Sown Area Research Articles

Distribution pattern of major crops and their cultivation intensity indicated by soil phosphorus concentrations in Europe

AbstractThe sowing area and yield of crops are primarily determined by climatic suitability and modified by terrain conditions. This study presents the actual sowing area of 10 major crops in Europe and reveals the spatial pattern of available soil phosphorus (P) concentrations between and within the sowing areas of the crops, based on the Land Use/Land Cover Area Frame Survey (LUCAS) database. A great variance in cropping pattern over Europe was observed, especially for crops with a broad climatic tolerance. Results show significant differences between soil phosphorus concentrations under different agricultural crops, indicating the differences in management intensities of major crops. A strong relationship between high yields and P‐fertilizer use was found, as indicated by soil P concentration. In the context of environmental zones, P‐concentration values were higher in northern zones, medium in the zones in central Europe, and lower in the Mediterranean zones. The more suitable the climate is for growing crops, the more it pays to apply P fertilizers. Consequently, soil P‐concentration is a good indicator of crop cultivation intensity, land productivity, P‐fertilizer use, and the total P demand of plants. Among the most commonly cultivated crops, maize seems to be the most dependent crop for the level of P‐concentration of soil or the P inputs. For more sustainable P use in Europe, further research is needed to calculate how the P‐requirements of yields compare to the P‐fertilizer use in the case of different crop types.

SUNFLOWER PRODUCTION AND ITS FUTURE STRATEGIES - AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS

India is an agriculturally important country. Two-thirds of its population is engaged in agricultural activities. Agriculture Sector provide food security for the entire population. Oil seeds / edible oils are next to food grains. Oilseed sector occupies a unique position in Indian agriculture. The country is one of the largest producers and exporters of oilseed in the world. The importance of oilseed arises from the fact that it is the chief source for supply of fat to the human beings and oil cake to the domesticated animals. Among the oilseed crops, groundnut, sunflower, safflower, rapeseedmustard, sesame, niger and soybean are the major ones. Sunflower is an important oilseed crop in India popularly known as “Surajmukhi.” The objective of this paper is to analyze the trends in the area sown, production, and yield rate of Sunflower in India. The growth rates, and research methodologies are estimated using Statistical Techniques. State-wise analysis has also been carried out. It is concluded that to fulfill the demand of edible oil for ever growing population, constant efforts and proper technologies & strategies needs to be put in place for higher production and productivity.

Access to credit and agricultural productivity: Evidence from maize producers in Benin

Access to agricultural credit is still a challenge in developing countries. The weakness of agricultural financing prevents producers from acquiring the modern technologies that are essential for the development of their activity. This paper aims to determine the impact of access to credit on agricultural productivity in Benin using alternative measures of productivity. To do this, we use the endogenous switching regression model to control for potential selection and unobserved heterogeneity issues associated with this impact analysis. The data used comes from the statistical databases of the National Agricultural Research Institute of Benin. The results show that the adoption of improved seeds, the geographic location, the area sown and member of peasant organization determine producers’ access to credit are factors that determine producers’ access to credit. Farmers’ access to credit generates an estimated gain of 40.07% and 31.97% respectively for production per hectare and production per FCFA invested. These results require a comprehensive and coherent public action.

Potato growing in the Akmola region of the Republic of Kazakhstan: situation analysis, priorities

