Melilotus Alba Research Articles

Biological Features Of The Distribution Of Root Systems Of Perennial Legume Grasses In The Context Of Climate Change

The key factor in the choice of perennial legume grasses in the face of climate change is their drought resistance, because the development of roots directly affects this property, as well as determines their fertility. The purpose of the study was to establish what morphological and biological characteristics of grass roots ensure economic characteristics in the context of climate change. Methods of observation, comparison, and field experiment were used. The study found that the roots of alfalfa have the greatest depth in the soil, spread in the horizontal direction, the thickness of the root neck and lateral roots, which ensures plasticity, durability, and productivity of its crops. The roots of white melilot have the greatest depth in the soil, the thickness of the root neck, central root and lateral roots, their spread in the horizontal direction, which affects the drought and frost resistance of crops. The roots of birdsfoot trefoil are distinguished by the greatest number of renewal buds on the root neck, the smallest depth, and the thickness of the root neck, which affects productive longevity and the possibility of growth in poor and acidic soils. The roots of eastern galega have the greatest depth of the main plant, distribution in the horizontal direction, the thickness of the central root, which affects productive longevity and high biological plasticity. The roots of Hungarian sainfoin are distinguished by the greatest distribution in the horizontal direction and the deepest placement of the main branching, which affects high biological resistance to adverse growing conditions. It was also found out that the roots of meadow clover have the smallest spread radius in the horizontal plane, the thickness of the central and lateral roots, which determines the possibility of its cultivation in the field crop rotation. These findings would facilitate the selection of perennial legume grasses to achieve their full potential in the face of climate change

Genome-wide profiling of the potential regulatory network of lncRNA and mRNA in Melilotus albus under salt stress

Salt stress is a major abiotic stress limiting crop productivity. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts with more than 200 nucleotides but lacking protein-encoding potential and generally plays a regulatory role in plant response to abiotic stresses. However, no information is known about lncRNAs in Melilotus albus, a wonderful leguminous forage with excellent salt tolerance. In this study, 9437 lncRNAs were identified based on high-throughput sequencing from M. albus shoots and roots, most of which (7238, 76.7 %) were lincRNAs. Totally, 550 lncRNAs and 8273 mRNAs were differentially expressed in M. albus under salt stress, and lncRNA exhibited higher tissue-specificity in response to salt stress than mRNA. Five hundred and fifteen differentially expressed transcription factors were identified, many of which (AP2/ERF, MYB, bHLH, NAC) were related to abiotic stress. We predicted that 545 (99.1 %) differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) regulated 6616 (80.0 %) differentially expressed mRNA (DEGs) in cis, trans and miR-mediated manner. Numerous target genes of DELs were relevant to oxidation-reduction process, cellular protein metabolic process, cell communication, ribosome, carbon metabolism and biosynthesis of amino acid pathway. The competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network contained 99 miRNA, 67 lncRNA, and 128 mRNA, among which qRT-PCR and tobacco dual-luciferase (LUC) assays further demonstrated that MSTRG.50852.2 might regulate the expression of EVM0029402 encoding WD40 domain protein by competitively binding mtr-miR7696a-3p under salt stress. Our results firstly characterize salt stress-responsive lncRNAs from M. ablus genome, which help to further research on the molecular mechanism of M. ablus adapting to salt stress and to provide useful information for resistance genetic improvement of other crops.

Урожайність насіння буркуну білого однорічного залежно від ширини міжрядь і доз азотного добрива

