https://www.agrisp.com/index.php/agrisp <p><a href="https://www.agroscience-publishing.org.ua/">The State Publishing House «Agrarian Science» of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine</a> publishes a scientific journal «Agricultural Science and Practice».</p> <p>The articles dedicated to the basic and applied researches on soil science, agriculture, crops, livestock, fodder, genetics, breeding and biotechnology, agroecology, radiology, reclamation, processing and storage of agricultural products, economy, innovation are published in this journal .</p> National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine en-US Agricultural Science and Practice 2312-3370 https://www.agrisp.com/index.php/agrisp/article/view/2026_02_01 Aim. To identify mitochondrial haplotypes in the last autochthonous herd of Myrhorod pigs, to assess haplotype diversity, evolutionary divergence, and the evolutionary history of the breed in order to adjust the strategies for its restoration. Methods. The biological material was collected in 2011 and 2017 (n = 25) and (n = 84), respectively. Mitochondrial haplotypes of pigs were determined using a multisite PCR-RFLP assay. The population and statistical analyses were performed using GENALEX 6 software. The evolutionary analysis was conducted in MEGA12. Results. Over two generations in the last autochthonous herd of the Myrhorod breed, which was raised under intensive conditions, the total number of mitochondrial haplotypes decreased from 4 to 3. The disappearance of the genealogical family with haplotype l does not eliminate the m.15714C allelic variant from the population, as it persists in sows with haplotypes A and C. The loss of the maternal line with haplotype l did not reduce the level of haplotype diversity in the Myrhorod breed population; on the contrary, it increased from (h = 0.077) in 2011 to (h = 0.153) in 2017. An analysis of the number of base substitutions per site between sequences revealed evolutionary divergence among the sequences defining the haplotypes. The lowest evolutionary divergence (number of substitutions per site, d = 0.058) was observed between the sequences defining haplotypes A and C. The greatest divergence (d = 0.298) was observed between haplotypes O, C, and haplotype J1, which was used as the outgroup. An assessment of the divergence among the haplotypes of Myrhorod pigs and their evolutionary history demonstrated their affiliation with European domestication events. The haplotype of the Asian wild boar (AF136564) and the Meishan breed (AF136567), used as an outgroup in the phylogenetic analysis, formed a separate branch on the optimal tree with a total branch length (d = 0.359) clearly demonstrating the differentiation between European and Asian domestication events. Three of the six SNPs studied — m.15616T>C, m.15714T>C, and m.15758T>C — influenced the level of haplotype diversity in the Myrhorod breed population. Among the polymorphic allelic variants of mitochondrial DNA, SNP m.15714C (q = 0.960) was the most frequent in 2011, and m.15758C (q = 0.917) — in 2017. A significant deviation was observed between the expected variance and the observed variance (Vo2011 = 0.157, Ve2017 = 0.487) and (Vo2017 = 0.161, Ve2017 = 0.509). Conclusions. 1. An assessment of the evolutionary divergence among the haplotypes of Myrhorod pigs and their evolutionary history demonstrates their connection to European domestication events. The presence of four mitochondrial haplotypes in this local breed suggests the influence of introgression from domesticated pigs or breeds that evolved in different geographic regions of Europe. 2. While developing the Myrhorod pig breed, boars of the Berkshire, Middle White, Large White, Large Black, and Tamworth breeds were used, none of which could pass on Asian mitochondrial haplotypes. 3. Over two generations in the last autochthonous herd of the Myrhorod breed, which was kept in conditions of competition with modern transboundary breeds, the total number of mitochondrial haplotypes decreased from 4 to 3. Paradoxically, the level of haplotype diversity in the Myrhorod breed population increased after the loss of the maternal line with haplotype l. In light of this, preserving maternal lines with different haplotypes is of greater practical importance for the genetic characterization and management of the local breed than haplotype diversity. 4. To preserve and restore the Myrhorod pig breed, given the current situation, the most effective approach may be one based not on searching for the original local genetic material, but rather on identifying and utilizing the marker haplotypes we have identified that have been introgressed into the Large White, Poltava Meat, and Red White-Belted breeds. K. F. Pochernyaev S. M. Korinnyi A. A. Getya V. G. Tsybenko P. A. Vashchenko Copyright (c) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 2026-08-28 2026-08-28 13 2 3 14 10.15407/agrisp13.02.003 https://www.agrisp.com/index.php/agrisp/article/view/2026_02_02 Aim. The development of a well-balanced microclonal propagation technology for the Slov’ianka hop variety is of importance for the industry since this is a widely used variety. Therefore, the aims of our research were 1) to investigate the influence of growth medium, disinfection procedures and means, hormones and other growth factors on the success