Purpose. To study the influence of fractional composition of seed material on productive properties of spring rape seeds of the ‘Magnat’ variety and ‘MVM’ (‘Gladiator’) variety sample. Methods. Field investigations, laboratory tests, statistical analysis. Results. During 2013–2014, the influence of sown seeds of different size fractions (up to 2,5 g; 2,6–3,5 g; 3,6 g and more) on the indices of productivity of spring rape varie­ties was studied. It was found that over the years of study field germination of sown fractions of seeds in ‘Magnat’ variety averaged 83.5%, in ‘MSM’ variety sample – 86.7%. During the periods of seedling emergence and harvesting, the density of spring rape crops varied depending on relevant fraction of sown seeds. In the ‘Magnat’ variety, photosynthetic potential of crops ranged from 1.1 to 1.3 million m2/ha, in ‘MSM’ variety sample – from 1.2 to 1.6 million m2/ha. Depending on the seed fractions applied, ‘Magnat’ variety crops during the gro­wing season accumulated organic biomass from 2.05 to 2.36 g/m2 per day, ‘MSM’ sample variety – from 1.83 to 2.10 g/m2 per day. Conclusions. It was established that different fractions of spring rape seeds sown in the Northern Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine affected the indices of germinating energy and laboratory germination, crop density formation, leaf surface area and intensity of photosynthesis process (crop photosynthetic potential, net photosynthesis performance). The highest indices of productivity and yield in the ‘Magnat’ variety was ensured by large-seeded fraction (3,6 g and more), in the ‘MVM’ (‘Gladia­tor’) sample variety – by small-seeded fraction (up to 2,5 g).

Purpose. Studying and identifying winter wheat varieties that are resistant to causal agents of major diseases and pests. Methods. Laboratory analysis, field study. Results. On artificial infection backgrounds of causal agents such varieties as ‘Smuhlianka’, ‘Svitanok Myronivskyi’, ‘Berehynia Myronіvska’, ‘Horlytsia Myronіvska’ have shown high level of resistance to brown rust; ‘Svitanok Myronivskyi’, ‘Berehynia Myronіvska’ – to powdery mildew; ‘Smuhlianka’ – to covered smut. Varieties ‘Voloshkova’, ‘Yuviliar Myronivskyi’, ‘Myrliena’, ‘Oberih Myronivskyi’, ‘Kolos Myronivschyny’, ‘Lehenda Myronivska’ had medium resistance to Septoria leaf blotch; ‘Smuhlianka’, ‘Myrliena’, ‘Oberih Myronivskyi’, ‘Berehynia Myronіvska’, ‘Horlytsia Myronіvska’, ‘Myronivska storichna’ – to Fusarium head blight; ‘Myronіvska 65’, ‘Smuhlianka’, ‘Lehenda Myronivska’, ‘Berehynia Myronіvska’ – to root rots. Among the varieties studied, there were those with group resistance to diseases: ‘Voloshkova’, ‘Myrliena’, ‘Yuviliar Myronivskyi’, ‘Oberih Myronivskyi’, ‘Bohdana’, ‘Myronivska storichna’, ‘Ekonomka’, ‘Svitanok Myronivskyi’, ‘Berehynia Myronіvska’, ‘Horlytsia Myronіvska’, ‘Smuhlianka’. Varieties bred at the V. M. Remeslo Myronivka Institute of Wheat are distinguished by pest resistance. During autumn tillering phase of winter wheat the smallest number of large cereal aphids was observed in varieties ‘Smuhlianka’ and ‘Myronivska storichna’, leafhoppers – in varieties ‘Smuhlianka’, ‘Myrliena’, ‘Yuviliar Myronivskyi’. The slight population of thrips in the phase of earing was marked in the variety ‘Kolos Myronivschyny’, in the milk-ripe stage the smallest number of larvae per ear was detected in varieties ‘Smuhlianka’, ‘Voloshkova’, ‘Kolos Myronivschyny’. Varieties ‘Lehenda Myronivska’ and ‘Smuhlianka’ were proved to be resistant to damages of stems by sawflies. It should be noted that ‘Smuhlianka’ variety shows resistance to aphids, leafhoppers and grain sawflies. Conclusions. It was established that winter wheat varieties bred at the V. M. Remeslo Myronivka Instutite of Wheat are characterized by resistance to certain causal agents, some of them – to their group. Varieties that are resistant to the most common and harmful phytophages were identified.