Goal. To establish features of formation of elements of structure and productivity of seeds of a white melilot of the varieties Pivdennyi and Donetskyi Odnorichnyi depending on the width of interrow and doses of nitrogen fertilizer in non-irrigated conditions of the South of Ukraine. Methods. Field — to monitor the growth and development of plants, weather, and environmental conditions and other factors under study; visual — to detect phenological changes of melilot plants; measuring and weighing — to determine parameters of yield structure and yield; mathematical and statistical — to carry out variance analysis and statistical data processing to assess the reliability of the research results. Results. Optimization of the elements of the technology of growing white melilot influences the seed productivity of the crop. Studies have shown that the variety Pivdennyi in non-irrigated conditions of the South of Ukraine forms 38 kg/ha, or 9.1% higher seed yield compared to the variety Donetskyi Odnorichnyi. The maximum average seed yield at the level of 439 kg/ha was gained at 45 cm width between rows, which is 8.4–19.6% higher than in other rows. Conclusions. It was fixed that the greatest influence on the formation of seed productivity of the crop had a dose of nitrogen fertilizer (factor C) — 71.21%, the share of varietal composition (factor A) was 6.3%, row spacing (factor B) — 17.2%. On average for 2016–2018, the maximum seed yield of 556 kg/ha was obtained by sowing white maillot of the variety Pivdennyi using a row spacing of 45 cm and applying a dose of nitrogen fertilizer N60.

Genome-Wide Identification and Development of LTR Retrotransposon-Based Molecular Markers for the Melilotus Genus.

Melilotus is an important genus of legumes with industrial and medicinal value, partly due to the production of coumarin. To explore the genetic diversity and population structure of Melilotus, 40 accessions were analyzed using long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposon-based markers. A total of 585,894,349 bp of LTR retrotransposon sequences, accounting for 55.28% of the Melilotus genome, were identified using bioinformatics tools. A total of 181,040 LTR retrotransposons were identified and classified as Gypsy, Copia, or another type. A total of 350 pairs of primers were designed for assessing polymorphisms in 15 Melilotus albus accessions. Overall, 47 polymorphic primer pairs were screened for their availability and transferability in 18 Melilotus species. All the primer pairs were transferable, and 292 alleles were detected at 47 LTR retrotransposon loci. The average polymorphism information content (PIC) value was 0.66, which indicated that these markers were highly informative. Based on unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrogram cluster analysis, the 18 Melilotus species were classified into three clusters. This study provides important data for future breeding programs and for implementing genetic improvements in the Melilotus genus.

Effect of Seed Coating and PEG-Induced Drought on the Germination Capacity of Five Clover Crops.

The effect of coating the seed of clover crops by water absorbing seed process (WASP) technology pelletization on its germination capacity was studied in conditions of diverse drought intensities simulated by different concentrations of polyethylenglycol (PEG) 8000 solution. Drought resistance was monitored in the seed of five fodder clover species: Anthyllis vulneraria L., Medicago lupulina L., Trifolium repens L., Melilotus albus Medik. and Onobrychis viciifolia Scop. In the seed of given plant species, germination capacity was determined along with the share of dead and hard seeds. Although the coating significantly (p < 0.05) affected the drought resistance of seeds, the germination capacity increased only in conditions of milder drought (simulation with PEG: 0.1–0.3 mol). With the increasing intensity of drought induced by higher PEG concentrations (0.4–0.7 mol) the number of germinable seeds demonstrably decreased and the number of dead seeds increased in the coated seed as compared with the uncoated seed. The coated seed can be appropriate for use in M. lupulina, M. albus and T. repens, while the uncoated seed can be used in A. vulneraria and O. viciifolia.

A survey of habitats on agricultural land in Estonia II. Detailed interpretation of the habitats’ landscape ecology and how this relates to alien plant species