of micropropagation and further multiplication of this variety and 2) to advice a standard protocol for the micropogation of the variety Slov’ianka. Methods. The research was conducted during 2023–2025 at the Department of Virology, Health Improvement and Reproduction of Fruit and Berry Crops of the Institute of Horticulture of the NAAS of Ukraine. Plant material for the experiments was selected in the Khmelnytskyi region and tested for the absence of pathogens in accordance with the EPPO PM4/016(2) standard: Certification scheme for hop. Various, culture media and variations of the standard MS culture medium, using different iron and carbon sources, auxins and cytokinins in early stages of micropropagation, use of perlite, coconut and peat and two biostimulants Helprost and Radifarm in later stages. Statistical processing of the experimental data was performed using ANOVA and correlation analysis was conducted in Excel. Results. For the disinfection the use of 70% ethanol for 30 seconds and a 9% sodium hypochlorite solution diluted to 0.25% for 20 minutes appeared to be the most effective. From five culture media an adapted Murashige-Skoog (MS) medium was found to be optimal for regeneration with minimum callus growth. To improve the overall condition of the plants, a dose of iron chelate FeNaEDTA (40 mg/l), and glucose (30 g/l) as a carbon source and furthermore benzylaminopurine (BAP) at a concentration of 0.1 mg/l the medium gave best results. Despite the concentrations of respectively 2.0 mg/l and 1.0 mg/l of thidiazuron and kinetin in the nutrient medium during the shoot proliferation stage, their effectiveness was non-significant and can be deleted. This was also true for gibberellic acid since the maximum concentration of 1.0 mg/l led to an increase in the distance between internodes, thereby reducing the propagation coefficient. During the induction stage of rhizogenesis in hop microshoots, the auxins indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), were tested at concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mg/l, compared to a nutrient medium without growth regulators. Remarkably a 100% rooting of Slov’ianka variety in a hormone-free medium with high root system quality indicators — the mean number of roots was 7.9, with a mean length of 2.1. However, among the auxins under study, IBA was the most effective at concentrations of 0.5 and 1.0 mg/l, promoting rooting rates of 58% and 52%, respectively, whereas IAA and NAA resulted in rooting rates of less than 43%. IAA and NAA at 2.0 mg/l, were totally inhibitory for root formation. A high level of adaptation of rooted plants was achieved when using peat substrate «Domoflor» as a substrate — 98%; whereas the use of a two-component substrate (peat and perlite in a 3:1 ratio) slightly reduced the adaptation to 72%, and the use of perlite and coconut substrate alone, supplemented with MS macro- and micronutrients, the survival was only 27–30%. During the plant growth stage, Helprost fertilizer, containing amino acids, B vitamins, polysaccharides, and chelated microelements for root feeding after transplantation was most effective, which subsequently resulted in a 97% yield of standard plants. Conclusions. A balanced alternative protocol for the microclonal propagation of Slov’ianka hop variety has been developed, which includes efficient disinfection with ethanol and sodiumhypoclorite, optimized composition of the culture medium, methods for adapting microshoots to ex vitro conditions, and the growing of seedlings in plastic containers until they reach standard sizes. N. O. Yaremko V. V. Taienchuk R. I. Hrynyk Copyright (c) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 2026-08-28 2026-08-28 13 2 15 33 10.15407/agrisp13.02.015 https://www.agrisp.com/index.php/agrisp/article/view/2026_02_03 Aim. To identify the characteristics of weather anomalies in Ukraine in the context of current climate change and to assess the associated agroclimatic risks to agriculture, using the weather conditions of 2025 as an example. Materials and methods. The analysis was conducted based on daily observational data from Ukraine’s national hydrometeorological observation network for 2025 and the climatological norm for key meteorological factors for 1991–2020. The study covers the western, central, and northern regions of Ukraine, as well as the Odesa and Mykolaiv regions. The areas where observations were not conducted or were conducted irregularly due to temporary occupation or war hostilities (which made it impossible to form continuous data series) were excluded from the study. Monthly weather reviews from the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Center were used to analyze hazardous meteorological events. Spatiotemporal specificities and seasonal variability of indicators in 2025 were identified using climatological, statistical, and spatial analysis methods. The agricultural impacts of weather anomalies were assessed by comparing the obtained results with data from JRC MARS (Ben Aoun et al., 2025a, 2025b) on crop conditions and yields in Ukraine and Europe, as well as with global assessments by the FAO (FAO, 2025) regarding the impact of climate extremes on agrofood systems. Results. In Ukraine, 2025 ranked among the five warmest years since 1961; the annual average air temperature across most of the country