The adaptive properties of the winter wheat varieties for increasing the gross grain harvest

It is proved that one of the main reasons for the winter wheat yield decrease is damage of plants in the autumn-winter season by low temperatures in the absence of snow cover and the harmful effects of ground ice crust, which is formed due an alternation between long-term thaws and frosts. It was found that according to adaptability indicators the best for cultivation in the Steppe zone are Smuglianka, Lymarivna, Oriika, Mudrist odeska, Askaniiska varieties of winter wheat. All of them are char-acterized by the sufficient winter hardiness, frost and drought resistance. Over the years of research, the av-erage yield of these varieties was: Smuglianka – 5.31 t/ha, Lymarivna – 6.04 t/ha, Oriika – 6.08 t/ha, Mudrist odeska – 5.84 t/ha, Askaniiska – 6.90 t/ha. Studies was established that for cultivation in arid conditions of the Steppe zone considering the adap-tive and plastic properties of winter wheat, the best varieties were such as: Bohynia, Oleksiivka, Donetska 48, Smuglianka, Epokha Odeska, Kiriia, Zolotokolosa, Blahodarka Odeska, Boghdana, List 25, Rozkishna. It is determined that an important element of agricultural technology improvement for winter wheat cultivation in the eastern part of the Northern Steppe of Ukraine is the genetic potential consideration of modern varieties, namely adaptive properties to increasing of yield by 11–50 % and raise of gross grain har-vest. In particular, plastic varieties of winter wheat are characterized by the formation of consistently high yields in different weather conditions. It is established that the winter wheat varieties of Ukrainian selection and including of different groups of maturity are advisably to grow in a Steppe zone. The share of cultivation areas under early and medium-late varieties should be 10–15 %, and medium-early and medium-ripe – 30–45 %. Key words: variety, yield, weather conditions, productivity, winter hardiness, varietal characteristic.