The main objectives of the paper are to provide a description of the ecological character of Estonian agricultural landscapes and also their contribution to biodiversity resources. Agricultural landscapes are vulnerable to alterations in environmental factors and management that lead to changes in the balance of plant species and, therefore, to modifications in the structure and character of vegetation. The results show that the distribution and expansion of alien plant species contributes significantly to changes in the composition native plant species in Estonia. Such species are spreading rapidly in Estonia and elsewhere in Europe, leading to major changes in local vegetation and damage worth billions of Euros to the European economy every year (European Commission, 2020). Field visits to representative sites were made to record vegetation data from agricultural landscapes from 2015 to 2017. 35 dispersed random 1-km squares were selected according to the extent of the eight classes of the Environmental Classification of Estonia. 250 sample plots were thus recorded from the 1-km squares, using predetermined rules for their location. 453 vascular plant species (27% of all Estonian species) were recorded in 11 habitats (neglected patches, abandoned patches, clear cuts, forests, tall herbs, patches of alien plant species, mixed grasslands, water margins, lines of scrub/trees, field edges, roadsides). These results indicate the efficiency of small stratified samples and are relevant at a broader scale in Europe for monitoring and surveillance of habitats. Mixed grasslands were later excluded from the analyses as there were insufficient samples. 19 alien plant species were recorded in 141 plots, whereas the cover of alien species was over 25% of the plot in 38 plots. Mature forests had the fewest aliens and roadsides the most, emphasizing the importance of dispersal by vehicles. The most common high cover species were Bunias orientalis, Galega orientalis, Sambucus racemosa, and Melilotus albus. The dispersal of the most common aliens shows the role of management, as these species had the highest cover in linear features especially in roadsides and field edges. The first part of the paper provides tables of the mean figures for the ten habitats of Ellenberg values and the frequency of competitors, stress-tolerators and ruderal species (CSR), which are indicative of the quality and characteristics of the habitats. The second part of the paper provides detailed interpretations of each of the ten habitats based on statistical analyses, combined with the experience of the second author to describe the ecological significance of the habitats. The habitats vary from tall herbs, which are of minimal ecological importance, to water margins and roadsides, which are important for seed dispersal, as well as a resource of biodiversity. Each of the habitats is set in the context of the Estonian landscape, and their contribution to biodiversity is described.

WATER CONSUMPTION BY AGROECOSYSTEMS OF LEGUMINOUS PERENNIAL GRASSES DEPENDING ON VEGETATION YEARS

At the end of the growing season of the first year of life of perennial legumes, the highest soil moisture - 27.45% was observed in the agroecosystem of alfalfa, and the lowest - 24.14% - in the agroecosystem of the horned lily. The coefficient of water use by agroecosystems of legumes of perennial grasses in the first year of their growing season was 455.1-1738.0. The smallest coefficient of water use was in the agroecosystem of the white melilot, and the highest in the eastern goat's rue. At the end of the growing season of perennial legumes of the second year of life, soil moisture in agroecosystems was 11.67-17.00%. It was the largest in the agroecosystem of white melilot, which forms only one cut in the middle of summer in the second year of its life and then dies off, and the smallest in the agroecosystem of sandy sainfoin. The coefficient of water use by agroecosystems of perennial legumes in the second year of vegetation was 429.2-696.7. It was the smallest in the agroecosystem of white melilot, and in perennial legumes that grow by autumn - in the agroecosystem of sandy sainfoin, and the highest was in horned beetle. By the end of the third year of the growing season of perennial legumes, soil moisture had been 18.00-23.11%. It was the largest in the agroecosystem of sandy sainfoin, and the smallest in the horned sainfoin. The coefficient of water use by agroecosystems of leguminous perennial grasses for the third year of growing season was 484.0-619.6. The smallest was in the agroecosystem of the sandy sainfoin, and the largest was the horned sainfoin. At the end of the fourth year of the growing season of perennial legumes, soil moisture was valued in 22.60-25.07%. It was the largest in the agroecosystem of sandy sainfoin, and the smallest in alfalfa. The coefficient of water use by agroecosystems of perennial legumes in the fourth year of their growing season was 489.3-1130.7. Less moisture is used for the formation of a unit of dry matter by the agroecosystems of sainfoin, the coefficient of water use of the agroecosystem of alfalfa is higher by 13.4%. The agroecosystem of Lyadvenets horned had the highest coefficient of water use - 2.3 times more than in the agroecosystem of sainfoin. In conditions of the greenhouse effect, in particular, with an increase in air temperature, an increase in moisture evaporation from the soil and a decrease in the amount of atmospheric precipitation, it is necessary to grow herbs that consume moisture most economically and have the lowest water consumption coefficient: the first year of growing season - white melilot - 455.1; second year - white sweet clover - 429.2 and sandy sainfoin - 472.1; the third year - sandy sainfoin - 484.0 and alfalfa - 510.3; the fourth year - sandy sainfoin - 489.3. When using perennial legumes as precursors of winter crops, it is necessary to use those species that leave behind the largest reserve of moisture in the soil: in the second year of growing season - white sweet clover - 57.6 mm in a 30-cm soil layer; the third year - sandy sainfoin - 81.1 mm; the fourth year - sandy sainfoin - 88.7 mm in a 30-cm soil layer and eastern goat's rue - 84.8 mm.