Aim – recommendations on the current methodology for applying statistical and econometric approaches in the study of variables characterizing the efficiency of production of various crops, in particular potatoes. Methods – economic and statistical for the study of economic phenomena and processes, comparison and generalization, logical. Results – it is noted that the potato, as one of the most common and necessary food for humans, occupies an important place in production activities of agricultural enterprises. Based on official statistics, its production in the Akmola region from 2001 to 2021 was analyzed. A number of stability coefficients have been calculated. The directions of changes in the areas of crops are considered with the help of regression analysis. Using the linear equation method, analytical alignment of a number of production indicators was made, since it is a more rational method for studying the dynamics of such indicators as sown areas, productivity and gross harvest. Conclusions – it was revealed that in many regions of Kazakhstan there is an unstable cultivation of potatoes, which is influenced by various factors: low level of agricultural technology, losses during storage and logistics, insufficient volumes of fertilizer application. In the potato industry of the republic, it is necessary to develop and implement programs to support potato producers, look for foreign sales channels and stimulate an increase in potato exports, revive seed production focused on growing high-yielding, droughtadapted, resistant to diseases and pests of domestic varieties. For these purposes, potato farms require additional investments, the attraction of which will provide an opportunity to carry out a number of organizational changes, increase the level of their intensification, improve product quality and, ultimately, increase its competitiveness.

Genetic Diversity of Global Faba Bean Germplasm Resources Based on the 130K TNGS Genotyping Platform

Novel germplasm resources are the key to crop breeding, with their genetic diversity and population structure analysis being highly significant for future faba bean breeding. We genotyped 410 global faba bean accessions using the 130K targeted next-generation sequencing (TNGS) genotyping platform, resulting in a total of 38,111 high-quality SNP loci by high-standard filtering. We found the polymorphism information content (PIC) and Nei’s gene diversity were 0.0905–0.3750 and 0.0950–0.5000, with averages of 0.2471 and 0.3035, respectively. After evaluating the genetic diversity of 410 accessions using Nei’s gene diversity and PIC, on the basis of their geographical origin (continent) and structure-analysis-inferred subpopulations, we found that the faba bean accessions from Asia (except China) and Europe had rich genetic diversity, while those from the winter sowing area of China were low. The 410 faba bean accessions were divided into four subpopulations according to population structure analysis and clustering analysis based on Nei’s (1972) genetic distance using the neighbor-joining (NJ) method. However, the same subpopulation contained materials from different geographical origins, thereby indicating that the gene flow or introgression occurred among the accessions. Results from NJ clustering based on shared allele genetic distance indicated that the 410 accessions were divided into three groups according to their dissemination routes. The genetic diversity analysis results demonstrated that the genetic relationships among the faba bean groups with similar ecological environments and geographic origins in neighboring regions or countries were closer and frequently found within the same group, while genetic variation among individuals was the main source of their total genetic variation.

Does agricultural water-saving policy improve food security? Evidence from the Yellow River Basin in China

Abstract For our empirical research, the 2012 implementation of China's National Agricultural Water-Saving Outline serves as a quasi-experiment. In addition, one of the main regions in China for grain production is the Yellow River Basin. Based on this, we utilize a Difference-in-Difference (DID) empirical technique to assess the impact of the agricultural water-saving policy on food security using data from prefectures in China's Yellow River Basin from 2000 to 2020. According to the estimated results, grain production has greatly increased as a result of the agricultural water-saving policy. This conclusion still holds when other water-related policies are considered. The agricultural water-saving policy may enhance other input factors in grain production by assuring water demand, which is one possible mechanism of the influence. The empirical results show that the policy indeed increases the water productivity in agricultural production, which will ensure the effective water utilization in agricultural production, and the grain sown area, which is the most important production factor in agriculture. In heterogeneity analysis, the impact of the policy on food security is the largest in the lower reach, followed by the middle reach and the smallest in the upper reach in the Yellow River Basin.

