an advantage for some basic criteria: the most flower buds that is common to interspecies hybrid ‘Suputnyk’; increase in photosynthetic productivity of the leaf apparatus to be typical for the variety ‘Pecherskyi’; large fruits that ‘Pecherskyi’ variety is noted for; intense red color of fruits that is inherent feature of ‘Antocianovyi’ variety.

Purpose. To select the initial breeding material with complex resistance to Fusarium dry rot and tuber late blight among the created potato of secondary interspecific hyb­rids. Methods. Interspecific hybridization, laboratory test, analytical approach. Results. Based on the interspecific hybridization, the initial breeding material was created and the degree of its resistance to the above pathogens was determined by way of artificial infection of tubers with the inoculum of such fungi as Fusarium sambucinum Fuck and Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) De Bary. During interspecific hybridization based on schemes of saturating and enriching crosses, using forms of various species with a high phenotypic expression of resistance to Fusarium dry rot, the result of the cumulative effect of genes that control resistance to the pathogen was observed. Crossing combinations differed significantly for the degree of population average manifestation of resistance to the diseases. Conclusions. Combinations В54, В53, В61 with a mean resistance (above 7 grades) to Fusarium dry rot have been selected. Such combinations as B52, B50 and B54 had increased resistance to tuber late blight. It was found that the combination В54 is characterized by complex resistance to both diseases. For further work, the following samples with complex resistance to Fusarium dry rot and tuber late blight (7 grades or more) were selected: В59с42, В59с43, В50с16, В50с19, В50с44, В51с1, В51с26, В51с28, В52с11, В52с23, В52с24, В52с29, В53с1, В53с11, В53с17 , В53с23, В54с13, В54с14.