Characteristics of introduced varieties of pea (Pisum sativum L.) in the zone of the Southern Forest-Steppe of Ukraine

Aim. To assess new introduced varieties of pea (Pisum sativum L.) of different ecological and geographical origin in conditions of the Southern part of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine according to a set of productivity and adaptability indicators. Methods. During 2018–2020 in the conditions of Ustymivka Experimental Station of Plant Production of the Plant Production Institute named after V. Ya. Yuriev NAAS of Ukraine (Poltava region, 49°18′21″N, 33°13′56″E) 30 new pea samples originating from Belarus, Azerbaijan, Canada, Poland and the Netherlands were studied. In the ripening phase of pods and seeds (BBCH 86–90) in field and laboratory conditions yields, productivity, 1000 beans weight, early-ripening, plant height and height of attachment of the lower pods above the soil level, number of nodes to the first pod and their total number per plant, number of pods and seeds per plant, number of seeds per pod, pod parameters were studied. Results. As a result of studying new samples of pea, the range of variation of their yield from 200.5 to 300.0 g/m2 was established, while the varieties ‘Aleks’, ‘Atlant’, ‘Minskiy ovoschnoy’ (Belarus), ‘Fidan’ (Azerbaijan), ‘Dacota’ (Canada), ‘Angela’ (Netherlands) were more productive, in which the mass of grain from the plant exceeded 10.0 g. The productivity of the plant was high due to both the increased number of seeds and the weight of 1000 grains. Almost all the studied samples were mediumripe (71–80 days) and are optimal for the Southern Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine. The most early maturing (64–69 days) were the Belarusian varieties ‘Yan’, ‘Gontso’, ‘Goryinets’, ‘Alfa’, ‘Pryivabnyi’, ‘Malyish’ and the Dutch ‘Angela’ variety. The lowest varieties were Belarusian varieties – ‘Goryinets’, ‘Vlad’, ‘Alfa’, ‘Atlant’ and others (31.0–60.0 cm), which can be used as sources on this basis. Special attention should be paid to varieties that combine several valuable features: ‘Aleks’, ‘Atlant’, ‘Minskiy ovoschnoy’, ‘Korelicheskiy ovoschnoy’, ‘Slodyich’, ‘Malyish’, ‘Kosmay’, ‘Kelvidon’ (Belarus), ‘Fidan’ (Azerbaijan), ‘Jof’ (Poland), ‘CDC Limerick’ (Canada), ‘Orix’ (Spain). Conclusions. The above varieties can be recommended as sources of valuable traits for practical use in breeding, and they are suitable for cultivation in the Southern Forest-Steppe, subject to inclusion in the State Register of plant varieties suitable for distribution in Ukraine.