Current state and prospective development directions of the domestic market of oil and oil fat products: a qualitative aspect

The main results of the enterprises activities of the domestic oil and fat industry in 2020—2021 are shown in the articles. The profitability indicators of the production of oil crops of agricultural enterprises and farms of Ukraine by regions in 2020, the sown area under soybeans and sunflowers by regions of Ukraine for the 2021 harvest are studied, as well as the export of oilseeds in 2020/2021 compared to the 2019/2020 marketing year. It was emphasized that oilseed crops in Ukraine are traditionally the most profitable of all plant products, which is due to their high liquidity and demand from both exporters and the processing sector. export of vegetable oil and protein grist from Ukraine during the specified period was investigated, and the main reasons for changes were determined. The production of oil and fat products in Ukraine in 2020—2021 was analyzed, the the supply/demand balances of sunflower seeds and vegetable oil, the main trends in the functioning of the relevant market were determined and the priorities of future development were substantiated. The price policy of industry enterprises and the reasons for the increase in the price of oil were studied. The processsing capacities of the main types of oil crops, oil and deep processing products were evaluated, and the leaders of the respective markets were determined. It was emphasized that the further market development of oil and oil-fat products of Ukraine will take place in the direction of improving the quality of manufactured products in terms of their safety and expanding exports. This is due to the further application of international standards at the enterprises of the industry and their timely reaction to changes in the regulatory and legal framework. New changes in FSSC 22000 scheme (version 5.1) are highlighted.

VULNERABILITE DE LA PRODUCTION DU MANIOC AUX CHANGEMENTS CLIMATIQUES ET PRIORITE D’ADAPTATION DANS LES AGGLOMERATIONS FRONTALIERES BENIN-TOGO (VALLEE DU MONO, AFRIQUE DE L’OUEST)

In the south of the Mono Valley and in its Benin-Togo border towns, the production of cassava roots is hampered by fluctuating climatic conditions. It is in this context that this study is conducted, in order to analyze climatic variations and their impact on cassava production. Thus, climatological data (rainfall, temperature, relative humidity, potential evapotranspiration) and agricultural data (sown areas, yield and production of cassava) made it possible to characterize the major agroclimatic situations. Documentary research and field surveys formed the basis of the research methodology. In addition, data analysis reveals that the study area has a bimodal rainfall regime. The annual evolution of rainfall over the period 1988-2018 is marked by 45.16% of surplus years, 12.90% of normal years and 41.93% of deficit years. Therefore, the index of the deviation from the minimum value was calculated in order to see the years where the minimum need was not satisfied for certain years. In addition, an upward trend in average temperatures is noted with an average annual rate of 0.04°C/year. The linear correlations established between cassava yields and climatic parameters showed that there is no explicit linear relationship between cassava production and temperature and between cassava production and insolation. The rainfall and humidity dependence of cassava production are also low: 27% and 20% respectively. Thus, climatic parameters taken in isolation are not sufficient to explain agricultural yields. In addition, other factors could also play an inhibiting or enhancing role in yields. However, the producers have developed adaptation strategies in the face of climatic variability in the study area that deserve to be accompanied. KEYWORDS : Climate change, Cassava, Lower Mono Valley, border agglomeration, Benin and Togo

Overview of the spread of soybean pests in the Russian Federation

Soy is the most demanded and widespread leguminous culture in the world. She received this status due to the rich chemical composition of seeds and its wide use for food, technical and fodder purposes. The sown area under this crop is increasing every year. Soy is an attractive object for many insects. In its agrocenosis there are both useful and harmful species. The object of our research was soybean pests. The article analyzes publications in order to clarify the species composition and distribution of soybean pests in the last century to the present. The paper presents data on the distribution of soy phytophages in the main regions of soybean cultivation in Russia. Among the pests of soybeans in the Russian Federation there are both specialized and multi -stage species: leaf - shocking insects - Lepidoptera (scaly), Coleoptera (hard -winged), Hemiptera (semi -burned -winged), Homoptera (equivalent), Acariformes (ticks), Thysanoptera - thrips (Thrips sp.), insects damaging seeds - diptera (double -winged). The most common phytophages causing significant harm to soybeans in Russia are: Leguminivora glycinivorella Mats., Paraluperodes suturalis nigrobilineatus Motsch., Aphis glycines Mats., Loxostege sticticalis L., Etiella zinckenella Tr., Orthosia ella Butl, Pyrrhia umbra Hufn, Heliothis maritime Grasl. and Tetranychus urticae C.L.Kocn. According to the results of phytosanitary monitoring in 2022 in Primorsky Krai, the most common soybean pests were: soybean striped leaf beetle, polyphagous soybean leaf beetle, soybean moth and various types of bugs.