Biological Evidences of Dicoumarol: A Review

Dicoumarol, a natural anticoagulant drug chemically designated as is metabolized from Coumarin in the sweet clover (Melilotus alba and Melilotus officinalis) by molds, such as Penicillium nigricans and Penicillium jensi. Coumarin (1,2-benzopyrone), the parent molecule of Dicoumarol, is the simplest compound of a large class of naturally occurring phenolic substances made of fused Benzene and Pyrone rings . In addition, the Coumarin anticoagulants, Dicoumarol (Dicumarol) and its synthetic derivative Warfarin sodium (Coumadin), have been shown to decrease metastases in experimental animals. Warfarin sodium, largely replacing Dicoumarol therapeutically as an anticoagulant, has been used for the treatment of a variety of cancers and shown to improve tumor response rates and survival in patients with several types of cancer. However, despite numerous studies, little information has been acquired on the cellular mechanism of action of Coumarin compounds in the treatment of malignancies. Possibly for this reason, the Coumarin compounds have not received much attention for the treatment of cancer.

Do Weeds Hinder the Establishment of Native Plants on a Reclaimed North American Boreal Mine Site?

The majority of plant diversity in the boreal forest of northern Alberta, Canada is comprised of native understory plant species that are continuously facing competition from other species, including both undesirable native and weedy species. In oil sands mine reclamation, cover soils rich in organic matter are used to cap overburden materials. The aim of this study is to understand the role of weeds on different reclamation cover soils (forest floor-mineral mix and peat-mineral mix) and determine if they hinder the establishment of the native plant community. This study was conducted four growing seasons after site establishment in June 2019. At that time, both soil types had approximately 45% total cover, had 21 species per plot, and were composed of mainly native vegetation. Competition from non-native forbs (11% average cover, mainly Sonchus arvensis and Melilotus alba) did not seem to impact the development of the native vegetation community on either soil type given the high cover and richness of native forbs. However, native graminoids (predominantly Calamagrostis canadensis) were associated with reduced native forb cover and richness at graminoid cover greater than 17%. Overall, non-native forbs appeared to have little impact on the native forb community on either soil type while native graminoids had a negative influence. We suggest that the classification of what is considered an undesirable weedy species should be evaluated in the context of ecosystem management goals rather than simply the presence of non-native species.

NAC and MYB Families and Lignin Biosynthesis-Related Members Identification and Expression Analysis in Melilotus albus.

Melilotus albus is an annual or biennial legume species that adapts to extreme environments via its high stress tolerance. NAC and MYB transcription factors (TFs) are involved in the regulation of lignin biosynthesis, which has not been studied in M. albus. A total of 101 MaNAC and 299 MaMYB members were identified based on M. albus genome. Chromosome distribution and synteny analysis indicated that some genes underwent tandem duplication. Ka/Ks analysis suggested that MaNACs and MaMYBs underwent strong purifying selection. Stress-, hormone- and development-related cis-elements and MYB-binding sites were identified in the promoter regions of MaNACs and MaMYBs. Five MaNACs, two MaMYBs and ten lignin biosynthesis genes were identified as presenting coexpression relationships according to weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA). Eleven and thirteen candidate MaNAC and MaMYB genes related to lignin biosynthesis were identified, respectively, and a network comprising these genes was constructed which further confirmed the MaNAC and MaMYB relationship. These candidate genes had conserved gene structures and motifs and were highly expressed in the stems and roots, and qRT-PCR further verified the expression patterns. Overall, our results provide a reference for determining the precise role of NAC and MYB genes in M. albus and may facilitate efforts to breed low-lignin-content forage cultivars in the future.

