EVALUATION OF BIOMETRIC INDEXES OF SPINACH GROWN IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE SOUTHERN STEPPE OF UKRAINE

Abstract

The population of Ukraine should receive fresh greens from early spring to autumn from open field production and the period of growing spinach will ensure the supply of fresh greens. For this purpose, the research was conducted in 2019–2021 in the conditions of the Southern Steppe of Ukraine. For our research were used field, statistical, calculation-analytical and laboratory methods. The varieties Fantaziia and Malakhit were studied. Was studied the behavior of plants after six sowing dates. The control variant was the variety Fantaziia for sowing in the 1st decade of April. Observations conducted in 2019–2021 showed that the early sowing period in the third decade of April, the second decade of May and the second decade of June turned out to be more favorable for the Fantasia variety, as a larger number of leaves were formed on one plant – 5.7–6.0 pcs/plant During late sowing periods, as well as during sowing in the 1st decade of April, a significantly lower number of leaves was observed – 5.0–5.2 pieces/plant. In the Malachite variety, the number of leaves varied slightly regardless of different sowing dates and ranged from 5.0 to 5.4 leaves/plant. It was found that plants of both varieties of spinach had a larger leaf surface (114.2–127.7 cm2) in the early sowing period. Plants which were sown in August had a smaller leaf surface – 86.0–106.2 cm2. The highest yield of marketable green mass was obtained for sowing in the 3rd decade of April and 2nd decade of May. The variety Fantasia provided 22.9–23.0 t/ha, and the variety Malakhit provided 23.3–23.9 t/ha. It was established that there is a strong positive correlation between plant mass and the number of leaves (r = 0.98), spinach yield and plant mass (r = 0.91). It has been established that the soil and climatic conditions of the Southern Steppe of Ukraine are suitable for sowing spinach in six dates and will ensure an uninterrupted supply of products from the 3rd decade of April to the end of September inclusive and in years with favorable weather conditions in the 2nd to 3rd decades September to mid-October. Such approach will solve the problem of seasonality in the consumption of fresh vegetables. It recommended to agricultural producers the sowing dates of spinach in order to extend the period of receiving fresh greens from the 3rd decade of April to the end of September and in some years to the middle of October.