was 1–2°C above the norm. Particularly pronounced were the rise in minimum temperatures, the decrease in the number of frost days, and the increase in tropical nights. Precipitation patterns were characterized by an overall deficit and sharp spatiotemporal heterogeneity. The most significant factors for agricultural production were insufficient winter moisture accumulation, the early resumption of growing after an abnormally warm March, three cold spells in April, a cold and wet May, summer heat, and a prolonged precipitation deficit in the south and east, as well as excessive July precipitation in the west. This combination of factors reduced the yield potential of winter crops in arid regions, created a risk of damage to rapeseed, fruit, and vegetable crops from late frosts, deteriorated conditions for the development of corn, sunflower, and soybean crops in the south and east, and complicated the harvest and reduced the quality of grain and rapeseed in the western regions. At the same time, sufficient moisture conditions in the northern and western regions supported the potential of summer crops. Conclusions. Weather conditions in 2025 demonstrated that, for Ukraine’s agriculture, climate risk is determined not only by general atmospheric warming but, above all, by a combination of drought, heat, late cold spells, and localized waterlogging during critical phases of crop development. Spatial contrasts in agrometeorological conditions are increasing, which heightens the need for regionalized climate services, early warning systems, adaptive crop and variety selection, optimization of fieldwork schedules, and soil moisture management. V. O. Balabukh H. P. Dovhal I. V. Semeniuk S. M. Yahodynets Copyright (c) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 2026-08-28 2026-08-28 13 2 34 50 10.15407/agrisp13.02.034 https://www.agrisp.com/index.php/agrisp/article/view/2026_02_04 Aim. To identify potential donors of increased β-carotene content in grain and favorable alleles of the lycopene-ε-cyclase (lycε) and β-carotene hydroxylase 1 (crtRB1) genes among maize genotypes of Ukrainian breeding by assessing the β-carotene content in grain and analyzing the associations between the β-carotene content and the allelic state of carotenogenesis genes. Methods. Spectrophotometric analysis, polymerase chain reaction, statistical methods. The content of total carotenoids by β-carotene in corn kernels was analyzed twice: at the time of harvest (September 2024) and after nine months of storage (June 2025). Results. Significant variability in β-carotene content among the studied genotypes was established. At the time of grain harvesting, this indicator was on average 4.67 mg/kg (2.70–7.14 mg/kg), and after nine months of storage, it decreased on average by 46.68% and amounted to 2.49 mg/kg (1.98–3.71 mg/kg). The degree of loss varied considerably depending on the genotype (12.59–62.18%). The two-way ANOVA analysis showed that the greatest contribution to the variation of the «β-carotene content» trait in grain was the duration of storage (51.7%), while the contribution of the genotype was 30.7%, and their interaction — 15.2%. According to the lycε-SNP216 marker of the lycopene-ε-cyclase gene, the genotypes with the G allele (61.1%), the T allele (33.3%) and one heterozygous G/T genotype (5.6%) were identified, while according to the crtRB1-3′TE marker of the β-carotene hydroxylase 1 gene, unfavorable (296 and 296+875 bp) alleles (94.4%) prevailed. A tendency towards an increase in the β-carotene content was found in genotypes with the favorable G allele of the lcyε gene (4.79±0.43 mg/kg) compared to genotypes with the T allele (4.13±0.55 mg/kg). The genotype Kros256S with the heterozygous state of crtRB1 (296+543 bp) was characterized by an increased post-storage content of β-carotene (3.71 mg/kg). At the same time, the detection of albeit limited number of genotypes with a favorable (543 bp) allele provides an opportunity to conduct a full-fledged statistical analysis of the influence of favorable alleles of this gene on the post-storage content of β-carotene in future. It was found that the most promising potential donors for maize breeding for an increased content of provitamin A are the genotypes Kros268S and DK3172 ZM, which combined a high content of β-carotene with the presence of a favorable allele G of the lycε gene, as well as Kros256S, which was characterized by a high content of β-carotene both at the time of grain harvest and after nine months of storage and contained the favorable allele G of the lycε gene and the allele 543 bp of crtRB1 gene. Conclusions. For corn genotypes of Ukrainian selection, the content of β-carotene in the grain at the time of harvesting and after nine months of storage was comprehensively assessed in combination with the determination of the allelic status of the lcyε and crtRB1 genes. The features of the manifestation of the allelic state of the lcyε and crtRB1 genes regarding the variability of the β-carotene content in the grain and its preservation were established. Potential donors of increased β-carotene content in grain and favorable alleles of carotenogenesis genes lycε and crtRB1 were identified among the maize genotypes of Ukrainian breeding. The genotypic variability of β-carotene content in grain was assessed at the time of grain harvest and after nine