The creative and organizational role of academician M. M. Hryshko was analyzed in studying the gene pool of plants in Ukraine and creating collection funds of the National Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, which has been named after this famous scientist since 1991. Investigations on introduction, acclimatization and breeding of plants were described embracing the period from post-war years to the present day. Information was gi­ven that concerns the results of the introduction and plant breeding in the early 1950s as reported by M. M. Hryshko and recent data on species and varietal diversity of cultivated ornamental, fruit, subtropical, agricultural (including energy, feed, vegetable, spice aroma, aromatic, technical, green manure, nectariferous) plants.

Purpose. To evaluate pea plants productivity and determine the degree of correlation among the main agronomic characters in pea varieties. Methods. Structural and statistical analysis. Results. Evaluation of pea samples in terms of indices of plant productivity elements level based on correlation analysis and single-factor indices appliance provided insight into the ratio of one trait share per unit of another one. It was defined that some correlations among the elements of productivity was not only moderate and weak, but they also changed their sign that could be the evidence of growth conditions influence on structural relationships bet­ween some traits and, consequently, redistribution of their contributions to the formation of variety productivity. Positive and very close relationship of many traits was revealed, particularly between plant height and the height of the plant up to the first bean, the number of nodes and the number of sterile nodes (r = 0,95–0,97). Methodological aspects of the variety model creation were considered, that may be useful not only in pea breeding but also for improving the techno­logy of its cultivation. Conclusions. Correlation relationships were established between the number of beans and the number of fruiting nodes and the number of carpophores containing 2 beans (r = 0,86–0,88), seed mass and plant mass (r = 0,81), the number of seeds per plant and plant mass and seed mass per plant (r = 0,78–0,81), the number of certified seeds and the number of seeds per plant (r = 0,84), the average number of beans per fertile node and the number of carpophores containing 2 beans (r = 0,74) that makes it possible to use them in assessing the productivity of plants.

Purpose. To develop a conceptually new method for determination of varietal purity (typicality), hybridity, steri­lity of seed lots. Methods of molecular biology (genomic DNA extraction, PCR with SSR markers application, capillary electrophoresis), genetic, statistical, mathematical analysis. Results. New method for determining the varietal qualities of seed lot was developed that consists of the following steps: simultaneous DNA extraction from a representative sample of aggregated seeds; PCR and further analysis of the amplification products by determination of the qualitative and quantitative composition of SSR-markers’ alleles; calculation of values of varietal seed lot quality using experimentally derived allele ratios. Conclusions. The developed method for determining varietal qualities of seed lots allows to reduce significantly the consumption of materials, time and labor during the analysis. Consistent qualification and quantification of alleles in the total sample of a seed lot is a conceptually new approach to establish varietal purity (typicality), hybridity, sterility.

