THE PERSPECTIVES OF USING OF THE ALMONDS ORDINARY (AMYGDALUS COMMUNIS L.) IN THE FOREST-STEPPE ZONE OF UKRAINE

Abstract

During the introduction of plants special attention are deserved to species, the introduction of which not only expands the local flora biodiversity, but also has a certain economic value. As Amyglagdus communis L. should be included to these plants, which is cultivated as fruit crops, included to an independent family almonds (Amyglagdus L.) and refers to the pink family (Rosaceae Juss.).

In 50-70 years of the last century at the National Botanic Garden named after N. N. Grishko a study on the introduction of Amyglagduscommuniswas conduc ted in the conditions of the forest-steppe zone of Ukraine. The collection of forms and varieties of different origin, was established so as planting material was obtained from Central Asia, the Crimea and Dagestan. Trees withstand winter conditions and transferred Kyiv winter temperatures to -25⁰C. Among the studied varieties and forms the best adapted variety was the selection of the Crimean Nikita Botanical Garden. In research on bearing, Amyglagdus communis was tested as rootstock for peach usual. The stock was drought-resistant but not frost-resistant. Subsequently the created collection of almonds was rejected due to the low profitability.

Today, despite of the importance of the bred of new varieties of almond usual, that celebrated by the late flowering, prolonged and sustained period of calm, high frost flower buds, further development of theoretical bases of plant introduction and optimization of introduction process, climate change, manifested in the reduction of the number of days with low temperatures in winter and autumn long period of relatively high positive temperatures, ecological importance of the new crops in fruit orchards, while the processes of growth and development, reproduction and normal growing of Amyglagdus communis in the forest-steppe zone of Ukraine have not fully investigated.

In the Khorol Botanical garden the creation of collection of Amyglagdus communis was started in 2014 by sowing seeds in the nursery. One of the primary measures to ensure optimal conditions of the introduction process was the selection of the introduction material in the nearest located region of its cultivation. During the introduction of plants the most effective way is the growing plants from seeds and moving it in a few generations. In 2013 we selected the seeds (walnut) of the bitter and sweet varieties of Amyglagdus communis from Molochansk, Zaporizhia region – northern region of growing of this culture, where it grows during a long period of time, has satisfactory state, successfully fruits to form viable seeds which is the final stage of exotic species adapt to the new growth conditions.

Stratified seeds of theAmyglagdus communis has a strong vigor for the further formation of root and stem.

In the Khorolsky botanical garden for permanent growth eight copies of the Amyglagduscommuniswere planted at one year of age, including four instances - in the collection Garden subtropical fruit crops where almond is a part of the other group plantings, species such as azyminatrylopateva (Asiminatriloba L .), common quince (Cydoniaoblonga Mill.), hranatnykzernyastyy (Punicagranatum L.), ziziphus real (Zizyphusjujuba Mill.), the usual fig (Ficuscarica L.), medlar common (Mespilusgermanica L.), virginia persimmon (Diospyrosvirginiana L.), persimmoncaucasian (Diospyros lotus L.). The other four instances - in the botanical garden as a curtain, where in the future the number will be increased to 10 individuals.

Almonds common with a sweet core, Variety Dessert grown from a seed, grows in Khorol, outside of the territory of the botanical garden and with time it will be used as a graft.

The phenological observation are conducted after plants of the Amygladus communisso as after other species that grow in the Garden of the subtropical fruit crops and their hardiness is researched. During 2014 – 2015 plants were not suppressed due to drought, seasonal development consistent to the basic weather and climatic conditions of the steppes of Ukraine. The summer increase of the growth of the main shoot of theAmyglagdus communis bitter core was 80-120 cm, and with a sweet core was 30 cm. The growth of shoots ends with woodiness, indicating a high degree of the adaptation of the species to the new conditions of growth. The root system of aAmyglagdus communisplaces vertically. In 2016, at the age of three separate instances entered the generative phase. Seedlings with a bitter core had a high 1,8-2,5 m, diameter 15-23 mm trunk. The first flowers appeared in the third week of April. Flowers almost sessile, with a light pink color and compose like most fruit crops flowers family pink, with five petals.

It is known that in the process of introduction rootstock hardiness is crucial. In order to diversify the green spaces and of in-depth comprehensive research on the subject of the hardiness the almond with the bitter core in the forest-steppe zone of Ukraine, on the subject to increase it on the different types of land, with a varying degrees of the transformovanosty in 2015 the employees of the Botanical Garden transferred 10 copies of annual seedlings of the almonds for the greening of the areas with an intensive anthropogenic load – JSC “Khorol mechanics plant”, 9 copies were transferred to the village Yaroslavtske, Khorolsky district to study species on a private land. In 2016 15 seedlings were transferred for the landscaping of the territory of Novoavramivskoi school.

In April of this year in Khorol in the Fruit lane in the honor of the local liquidators of the Chornobyl accident the students and teachers of Khorolskya hropromkoledzh PDAA planted the lilac and almond grove. The almond trees in the amount of 30 units were given by the Khorolsky botanical garden.