ДО ВИВЧЕННЯ ВИЩИХ СУДИННИХ РОСЛИН І ЛИШАЙНИКІВ КАРДАШИНСЬКОГО БОЛОТА В МЕЖАХ НПП «НИЖНЬОДНІПРОВСЬКИЙ»

Kardashynka swamp is the largest swamp not only in the Kherson region, but also in the entire steppe zone of Ukraine. According to the results of the study of the part of the Kardashynka swamp, which in 2015 became part of the Nyzhnyodniprovskyi National Nature Park and is located in the Kherson region between the villages of Kokhany of Holoprystansky and Solonets of Oleshkivsky districts, 214 species of vascular plants were recorded, which belong to 194 genera and 83 families. The leading families of flora are: Asteraceae (31 species), Cyperaceae (19), Poaceae (15), Lamiaceae (10), Fabaceae (9), Brassicaceae (8), Rosaceae (9), Caryophyllaceae (8). We have not identified the species included in the Red Book of Ukraine in the studied area. Among the regionally rare species, the growth of: Alnus glutinosa, Quercus robur, Dryopteris carthusiana, Fraxinus excelsior, Nymphaea alba, Carex lasiocarpa was observed. The basis of vegetation is compiled of: in the swamps −Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn., Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud., Iris pseudacorus L., Frangula alnus Mill., Typha angustifolia L., Urtica dioica L., Tephroseris palustris (L.) Rchb., Carex elata All., Carex pseudocyperus L., Hottonia palustris L. Poa bulbosa L.; in the meadows – Plantago major L., Alsine media (L.) Vill., Cerastium glutinosum Fries, Lathyrus palustris L.,; Poa bulbosa, Poa palustris L., Carex acuta L., Carex acutiformis Ehrh., Melilotus albus Medik., Trifolium arvense L., Glechoma hederacea L. Juncus effusus L., and in reservoirs - Lemna minor L., Lemna trisulca L. , Nymphaea alba L., Nuphar lutea (L.) Sm., Myriophyllum sp. Lichen biota is represented mainly by epiphytes on the bark of Salix sp. and Populus alba. On the bark of Populus alba, a typical for this area species Xanthoria parietina, Amandinea punctata, Scholiciosporum chlorococcum, Physcea adscendens, Physcia tenella are presented. Also, we note that among the priority areas for the development of nature reserves is the possibility of expanding the territories. One of such objects, which, eventually, can be included in the boundaries of NNP "Nyzhnyodniprovskyi", is the designed botanical reserve of national importance "Kardashinka swamp". The part of the territory is already included to the economic zone of NNP "Nyzhnyodniprovskyi". Key words: swamp, species, sozophytes, national nature park

Assessment of the ?ombining Ability of Sweet Clover Basic Material in Northern Kazakhstan

The paper presents the evaluation of the total combining ability of the seed parents of white sweet clover Melilotus albus and yellow sweet clover Melilotus officinalis based on leaf formation, forage productivity and seed productivity. The results of competitive heterosis for the yield of herbage, dry matter and seeds of the polycross offspring Syn1 are also presented. Among the polycross offspring Syn1 Melilotus albus, SGP-4-12507 and SGP-5-12508 were selected based on their leaf formation (50 and 50%, respectively); competitive heterosis was 16.3 and 22%, respectively. Based on the total combining ability of offspring Syn1 of Melilotus albus, the following biotypes were selected: SGP-2-12519 (27.1%) and SGP-1-12503 (20.8%) for forage productivity; SGP-4-12601 (14.7%) and SGP-5-12508 (13.0%) for dry matter productivity; SGP-4-12601 (50.4%), SGP-2-12519 (19.2%) and SGP-5-12508 (14.1%) for seed productivity. The highest total combining ability were found for the following biotypes of Melilotus officinalis: SGP-9-12454 and SGP-10-12455 for leaf formation (18.2 and 13.3%, respectively); SGP-10-12455 (12.5%) for herbage productivity; SGP-10-12455 (29.6%) and SGP-9-12454 (24.2%) for dry matter productivity; SGP-6-12520 (15.4%) and SGP-9-12454 (14.1%) for seed productivity. Selected sweet clover samples can be recommended as the best basic material for further work on selection for high forage and seed productivity.

