Productivity of plant varieties of species of the genus Galega L. in the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine

To establish the features of the formation of productivity elements of plant of the genus Galega species, depending on the genotypic characteristics and conditions of vegetation during the introduction in the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine.

Methods. In 2004–2020 in labo­ratory and field conditions, six plant varieties of the genus Galega of the M. M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden selection were studied. The following methods were used: general scientific, biological and morphological, laboratory, field and statistical. Morphometric parameters such as plant height, number of shoots, leaves, inflorescences per plant, fruit size, length of the root system, as well as productive potential, nitrogen-fixing ability of plants, mass of productive shoots, heat capacity, yield of aboveground mass, yield of dry matter per unit area were assessed.

Results. It was found that the genotypes of G. orientalis Lam. (‘Kavkazkyi Branets’, ‘Saliut’, ‘NBS-75’, ‘Riabchyk’) and G. officinalis L. (‘Harant’, ‘Flaminho’), when introduced in the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine, are characterized by high productivity of aboveground phytomass (from 28.6 to 62.4 t/ha), as well as by the yield of dry matter (from 7.12 to 16.5 t/ha). In the structure of the aboveground mass of genotypes, stems accounted for 37.0–44.2%, leaves – 40.9–51.4%, inflorescences – 11.6–14.9%. The heat capacity of the raw material of G. orientalis plants was 4051–4275 kcal/ha. The total energy output reached 30.44–67.85 Gcal/ha.

Conclusions. It was revealed that plants of species of the genus Galega have a high bioproductive potential, and are able to provide raw materials for biogas production. The best of the six studied genotypes were ‘Flamingo’, ‘NBS-75’, and ‘Riab­chyk’.