ՀԱՑԱՀԱՏԻԿԻ ԱՐՏԱԴՐՈՒԹՅԱՆ ՊԵՏԱԿԱՆ ԿԱՐԳԱՎՈՐՄԱՆ ՈՒՂԻՆԵՐԸ ՀՀ ՊԱՐԵՆԱՅԻՆ ԱՆՎՏԱՆԳՈՒԹՅԱՆ ԱՊԱՀՈՎՄԱՆ ՀԱՄԱՏԵՔՍՏՈՒՄ

Food security of the population is one of the main challenges of the 21st century, which, due to the events of recent years (Artsakh war, pandemic, Russian-Ukrainian conflict, sanctions, export restrictions) and their consequences, has become more acute. The stability of the grain sector in the country is of particular importance from the point of view of improving the food security in Armenia. Based on the study of international practice of state support for agricultural production, the results of analysis on the effectiveness of the state support tools traditionally used in different countries, as well as evaluating the state support for the development of grain production in RA, we have developed a model of state regulation of grain production, where the application of a number of realistic methods and measures is emphasized. The results of the studies document that, despite the government’s efforts to expand grain production, the grain sown areas are decreasing year by year, yield growth is not ensured, and the total growth is decreasing. Studying the international experience of state support for agricultural production, analyzing the results of the effectiveness of the state support tools traditionally used in different countries, as well as evaluating the state support for the development of grain production in RA for 2010-2021, we propose to revise the state regulation tools. In particular, to create a grain commission, form a guarantee and collateral price institute, set grain production and distribution quantities, strengthen contractual relations, form a commodity credit company and a grain price stabilization fund, apply commodity intervention, as well as promote economy-infrastructure intervention. We believe that the mentioned fundamental measures will contribute to the prospective development of grain production, ensure realistic results in the medium term, strengthen the cooperation between the state, production and science, as well as increase the self-sufficiency level of grain and, most importantly, will contribute to ensuring the food security of the Republic of Armenia.

Uticaj fitopatogenih gljiva na parametre kvaliteta semena boranije u periodu 2018-2022

Green beans are among the most essential legumes because of their nutritional value. However, the production of green beans in Serbia suffers major decline due to significantly reduced yields, as well as the sown areas. Diseases caused by phytopathogenic fungi not only reduce yield and have the negative impact on total germination and seed quality of green beans, but also some phytopathogenic fungi can produce mycotoxins, adversely affecting human health. In this paper, the quality parameters of two green bean varieties (GB1 and GB2) were monitored for quality traits over a period of five years on the territory of Smederevska Palanka. The energy germination and total germination were the highest in the first observed year and amounted to 63% and 88% for GB1, respectively. For GB2 the energy germination and total germination (2018) were 71% and 75%, respectively. A significant decline in total germination was determined in 2020. and amounted to 75% for GB1 and 67% for GB2( p<0.05). The lowest energy germination and total germination were obtained in the last observed year (2022) in both genotypes and statistically increased infection with Alternaria sp. and Fusarium sp. The presence of Alternaria sp. was detected for GB1 and GB2 in the range of 2-3% (2018); Fusarium sp. was 3%. In the last observed year, the presence of other fungi was determined, apropos a higher percentage of diseased seeds with Alternaria sp. and Fusarium sp. (5-6%). Other phytopathogenic fungi were detected in both genotypes: Aspergillus sp. (1-3%), Penicillium sp. (1-4%), Rhizopus sp. (1-3%) and Rhizoctonia solani (2-3%). The moisture was 8.5-10.9 for both genotypes and did not differ statistically between varieties (p>0.05). The impact of phytopathogenic fungi on green beans was reflected in the reduction of total germination, and therefore in seed quality and yield. The priority of future research is the application of biotreatments that will contribute to seed protection and improve total germination, and thus the yield in the field.

