Kokoba Y. Peculiarities of growing softwood cuttings of hawthorn in the conditions of the Right-Bank Forest Steppe Zone of Ukraine

The object of the research is regularities of displaying the peculiarities of own- rooted propagation of three varieties and four species of hawthorn. The purpose of the research is to improve the growing of hawthorn planting material in vitro and with the help of green softwood cuttings in the conditions of the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe Zone of Ukraine. The research methods are field, laboratory, statistical methods. The research resulted in the establishing of the ability of green softwood cuttings to form roots depending on the terms of gathering and determining morphological differences of rooting of hawthorn green softwood cuttings of different types depending on the variety composition and the effect of growth regulating substances of auxin nature. The optimal terms of gathering green softwood cuttings and their planting out to form roots taking into account the parent plants age were defined. A three-node cutting formed of an apical part of the stem appeared to be the best type of a cutting for hawthorn. Rooting and growth of three-node cuttings proved to be much better compared with similar indicators of two- and one-node cuttings. A smaller leaf area of the cuttings before planting out and increasing the age of nursery hawthorn plants cause a serious problem for regeneration processes and inhibit root growth. To increase the yield of marketable nursery treated plants, it is advisable to prolong their growing in containers for summer, spring and autumn planting out of the established cuttings. The novelty of the research consists in determining the dependence of own-rooted propagation of hawthorn green softwood cuttings on the species and variety features, the level of the cuttings lignification, its type and metamerism; application of growth regulating substances of auxin nature which made it possible to prove the advantages of rooting with the help of three-node cuttings, taken from the apical part of the stem of 3-5-year old parent plants during the period of the intensive growth without leaves removal. Agro-technical practices for growing hawthorn planting material from green softwood cuttings in the conditions of the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe Zone of Ukraine and technology elements for completion of growing own-rooted hawthorn planting material were improved. In vitro technique for improving of the technology of propagation of hawthorn planting material was developed. Comparative evaluation of economic efficiency of rooting of hawthorn green softwood cuttings gathered in different terms of cutting was carried out. Introduction: the research results were used in the academic programs of Uman National University of Horticulture and Uman State Pedagogical University, nurseries of National Dendrological Park "Sofiivka" - NAS of Ukraine, Uman State Forest Enterprise of Cherkasy region, Municipal enterprise "Umanzelenhosp" and "Zelene Hospodarstvo" subdivision of open joint-stock company "Umanavtodor", which was proved by certificates and introduction documents.