2022 REPORTS ON RESEARCH PROJECTS WITHIN SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMS 16 "SUNFLOWER" AND 17 "PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES"
On February 2, 2023, at the meeting of the Plant Production Department of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences, NAAS Academician, Head of the Department of Novel Breeding and Seed Technologies of the Plant Production Institute (PPI) named after V.Ya. Yuriev of NAAS, head of scientific program 16 “Sunflower: Basics of Production Process Management" (Sunflower)”, V.V. Kyrychenko, presented a report.
In 2022, 7 institutions completed 14 projects, of which 3 were fundamental and 11 were applied (the main institution was the Plant Production Institute named after V.Ya. Yuriev of NAAS).
In 2022, the theoretical foundations of the breeding of sunflower with altered compositions of oil fatty acids were deepened; a method of selection of parent components for F1 sunflower hybrids combining a high content of oleic acid in oil with confectionary indicators was developed.
Measures to accelerate the breeding of sunflower that would be resistant to ALS-inhibiting herbicide and contain high contents of oleic acid and oil were outlined.
The experimental verification (field experiments) of the method of indirect assessment of sunflower breeding material for resistance to cadmium accumulation was completed.
Scientific principles of the regulation of plant growth and reproduction processes in the seed production of parental components of sunflower hybrids were developed.
As a practical result, starting from 2022, hybrids Azart, Holkiper (PPI) and Bastard (Plant Breeding and Genetics Institute [PBGI]) as well as parental lines Kh 4413 V, Kh 588 B (PPI), Od 1001 B, and Od 1052 B (PBGI) have been entered into the State Register of Plant Varieties Suitable for Dissemination in Ukraine. Hybrid Zakhysnyk, which is drought-tolerant, heat-tolerant and resistant to virulent races of downy mildew, was submitted to the 2023 state variety trial.
Some components of sunflower hybrid cultivation technologies were developed and improved; the components ensure high yields, saving agricultural resources by 20-25%, reducing the pesticide load by 15-20%, and increasing the payback from fertilizers by 10-15%.
The report was reviewed with comments and wishes by V.K. Puzik, NAAS Corresponding Member, Professor of the Chair of Agricultural Technologies and Ecology of the State Biotechnological University of MES of Ukraine; A.A. Bondarchuk, NAAS Corresponding Member, Chief Researcher of the NSC “Institute of Agriculture of NAAS”; and I.F. Hlian, Head of the Regional Organization of the Employers' Union in the Kharkivska Oblast. The expert for the report was V.Yu. Cherchel, NAAS Corresponding Member, Director of the Institute of Grain Crops of NAASs.
V.V. Kyrychenko’s report aroused great interest. In the question and remark part, NAAS Academician Kyryk M.M. raised the issue of the importance of research projects in sunflower cultivation and sunflower resistance to pathogens, in particular to downy mildew. He emphasized the significant economic importance of this crop in wartime.
On February 2, 2023, at the meeting of the Plant Production Department of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences, V.K. Riabchun, Deputy Director for Research on Plant Genetic Resources of the Plant Production Institute named after V.Ya. Yuriev of NAAS, head of scientific program 17 “Formation and Use of Plant Genetic Resource Bank (Plant Genetic Resources)” presented a report.
In 2022, 28 research institutions completed 43 projects within subprogram 01 "Genetic Resources of Agricultural Crops" (the main institution was the Plant Production Institute named after V.Ya. Yuriev of NAAS) and subprogram 02 "Expansion and Preservation of the Genetic Diversity of Fruit, Berry, Nut and Decorative Crops" (Pomology)”; 31 projects were fundamental and 12 were applied. A researcher of the Research Station of Pomology named after L.P. Symyrenko of the Institute of Horticulture of NAAS, V.V. Voloshyna, reported on subprogram 02.
As of today, the institutions of the network of the Plant Genetic Resources of Ukraine have built up collections comprising totally 154,300 specimens belonging to 544 agricultural crops and 1,802 plant species. A computer passport database was created; it covers 110,300 specimens of the plant gene pool. During the reporting period, 2,100 sources and donors of economically valuable characteristics as well as reference accessions for these characteristics were identified. In 2022, over 3,700 specimens were sent to users. On their genetic basis, new varieties were created, scientific patterns were established, and scientists and specialists were trained.
During wartime, collection accessions of seed-propagated crops were preserved in the National (Plant Production Institute named after V.Ya. Yuriev of NAAS) and doublet (Ustymivka Experimental Station of Plant Production of PPI NAAS) repositories.
NAAS Academicians, M.M. Kyryk and M.V. Royik participated in the discussion of the reports.
The reports were accepted with comments and wishes of the reviewers: D.B. Rakhmetov, NAAS Corresponding Member; O.S. Makarchuk, Head of the Chair of Breeding and Seed Production of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences; O.S. Fedyshina, Head of the Department of Agriculture, Seed Production, Engineering and Occupational Health of the Head Office of Agricultural Production of the Division of Agro-Industrial Development of the Kharkiv Regional State (Military) Administration, and expert S.M. Kalenska, NAAS Corresponding member.
The reports received positive assessments and were approved by the Plant Production Department of NAAS.