Determination of the quality of composite flour mixtures

This article presents the results of the analysis of wheat and lentil grains grown in the conditions of Uzbekistan. The chemical composition, protein content and amino acid content of lentils were determined. It is clearly stated how the analysis is carried out, what methods and formulas are used. In this regard, the study of the physicochemical characteristics of local varieties of lentil grain seems to be relevant. In recent years, much attention has been paid in the republic to the expansion of wheat and lentil grain sown areas. Such types of leguminous crops are the main sources of obtaining flour. The composition of fodder meal prepared using local lentil grains was analyzed. At the same time, the influence of the technology for obtaining composite mixtures from wheat and lentil flour on the composition of the product was studied. The quality indicators and physico-chemical characteristics of the composite mixture were established when the output amount of composite flour was introduced and simultaneously with the introduction of new technology. Classification of compound flour prepared on the basis of local varieties of lentils. The chemical composition was studied separately for each variety and the effect of composite flour on quality indicators was analyzed.

PROBLEMS OF VEGETABLE DEVELOPMENT AT THE CORNER THE VIEW OF FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY

Purpose. The purpose of the work is to study the impact of the war on the economic availability of food and to estimate the volume of deficits in the production of vegetable products. Methodology of research. Scientific works on the problems of the formation and functioning of the vegetable market became the methodological basis of the research. The following methods used were: dialectical, the method of expert evaluations (when analysing publications and the main opinions of experts on the researched topic), mathematical and statistical (when determining the amount of deficit in vegetable production, determining the share of occupied regions and when analysing the regional structure of vegetable production), systemic analysis (theoretical generalizations, establishing structural connections between the elements of the studied system), abstract and logical (when forming conclusions and recommendations), etc. Findings. An analysis of the current state of vegetable production was carried out. The volumes of the deficit of vegetable production have been established and the share of the occupied regions in the sown areas and gross harvests of vegetables and melon food crops was determined. The reasons for the unsatisfactory state of the vegetable and food sub-complex were established. The general strategy and priority directions for the development of vegetable growing and melon growing and the processing industry were outlined. The volumes of production of vegetable and melon products for the future for domestic needs were determined. Originality. For the first time in the conditions of martial law, the actual volumes of the deficit of vegetable production in the southern regions of Ukraine, which are occupied or affected by military operations, were determined. Scientific and methodical approaches to the formation and functioning of the vegetable market were improved by introducing a mechanism for replacing the deficit in the production of certain vegetables in specific regions. Thus, it is proposed to expand the area of cultivation of vegetables of the borscht group and rare vegetable crops in the western, central and southern regions of the country within 67.0‒80.0 thousand hectares; and heat-loving vegetable crops (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, melon crops) in Mykholaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovohrad, Odesa regions within 25.0‒26.5 thousand hectares. In addition, by introducing innovative technologies, scientific support of the industry and increasing the share of specialized large-scale enterprises, increase the yield of vegetables from the existing 20 to 25 t/ha, which, unlike existing approaches, will make it possible to overcome the deficit in the production of vegetables in the amount of 2 million tons and melon food crops at the level of 230‒250 thousand tons. It was determined that in order to minimize the agro-food crisis, ecological threats, as a result of findings military intervention and overcoming the shortage of vegetable and fruit products on the domestic market, it is necessary to take the proposed measures aimed at supporting their effective production as soon as possible. Practical value. The implementation of the proposed proposals will allow solving the issue of economic independence of individual regions, food security of communities and increasing the level of coordination of the system of actions of management bodies, business entities, scientists and investors on the basis of sustainable development in the conditions of post-war recovery of the country. Key words: food, food crisis, ecology, vegetable growing, production, consumption, innovative development.