Salinity tolerance and avoidance mechanisms at germination among messina (

Messina (Melilotus siculus) cv. Neptune, an annual pasture legume native to the Mediterranean Basin, has recently been released for saltland pastures in southern Australia following demonstration of biomass production and persistence superior to other commercial pasture legumes in saline environments prone to winter waterlogging. Self-regenerating annual pasture legumes also require seed adaptations for both tolerating and avoiding salinity at germination in these environments. This study examined diversity within Neptune and 20 other messina accessions for salt tolerance at germination, recovery of germinability from temporary salt stress, and timing and extent of hardseed softening, compared with balansa clover (Trifolium michelianum) cv. Frontier, burr medic (Medicago polymorpha) cv. Scimitar and white melilot (Melilotus albus) cv. Jota. Germination rates after 14 days at 300 mM NaCl relative to 0 mM NaCl were ≥99% for Neptune and 18 other messina accessions, 66% for Scimitar, 21% for Jota and 11% for Frontier. No genotype germinated at 600 mM NaCl; however, when transferred to 0 mM NaCl after 14 days at 600 mM, all genotypes except Scimitar and Jota recovered partial germination, ranging from 13% to 93% of controls (0 mM NaCl for 28 days). The softening rate of hard (impermeable) seeds in the field varied among genotypes, with deferral of hardseed softening until late autumn–early winter, when rainfall is more likely, indicating greater persistence. The months in which the hardseed level first became significantly lower than the initial level (in freshly harvested seeds) after placement on the soil surface in December were: March for Frontier; April for Scimitar, Jota and Neptune; and March–July for all messina accessions. This study confirmed that messina has high salt tolerance and several avoidance mechanisms at germination that contribute to its adaptation to saline soils in southern Australia. Several messina accessions were superior to Neptune for individual traits which could be exploited for plant breeding. These results also have implications for saltland pastures in other regions of the world with Mediterranean-type climates.

The use of biological fabaceae resources of the cretaceous south of Russia in breeding on the example of the species Melilotus albus medik

The morpho-biological traits of the breeding sample POD 17/13, created on the basis of genetic material of wild populations of M. albus of the Cretaceous south of the Central Russian Upland, were evaluated in comparison with the well-known zoned variety “Obskoy gigant”. The purpose of breeding work is to obtain a combination in one genotype of high yield traits of feed mass and leaf coverage; high protein content and low fiber content while maintaining seed productivity at the standard level. Three sets of field experiment were carried out: in 2016, 2017 and 2018. The setting years were the first years of life for the biennial M. albus crop. Individuals of the POD 17/13 breeding sample tend to increase the length of the growing season: by an average of 3.7 days in the first year of life, and by 7.3 days in the second year. According to the seed yield, the breeding sample M. albus POD 17/13 is at the standard level. In terms of protein content, the POD 17/13 variety significantly exceeds the standard in the first year of life by 6.8…9.2%, in the second - by 15.1…19.2%. At the same time, its herbage is more tender, since the fiber content in the aboveground mass is lower than that of the standard – in the first year of life – by 2.1…7.1%, in the second year of life - 6.9…9.9%. Thus, the POD 17/13 variety sample, created on the basis of the source material of wild populations of M. albus, is promising for obtaining a new variety based on it.

Vegetation recovery in open cast mines of Tver Region

In the study natural plant communities appearing at the first stages of vegetation recovery in open cuts are described. Sixty-three species of higher vascular plants were found, six of which are adventive (Bunias orientalis L., Cichorium intybus L., Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop., Melilotus albus Medik., Sedum spurium M.Bieb., Solidago canadensis L.). Species from the Asteraceae (15), Gramíneae (8), Fabáceae (7) families prevail. The predominant life form according to I. Serebryakov are long-rhizome. According to G. Zozulin’s classification, plants belonging to the meadow and birch formations are most common. The associations of Calamagrostis epigejos and Bromus inermis predominate. Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop., Heracleum sibiricum L., Campanula glomerata L. are single.

