VARIETAL AND AGROTECHNICAL ASPECTS OF QUALITY CONTROL OF DAIKON ROOT CROPS

Abstract

The article is devoted to studying the effect of different sowing dates on the productivity and marketable quality of daikon varieties. Between 2022 and 2024, a field experiment was conducted on the territory of the Fruit and Vegetable Garden training laboratory of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine. The experimental plots were located in the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. The plot area of each repetition was 5 m², and the variants were randomly arranged with three repetitions.The study found that growing the Minovasi variety is significantly more profitable than the control variety, Gulliver. Overall, Minovasi showed a 4.3–10.6% increase in yield compared to Gulliver, with the largest increase (5.4 t/ha) recorded when sowing in the first ten days of August. The highest yield for the studied varieties was achieved when sowing in the third ten days of July, which confirms the relationship between sowing time and productivity. During this optimal sowing period, the yield was 58.9 t/ha for the Minovasi variety and 54.6 t/ha for the Gulliver variety, and the average root weight reached its highest values – 426 g and 414 g, respectively. Also, at other sowing dates, the average root weight of the Gulliver variety exceeded that of the Minovasi variety, with a deviation ranging from 3 to 17 g within the experiment. In addition, the Minovasi variety demonstrated higher marketability, as the percentage of non-marketable root crops was lower (37.8–42.6%) compared to the Gulliver variety (40.7–44.0%). Analysis of the structure of non-marketable root crops showed that the largest share (75.5–76.5%) was damage caused by cabbage flies. Here again, an important interdependence was revealed: sowing in the third decade of July and the first decade of August ensured the highest resistance of both varieties to this pest, reducing the level of damage to 28.7–32.1%. These same sowing dates were also optimal for reducing other indicators, ensuring the lowest percentage of disease damage (1.1–1.8%) and cracking (4.6–4.9%), as well as a low branching rate (3.0–3.5%) of root crops. Thus, the study confirmed that the optimal sowing date in the third decade of July and the first decade of August is a key factor that comprehensively affects yield, quality, resistance to pests and diseases, ensuring maximum economic efficiency.