Прогнозные параметры развития отрасли растениеводства Ростовской области

The paper describes the forecast parameters of the sustainable development of the crop industry in the Rostov region, which determine the key trends of the agricultural sector of the region. The data of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Rostov region, research papers and scientific publications on this problem were used as the analytical base for conducting the research. The research involved the analysis of the current state of the crop production industry in the Rostov region and an assessment of its resource potential. Studies have shown that the effective use of the existing resource potential of the industry in the region in conditions of its significant dependence on the imported seed material and technologies makes it possible to ensure sustainable qualitative dynamics of its development. The paper argues that the use of a scientifically based agricultural system makes allows stimulating positive dynamics of economic growth without additional financial investments. This scientifically based approach is the basis for the development of the forecast parameters for the crop production industry development. The process of forecasting based on trend modeling of crop yields and rationalization of the cropping plan, methods of chain substitutions, and expert assessments resulted in three forecast scenarios for the development of the industry: the first (target), the second (inertial) and the third (mixed). The implementation of the first (target) option involves an increase in the yield of cultivated crops, taking into account the use of high-quality seed material and optimal weather conditions, as well as the transition to a scientifically based structure of cropping pattern. The inertial option is based on the rationalization of the agricultural land structure while maintaining the current yield. The mixed variant is characterized by an increase in yield with a constant structure of the area of sowing. The most preferred and promising option for the crop production industry in the Rostov region is the implementation of the target option. Ignoring the science-based approach in the long term prevents from full unlocking the regional potential of the industry.

Анализ изменения агроклиматических условий в Центральном районе Нечерноземной зоны и оценка возможности интродукции сои в новые регионы возделывания

The purpose of the research is to analyze the parameters of changes in the agro-climatic conditions of the Central Non-Chernozem region and to assess the possibility of introducing soybeans into new cultivation regions. The introduction of soybean crops into new cultivation regions is an urgent task to solve the problem of providing the processing industry with relatively cheap and high-grade protein. The trends of changes in climatic conditions in the regions of the Central Non-Chernozem region for the period from 1981‑2020 are analyzed. The expansion of soybean sowing areas in the Central region of the Non-Chernozem zone is hindered by stressful conditions that form during the period of filling and ripening of seeds, first of all – limited thermal resources. As a result of the analysis of agro-climatic data, the trend of local climate warming in all regions included in the Central Region of the Non-Chernozem zone of Russia has been revealed. The values of the sum of active temperatures in different agro-climatic subzones increased by 200‑250°C, the amount of precipitation falling during the growing season decreased by 20‑40 mm, the hydrothermal coefficient of G.T. Selyaninov (GTC) decreased by 0.3‑0.4 points. The changes led to a shift of the isotherm of the sum of active temperatures by 150‑200 km towards high latitudes. In 1981, the isotherm passed through the northern part of the Bryansk and Orel regions, included a small fragment of the Kaluga region and the Ryazan region, but at the moment it is located on the northern border of the Moscow region, affecting the territory of the Tver and Vladimir regions, as well as the southern part of the Kostroma region.

Зерновой подкомплекс Пермского края: тенденции, проблемы, перспективы

The production of grain products is a strategic direction of agricultural production and a determining factor in ensuring the food security of Russia as a whole and its individual regions. Trends in the production of grain products in the Perm Region can have a significant impact on the formation of food resources and the level of food security in the region. Evaluation of the dynamics of factors of grain production (yield, acreage, intensification) has revealed positive and negative trends. A significant decrease in yields, a decrease in acreage and a decrease in area of mineral fertilizers application have led to a reduction in gross grain production in 2021 by 27%. At the same time, wheat sowing areas have expanded, and a high level of organic fertilizers has been maintained. With a high share of grain processing (76% in 2021), domestic consumption of grain products is provided by own production by only 39%. This determines the high degree of dependence of the region on external sources of grain resources formation and reduces the indicators of food security of the Perm Region. The increase in the technological capacity of the enterprises of the grain complex of the region, their provision with mineral fertilizers and varietal seeds with sufficient state support will increase the yield of grain crops, grain quality, which will serve as a factor in the growth of grain production and processing in the region and, as a consequence, the growth of food security of the Perm Region.