Purpose. To study the influence of fractional composition of seed material on productive properties of spring rape seeds of the ‘Magnat’ variety and ‘MVM’ (‘Gladiator’) variety sample. Methods. Field investigations, laboratory tests, statistical analysis. Results. During 2013–2014, the influence of sown seeds of different size fractions (up to 2,5 g; 2,6–3,5 g; 3,6 g and more) on the indices of productivity of spring rape varie­ties was studied. It was found that over the years of study field germination of sown fractions of seeds in ‘Magnat’ variety averaged 83.5%, in ‘MSM’ variety sample – 86.7%. During the periods of seedling emergence and harvesting, the density of spring rape crops varied depending on relevant fraction of sown seeds. In the ‘Magnat’ variety, photosynthetic potential of crops ranged from 1.1 to 1.3 million m2/ha, in ‘MSM’ variety sample – from 1.2 to 1.6 million m2/ha. Depending on the seed fractions applied, ‘Magnat’ variety crops during the gro­wing season accumulated organic biomass from 2.05 to 2.36 g/m2 per day, ‘MSM’ sample variety – from 1.83 to 2.10 g/m2 per day. Conclusions. It was established that different fractions of spring rape seeds sown in the Northern Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine affected the indices of germinating energy and laboratory germination, crop density formation, leaf surface area and intensity of photosynthesis process (crop photosynthetic potential, net photosynthesis performance). The highest indices of productivity and yield in the ‘Magnat’ variety was ensured by large-seeded fraction (3,6 g and more), in the ‘MVM’ (‘Gladia­tor’) sample variety – by small-seeded fraction (up to 2,5 g).

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.

Мета. Вивчення параметрів водного режиму сортів яблуні, вирощених на карликовій підщепі 62-396 і вставках 62-396 і 3-17-38, протягом вегетаційного періоду у зв’язку з їхньою жаростійкістю. Методи. Польовий, статистичний, аналітичний. Результати. Встановлено високий рівень обводненості листя сортів яблуні від 71,5 до 73,1% на початку вегетації. Середній рівень обводненості листя у досліджуваних сорто-підщепних комбінацій яблуні від 62,8 до 65,5% зафіксовано в період інтенсивного росту пагонів, формування зав’язі й плодів (червень–серпень). Істотної різниці між сортами за обводненістю листя не встановлено. Дисперсійний аналіз виявив істотну достовірну відмінність за обводненістю листя між карликовою підщепою і встав­ками за р < 0,05. Встановлено, що в середньому за два роки сорт ‘Яблочный Спас’ після теплового шоку втрачав води менше, ніж ‘Орлинка’. При цьому у сортів виявили найбільшу водоутримувальну здатність на карликовій підщепі 62-396. Висновки. У процесі дисперсійного ана­лізу зафіксовано міжсортові відмінності за втратою води на 5% і 1% рівнях значущості. Достовірно доведено взаємовплив між сортами, карликовою підщепою і встав­ками за втратою води після теплового шоку при р < 0,05 і 0,01. Після впливу високотемпературного стресу (+50 °С) і насичення водою досліджувані сорто-підщепні комбінації яблуні були здатні відновлювати обводненість на високому рівні. З найбільшим потенціалом жаростійкості виділено сорто-підщепні комбінації ‘Яблочный Спас’ і ‘Орлинка’ на карликовій підщепі 62-396.

Purpose. Defining marker-trait associations of microsatellite markers with specific regions of the genome that control important agronomical traits in the investigated varieties originated in the Plant Breeding and Genetics Institute – National Center of Seed and Cultivar Investigations and entered into the State register of plant varieties suitable for dissemination in Ukraine during different years. Methods. Molecular genetic methods (extraction of genomic DNA, polymerase chain reactions (PCR), electrophoresis of amplification products in polyacrylamide gel), field methods (phenological observations of heading date and analysis of plant height, visual assessment of the colour and length of wheat ear and awns), statistical methods (evaluation of trait means by descriptive statistic instruments of EXCEL package, ANOVA method performed by GLM instrument from AGROBASE 21 package). Results. During four gro­wing years (2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14), 47 bread winter wheat varieties were phenotypically measured and analyzed with 17 microsatellite loci. 35 marker-trait associations (MTA) for heading date, 39 for plant height, 33 for awn size, 20 for ear colour and 8 for ear size were found to be stable and significant during two–four different gro­wing years. Conclusions. Microsatellite markers that showed substantial and stable during different growing years associations with agronomical traits can be useful and suitable for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in Ukrainian wheat breeding programs.

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.