PLANTING SCHEME INFLUENCE ON THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES OF TOBACCO PLANTS IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE WESTERN FOREST-STEPPE

Abstract

The production of cigarettes in Ukraine is primarily organized using raw materials from imported tobacco, which are usually of different quality. The development of the domestic tobacco industry would have been impossible without the creation of raw tobacco materials. In this crisis period, it is essential to restore the production of high-quality tobacco, which will contribute to the industry's competitiveness and create a significant number of jobs for the rural population. The main purpose of the research was to improve the varietal technology of tobacco cultivation through the methods of planting and harvesting, to obtain the maximum possible productivity of raw materials in the conditions of the southern part of the forest-steppe of western Ukraine. Research methods and materials. Experimental field and laboratory tests were conducted in 2020-2022 on the experimental field of "Podillia" Research Center of the Higher Education Institution "Podillia State University". The area was 50 m2 in 4-fold repetition. Agricultural technology in the experimental plots was generally accepted for each variety type and characteristic of the tobacco growing zone. The results. The height of tobacco plants depended on varietal characteristics, climatic factors of cultivation, and the method of planting. The highest plant height was observed in 2021 for Berlei 38 tobacco, with a planting method of 70 cm×58 cm – 218 cm, Ternopilskii 14 – 200 cm, Virdzhiniia 27 – 212 cm, C-9 – 217 cm of the same technology. Strong correlations were found between plant height and the number of leaves and surface areas of the middle leaf of the middle tier, Berlei 38 – r = 0.95, 0.97, Virdzhiniia 27 – r = 0.82, 0.93, Ternopilskii 14 – r = 0.82, 0.94, C-9 – r = 0.86, 0.96. An inverse correlation between plant height and nicotine content and a direct relationship between height and hydrocarbon content were also found.