CURRENT TRENDS AND DYNAMICS OF AGRICULTURAL LAND USE IN TERNOPIL REGION

Introduction. The rational use of land is a guarantee of the country's food security, contributes to the sustainable development of rural areas, and creates prerequisites for its territorial integrity. At the same time, the modern level of domestic agriculture increases the importance of the problem of full use of land in this sector of the economy. Methods. The following general scientific and special methods are used to achieve this goal: dialectical method of scientific knowledge - for considering the essence of land relations; synthesis - to clarify the relationships between subjects of land relations; graphic - for visual display of the obtained results; abstract and logical method - for forming research conclusions and proposals. Results. During the analysed period, an increase in returns from agricultural land used in agricultural production, namely an increase in the yield of crops, profit, and output of gross and marketable products from a unit of land area, is visible. At the same time, there is a very noticeable negative trend in the growth of the area of agricultural land that falls out of economic circulation as a result of land degradation. In the process of analysing the degree of land use in agricultural enterprises of the region, a model and parameters of land use optimization, which take into account natural and economic conditions, and market requirements, were substantiated and proposed. Compared to the actual structure, they significantly improve not only the level of land use but also the entire resource potential of the region. Discussion. Further scientific research on the problem should be directed to the in-depth study of ecological and economic aspects of the efficiency of the use of land resources, ensuring the optimal level of land plowing, the use of ecologically safe technologies for growing crops, the search for ways of greening the development of agricultural production to reduce the negative impact on the surrounding natural environment. Keywords: agricultural land, sown area, yield, gross harvest.

Agrobiological justification of agricultural specialization of the region — a model of agricultural production (on the example of Tetiiv district of Kyiv region)

Purpose. Identify and justify agrobiological mechanisms for optimizing the agricultural system of the region. Methods. Field, laboratory and chemical, mathematical and statistical. Results. Assessment of sowings in crop rotations was carried out in the years 2017–2020 at the State Enterprise Experimental Farm Shevchenkivske IBCSB NAAS of Ukraine (Tetiiv district, Kyiv region). The following tasks were performed: potential and terms of crop yield in crop rotations, increasing soil fertility, development of scientifically sound crop rotations, fertilizer application, chemical reclamation of soil, soil protection measures, minimal tillage, integrated plant and pest control, agronomic practices. Conclusions. The proposed energy model of intensive agriculture in the region provides for the optimisation of the agricultural landscape structure and sown areas, the spread of the most soil-saving crops, crop rotation, varieties of the new generation. To this end, it is necessary to withdraw degraded and unproductive lands from production and turn them to hayfields, pastures, forest plantations. Under such conditions, it becomes possible to increase the share of grain crops to 75–78% and sugar and fodder beets to 80–83%.

Grain yield of grain sorghum hybrids of different ripeness groups depending on the influence of seeding rate and row spacing in the Northern Steppe of Ukraine