Use of Wild Plant Species: A Potential for Methane Production in Biogas Plants

Sources of the input biomass for biogas plant (BGP) are very often communal biological wastes, farm materials such as slurry, dung or biomass of purposefully grown plants. Efforts aiming to support biogas yield from grass biomass with using additionally sown wild species can affect efficiency of the whole production process and improve its environmental impact. This was why 14 wild plant species were selected as a potential source of biomass for BGP: Trifolium alpestre L.; Trifolium rubens L.; Galega orientalis Lamb.; Medicago sativa L.; Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.; Vicia sylvatica L.; Astragalus cicer L.; Trifolium pannonicum Jacq.; Lathyrus pratensis L.; Melilotus alba Medic.; Trigonella foenum-graecum L.; Lathyrus sylverstris L.; Securigera varia L. and Dorycnium germanicum (Gremli) Rikli. The potential of individual crops for being used in BGP was evaluated based on calculating a theoretical methane yield (TMY). The calculated TMY values ranged from 0.130 m 3 /kg VS to 0.182 m 3 /kg VS . The demonstrably lowest (p<0.05) value of TMY was calculated for Medicago sativa L., which showed the lowest content of lipids and the highest content of ADF. By contrast, the highest TMY was recorded in Securigera varia L., which exhibited the highest content of carbohydrates and starch and the lowest content of ADF and NDF. An analysis of the biomass of grown species as well as the TMY calculation demonstrated significant differences between the respective plant species and a need to study in details the characteristics of wild plant species prior to their use for the production of biomass for BGP.

ЗИМОСТІЙКІСТЬ РОСЛИН ПШЕНИЦІ ОЗИМОЇ ЗАЛЕЖНО ВІД ПОПЕРЕДНИКІВ БОБОВИХ БАГАТОРІЧНИХ ТРАВ

The article is devoted to solving the problem of increasing the winter hardiness of winter wheat crops when it is grown after the predecessors of six types of perennial legumes. The features of the passage of the growth and development phases of winter wheat plants in the autumn, depending on the predecessors, are shown. The dynamics of plant height in the autumn-spring period is analyzed. The change in the density of winter wheat plants during the period of full germination and during the spring renewal of vegetation was studied. The winter cutting of winter wheat plants, the area of damage to the leaf surface, the proportion of damaged plants and the percentage of their height decrease during the winter period were calculated. The level of grain yield of winter wheat, depending on the predecessors, was investigated, and correlation-regression relationships between it and the factors influencing wintering were revealed. A close correlation has been proved between grain yield and the percentage of damaged winter wheat plants during the winter period and their height at the beginning of spring regrowth. It is shown that the most favorable conditions overwintered and the level of grain yield of winter wheat when grown after various types of leguminous perennial grasses is observed after the predecessor of meadow clover, where damage is observed by unfavorable conditions, only 16.7 % of the plants overwintered and their height at the time of the spring renewal of vegetation is 6 cm. This makes it possible to obtain a grain yield of winter wheat of 5.8 t/ha without the use of mineral fertilizers. The use of leguminous perennial grasses as precursors of winter wheat that develop over two to three years (meadow clover, white melilot, sand sainfoin) contributes to the formation of a significantly higher yield of winter wheat grain compared to predecessors of perennial legumes that vegetate for a long time period – five to eight years (horned lily, sowing alfalfa, eastern goat's rue). The yield of winter wheat after the predecessor of horned clover was the lowest – by 30.5% less than after the predecessor of meadow clover.

