SCIENTIFIC WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SELECTION AND SEED PRODUCTION
Scientific work of the Department of Selection and Seed Production is connected with the formation and functioning of the scientific school “Use of technological, selective and seed means of production intensification to increase productivity and quality of potato harvest”. The initial period for its formation is the beginning of work in 1982 in the Sumy branch of Kharkiv AI named after V.V. Dokuchaev (now Sumy National Agrarian University) of a Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor, Winner of the USSR State Prize in Science and Technology (1974), Honored Science and Technology Worker of Ukraine (1999), Honored Professor of Sumy NAU (2002) Mykola Demyanovych Honcharov (1929-2004).
The research work on the selection and seed production of potatoes in the North-East of Ukraine was widely developed under the leadership of M. D. Goncharov. For this purpose in 1986 the educational and scientific laboratory complex was specially built. In the same year on the basis of Sumy AI (now Sumy NAU) the Research and Production System (RPS) “Meristema” was organized, which became a state center of Sumy region for breeding new varieties of potatoes and production of their healthy seed material. This solved the problem of potato seed production in Sumy region. Farms in the region annually received 8-10 thousand tons of elite potatoes. The RPS “Meristema” was also used as a training base for students, masters, graduate students and teachers.
In 1999, Meristema became the basis to set up the Research Institute of Potato Problems of the North-Eastern Region of Ukraine as a part of SNAU, the founder and first director of which was Professor Mykola Demyanovych Honcharov. Since 1999, the department, and since 2005 the Research Institute of Potato Problems of SNAU was headed by Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor Kozhushko N.S.
The practical result of 36 years of research work on the selection of potato varieties is the creation of more than 20 new nematode-resistant potato varieties adapted to the conditions of the North-Eastern region of Ukraine. Nine varieties of potatoes – Molodizhna (1996), Lastivka (2002), Juvilar 60-70 (2004), Agrarna and Farmerska (2006); Selyanska, Slobozhanka, Plushka (2010); Pselska (2011) were entered in the State Register of Plant Varieties of Ukraine; in 2017 patents for varieties Goncharivska and Smuglyanka were received, 13 varieties were considered as perspective: Altanka, Aspirantska, Vesnyana, Hybridna, Dietychna, Dobryanka, Druzhba, Zlagoda-2, Molodizhna-2 , Svitlychna, Studenska, Juvileina -35, Universitetska.
In recent years, research work has been related to the implementation of research topics of the Department and the Institute of Potato Problems of the North-Eastern Region of Ukraine as a part of SNAU to create new nematode-resistant early high-yielding varieties of potatoes suitable for mechanized cultivation, long-term storage, industrial processing and providing genetic potential by modern methods of seed production (2016-2020 № d.r.0116 U005635). Under the guidance of Professor Kozhushko N.S. a postgraduate student Smilik D.V. has been studying.
In addition to selection and seed production in potato growing at the Department of Selection and Seed Production, other directions of scientific research are being implemented.
Scientific research is carried out within the theme “To improve the elements of technologies for growing grain crops and cereals, taking into account the optimization of agronomic measures and agrobiological control of growth and development of plants in the North-Eastern Forest-steppe of Ukraine” № 0119U103779. The purpose of these studies is to optimize the main agronomic measures, agroecological and biological bases of grain production (winter wheat, spring barley, corn), cereals (buckwheat), as well as to determine the biotypes most adapted to environmental conditions.
In fulfilling of the research topic “Determination of the genetics of quantitative traits of flax” № Dr. 0119U103780 researches on studying of selection value of a gene pool of flax on increasing of seed productivity and quality of oil and also search of molecular genetic bases of a protein complex of flax seeds are carried out.
Scientific and pedagogical staff of the Department is engaged in solving problems of seed production of cereals and legumes, development of mathematical models and implementation of IT technologies in crop production, breeding and agriculture.
A research work is being conducted on testing modern varieties and hybrids of cereals and vegetable plants for their use in production.
Existing scientific works in the field of selection and seed production, varietal study and optimization of technological aspects of varietal agricultural machinery are the basis for the implementation of economic topics by scientists of the Department. They are mainly related to the issues of scientific and methodological support for cultivation of seed material of nematode-resistant varieties of potatoes, scientific-consulting and technical-technological support for the cultivation of grain crops, cereals and corn.
At the initiative and active participation of the staff of the Department of Selection and Seed Production since 2012, the annual All-Ukrainian and International scientific-practical conferences “Goncharov Readings” are held, dedicated to the anniversary of a founder of the Department of Selection and Seed Production. The purpose of the conference is to improve and develop the relations of international cooperation of scientists in the field of agro-industrial complex. The thematic areas of the conferences are: selection and seed production of agricultural crops; the latest technologies in crop production; current trends in agriculture and agrochemistry; environmental problems and ways to solve them; plant protection: problems, tendencies, perspective directions.
Research and teaching staff of the Department has publications in journals that are indexed in the international scientometric databases Scopus and Web of Science:
Professor Kozhushko N.S. – 1;
Associate Professor Onychko V.I. – 9, 3 of them in Scopus;
Associate Professor Berdin S.I. – 2;
Associate Professor Kandiba N.M. – 2;
Senior Lecturer Onychko T.O. – 3;
Senior Lecturer Vereshchagin IV – 2;
Senior Lecturer Tkachenko O.M. – 2, 1 of them in Scopus.