The results of the complex influence of the row spacing and seeding rate on the grain yield sorghum of various ripeness group in the conditions of the Northern Steppe of Ukraine are presented. The studies were carried out during 2019–2021 on the fields of the farming «Dyunis» of the Kreminsky district of the Lugansk region. A three-factor experiment was laid by a rando-mized method in four repetitions. In the experiment, three variant of the row spacing were studied – 35, 45 and 70 cm, two hybrids – Swat and Flagg and four variants of the seeding rate – 100, 140, 180 and 220 thousand pieces/ha. The area of sowing and accounting plots was 100 and 80 m2 respectively. From the point of view of the yield of both sorghum hybrids, the best option was the combination of sowing with row spacing of 35 cm with a seeding rate of 180 thousand seeds/ha. The yield of Swat and Flagg hybrids on average for three years in this variant was 6.28 and 5.07 t/ha, respectively. Increasing the seeding rate to 220 thousand units/ha did not provide a significant increase in grain yield. Only in 2019, favorable for sorghum, was a significant increase in grain yield of the Flagg hybrid noted with an increase in the seeding rate from 180 to 220 thousand units/ha. At the same time, taking into account that the weather condition of the study area are more characterized by high summer temperatures and a significant deficit of precipitation, during the sowing of Swat and Flagg hybrids, as well as hybrids close to them in term of biotype, preference should be given to the seeding rate of 180 thousand pieces/ha. In the context of years of research, certain differences were noted regarding the influence of the seeding rate. In particular, in the less favourable 2020, on variant with row spacing of 35 and 45 cm, the grain yield of both hybrids on variant with a seeding rate of 180 and 220 thousand pieces/ha did not differ statistically, while on variants with row spacing of 70 cm, its increase led to a significant decrease in yield. In 2019, the highest grain yield of the studied hybrids on variants with row spacing of 35 cm was noted at a seeding rate of 220 thousand pieces/ha (6.77 t/ha for the Flagg hybrid and 5.51 t/ha for the Swat hybrid). At the same time, on the crops of the Flagg hybrid, it significantly exceeded the yield on the variant with a seeding rate of 180 thousand pieces/ha (by 0.16 t/ha), while in the Swat hybrid it was at same level – 5.51 and 5.45 t/ha respectively (LSD05 – 0.16 t/ha). Key words: grain sorghum, seeding rates, row spacing, grain yield, hybrids, feeding area shape, grain.

Organic oat production (Avena sativa L.) in the conditions of Northeastern Bulgaria

Abstract. The study took place in the period 2018 - 2020 in the village of Milanovo, Shumen region. In the period March 23 - 30, in accordance with the climatic factors of each year, the spring oat variety Scorpion was sown at a sowing rate of 3000 - 4000 germinating seeds per ha. Oats were sown after a predecessor crop of nettle. The aim of the present study is to prove that the oat variety Scorpio is suitable for organic production and it gives a quality product for direct consumption. The cultivation method and the finished product processing are also described in the study. The soil is gray-brown forest soil (Luvisols, Lessive - FAO UNESCO). Oats were grown following the requirements for field crop organic cultivation. In the period of vegetation, the crop was watered twice at a rate of 0.4 - 0.6 mᶾ /ha. The crop was harvested for green mass, at the maturity stage, as mowing was done in late June in two stages with a herb mower. The harvested area was 1.23 ha, and the green mass yield obtained was 10 t, on average for the period. The green mass followed a drying process in the sun, as a result of which 2470 kg of dry oat stalks were obtained. After that, we could prepare bundles measuring the length of 20 - 25 cm, packed in nylon and also aligned at the rear end. Each bundle weight varied from 100 to 300 g. After the dedusting process of bundles we were able to obtain a product for direct consumption showing fiber length of 0.4 - 3 mm. The sown area was identified as having the following groups of weeds: winter-spring (Chamomilla recutita Rauchert, Consolida regalis SPGray, Centaurea cyanus L. and Papaver rhoeas L.), early spring (Sinapis arvensis L., Bifora radians MB, Polygonum convolvulus L., Galium tricorne With, Avena fatua L.), ephemeral (Veronica hederifolia L., Stellaria media (L.), Holosteum umbelatum toothed swan) and root-shoot (Cirsium arvense Scop., Convolvulus arvense L. Cardaria draba L.). We could not detect any fungal disease attacks by: Puccinia coronata, Ustilago avenae, Ustilago hordei, Fusarium sp. Powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis De Candole f. Sp. Avenae) and striped leaf spots (Pyrenospora avenae) had a weak effect on the crop (up to 25%). The study period showed the average content in the crop as follows: protein - 10.56%, starch - 43.62%, ash - 4.24%, and fiber - 13.47%.