The formation of the leaf surface of white melilot (Melilotus albus) depending on fertilization, seed mix and seeding rate

The study objective was to analyze the formation of the leaf surface of white melilot (Melilotus albus) cultivated in pure sowing and mixes with annual cereals, with varying seeding rates for this species and varying fertilization levels. White melilot was sown in pure sowing and mixes with maize, millet, Sudan grass, and sorghum, with four seeding rates (16, 18, 20, and 22 kg ha–1). Four doses of fertilization with NPK were used in the investigations (0 – control treatment without fertilization, N45P45K45, N60P60K60, and N60P90K90). The leaves’ surface was assessed through scanning on the 30th, 40th, and 50th day after the germination of white melilot and in the period of its readiness for mowing (64th day). White melilot leaves were separated from the stems and placed in a transparent folder with a 25 cm calibration square, then scanned with a flatbed scanner in black-and-white mode. The obtained image was analyzed in Areas software, the built-in analytical tools of which were used to determine the area of the scanned leaves. After determining each plant’s leaf surface, the mean for each variant of the experiment was calculated, and then, using the concentration of plants per 1 m2, the mean M. albus leaf surface per hectare was obtained. The investigations demonstrated that the surface of white melilot leaves varied depending on the mix’s component, the seeding rate for this species, and the fertilization doses. Depending on the seeding rate (16, 18, 20, and 22 kg ha–1), one plant’s mean leaf surface area was as follows: 0.014115, 0.013955, 0.013824, and 0.013654 m2. The smallest M. albus leaf surface area per hectare was recorded in treatments without components (pure sowing) and with the highest seeding rate for this species’ seeds. The significantly the largest leaf surface area was observed in treatments where M. albus was sown in 16 kg ha–1, in a mix with Sudan grass and maize. Millet was the component with the strongest negative effect on this parameter, with each of the M. albus seeding rates used. Typically, the studied species’ leaf surface area was successively decreasing by 2 to 11% as the seeding rate increased. When mineral fertilizers were introduced, the species under study's leaf surface area was increasing by 7 to 16% as the fertilization rate increased. Considering the mean values for the study period, the largest area of white melilot leaves (in the period of readiness for cutting) was recorded in a mixed treatment of white melilot with Sudan grass, i.e., 52.3 thousand m2 ha–1 with fertilization of N60P90K90 and seeding rate of 16 kg ha–1.

Potential of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated From Different Forages as Silage Inoculants for Improving Fermentation Quality and Aerobic Stability.

We aimed at isolating lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from different plant materials to study their crossed-fermentation capacity in silos and to find strains able to confer enhanced aerobic stability to silage. A total of 129 LAB isolates were obtained from lucerne (alfalfa), maize, sorghum, ryegrass, rice, barley, canola, Gatton panic, Melilotus albus, soy, white clover, wheat, sunflower, oat, and moha. Four Lactiplantibacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum strains (isolated from oat, lucerne, sorghum, or maize) were selected for their growth capacity. Identity (16S sequencing) and diversity (RAPD-PCR) were confirmed. Fermentative capacity (inoculated at 104, 105, 106, 107 CFU/g) was studied in maize silage and their cross-fermentation capacity was assessed in oat, lucerne, sorghum, and maize. Heterofermentative strains with the highest acetic acid production capacity conferred higher aerobic stability to maize silages. Regardless the source of isolation, L. plantarum strains, inoculated at a rate of 106 CFU/g, were effective to produce silage from different plant materials. From more than 100 isolates obtained, the application of a succession of experiments allowed us to narrow down the number of potential candidates of silage inoculants to two strains. Based on the studies made, L. plantarum LpM15 and Limosilactobacillus fermentum LfM1 showed potential to be used as inoculants, however further studies are needed to determine their performance when inoculated together. The former because it positively influenced different quality parameters in oat, lucerne, sorghum, and maize silage, and the latter because of its capacity to confer enhanced aerobic stability to maize silage. The rest of the strains constitute a valuable collection of autochthonous strains that will be further studied in the future for new applications in animal or human foods.

Agrotechnology of Melilotus albus cultivation in saline area

In order to organize a profitable agrotechnology for the cultivation of Melilotus albus in saline area, Melilotus albus’s Kibray variety and Tashkent-1 variety of common alfalfa seeds for comparative study in different versions were studied by sowing in 4 versions, different sowing norms. For each version, valuable farm traits during the vegetation, especially blue mass yield and hay yield were analyzed. Just like that, to each version economical effective ness was studied. In saline areas has been identified an effective version of the sowing norm Melilotus albus.