months of storage. Genotypes carrying the favorable allele G of the lycε gene were characterized by a tendency to increased β-carotene content in grain, while the assessment of the influence of the favorable allele 543 bp of the crtRB1 gene requires an expansion of the sampling of studied genotypes. Genotypes Kros268S, DK3172 ZM and Kros256S may be considered to be the most promising potential donors for maize breeding for increased β-carotene content in grain. The results obtained can be used for selection of starting material and marker-assisted selection of maize for increased β-carotene content in grain. K. V. Denysiuk V. Yu. Cherchel N. A. Bodenko E. M. Fedorenko B. V. Dziubetskyi D. V. Kozariichuk Copyright (c) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 2026-08-28 2026-08-28 13 2 51 62 10.15407/agrisp13.02.051 https://www.agrisp.com/index.php/agrisp/article/view/2026_02_05 Aim. To investigate the productivity and grain quality of new breeding lines of purple-grained winter soft wheat. Methods. Physiological: morphometric indicators and elements of the yield structure; physico-chemical: infrared spectroscopy and SDS-30 determination; technological: a single-phase method of dough preparation; mathematical statistics. The method of placing plots (10 sq.m.) was systematic. The samples were grown in blocks (400 thousand plants per hectare) and evaluated based on economically valuable traits (yield, morphometric parameters, components of productivity structure, grain quality indicators) as compared to the standard. The experiment had three repeats. The yield structure parameters (plant height, tillering, number of spikelets/grains, grain weight per spike/plant and thousand grain weight) were measured in three repeats (sampling ≥30 plants). Grain quality (content of protein and gluten) was determined by infrared spectroscopy with an Inframatic 8600 device. For the analysis, a 40-gram sample of meal was used, which was obtained by grinding in a Perten LM 3100 laboratory mill. The statistical analysis of the data was performed using ANOVA software and Tukey’s post-hoc test for significant differences based on mean values. Results. The average yield of the created purple-grain wheat lines in the comparative trial in 2023–2025 varied within 91.2–109.8 centners/ha. The genotypes, significantly outperforming the standard purple-grain variety Chornozerna in terms of productivity, were identified. Most breeding lines did not significantly differ in plant height from the Chornozerna variety, but significantly exceeded the standard variety Favorytka by this indicator and were characterized by high resistance to lodging. All the investigated wheat lines with purple grain and standard varieties were characterized by high resistance to lodging (5 points) and had no differences. The lines, considerably exceeding both standards in terms of the length of the main spike and the number of spikelets therein, were identified. All the studied genotypes were inferior in terms of the number of grains in the main spike to the Favorytka variety, but some were found that significantly exceeded this indicator in the Chornozerna variety. The lines, which were at the level of the Favorytka variety in terms of the weight of grains from the main spike and significantly exceeded the Chornozerna variety, were obtained. In terms of the weight of grains per plant and the thousand grain weight, almost all the studied lines were inferior to the Favorytka variety. Half of the lines significantly exceeded the Favorytka variety in terms of protein content, but did not significantly differ from the Chornozerna variety. In terms of gluten content, six lines did not significantly differ from the Favorytka variety, while the others did not significantly differ from the Chornozerna variety. It was found that the sedimentation index in purple-grained lines was higher than in red-grained wheat. All the lines with purple grain had a considerably higher sedimentation index than the standard red-grained variety, Favorytka. Conclusions. A comprehensive analysis of 14 created breeding lines of purple-grained winter soft wheat was carried out by economically valuable traits. In terms of productivity, all the studied lines were inferior to the standard variety of red-grained wheat Favorytka, which is due to the smaller number of grains in the main spike and the thousand grain weight. Purple-grained wheat lines were obtained, which in terms of yield were significantly superior to the standard variety Chornozerna. The lines with a higher thousand grain weight are characterized by the highest yield, which emphasizes the importance of increasing the thousand grain weight while maintaining a stable number of grains per area unit as a key strategy for increasing the yield potential of colored wheat. The created purple-grain lines are technologically oriented towards a new direction in the selection of wheat for cereal use with improved nutritional value of grain. Some of the highest indicators in terms of all the analyzed parameters were noted for the line UK 4776/23, which was transferred to the State Variety Testing as a variety of colored winter soft wheat Chornozirka. N. V. Sandetska O. M. Radchenko O. V. Dubrovna Copyright (c) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 2026-08-28 2026-08-28 13 2 63 77 10.15407/agrisp13.02.063