Infestation of soft spring wheat plants depends on the growth stage and weather conditions of the growing season. Plants have the highest resistance to brown rust in the tillering stage. Brown rust developed in 2014 throughout the growing season. The lowest infestation intensity was during tillering – booting stage, which did not change from the experiment variant – 5.0 %. The lowest spread of brown rust was in the tillering stage – 10 %, in the booting stage – 40 %. The resistance was assessed 8 points. In the earing stage, the infestation intensity increased in no fertilizer variants and P30K30 to 8.0–8.2 % or by 60 % with a resistance of 7 points. This indicator in the variants with nitrogen fertilizers was 4.1–4.3 % with a resistance of 8 points, but all stems were infected (100 % spread). Affected leaves were in the middle layer, as their resistance by E. E. Saari and J. M. Prescott scale was at 5 points. Plants had the least resistance to brown rust in the milk stage of soft spring wheat grain. The intensity increased to 15.2–18.7 % or 2.1–4.7 times compared to the earing stage. The lowest resistance was assessed 6 points. All leaves were affected (resistance by E. E. Saari and J. M. Prescott scale – 1 point). In 2015, brown rust appeared in the milk stage of soft spring wheat grain. However, the infestation intensity was insignifcant – 5.0–6.5 % depending on the experiment variant. The prevalence of brown rust decreased from 60 % in unfertilized areas to 30 % on phosphorus–potassium background and up to 10 % with nitrogen fertilizers. Plant resistance was high – 7–8 points depending on the experiment variant. Powdery mildew develops throughout the growing season of both research years. In 2014, the infestation intensity is the lowest in the tillering stage – 7.7–8.0 % with 50 % spread, with the resistance of 7 points. In the booting stage of plants, the infestation intensity increased to 44.1–46.8 % or 5.8–5.9 times compared to the tillering stage. All plants were affected, and the resistance was 3 points. In subsequent stages of growth, the intensity of powdery mildew increased. Thus, in the earing stage this indicator increased to 65.1–69.2 % or 8.5–8.7 times, and in the milk stage – 9.5–9.7 times compared to tillering depending on the fertilizer. The stems of soft spring wheat were all affected, and the resistance was 2 points. Key words: brown leaf rust, powdery mildew, infestation intensity, spread, resistance.

In Ukraine, sorghum is grown in an area of 41000−49000 ha, with the yield ranging over years from 0.99 t/ha (2001) to 4.63 t/ha (2018). Such differences in productivity may be explained by the fact that, in recent decades, the value of degree-days in the Steppe zone increased from 3145 °C (1990) to 3550 °C (2019), and in the Forest Steppe zone by 445 °C. At the same time, the current annual precipitation in Ukraine is 578 mm, while sustainable farming requires 700 mm. In Steppe, which is a traditional sorghum cultivation zone, the change in climatic conditions led to insufficient soil moisture, with weather conditions influencing the formation of sorghum grain yield. The assessment of the stability and plasticity of the sorghum yield allows us to conclude that cultivation of this crop will not be effective without irrigation, adjustment of the cultivation technology or introduction of the varieties adapted to drought and high temperature. On the contrary, in Forest Steppe, conditions for obtaining high yields of sorghum improved in recent decades. Thus, in Vinnytsia region, favorable conditions formed in the years

Purpose. To establish the peculiarities of the formation of physicochemical properties of amaranth grain under the effect of varietal characteristics and humidity. Methods. Laboratory methods for determination of physicochemical and physicomechanical properties of grain; calculation for determination of volume, area and sphericity of grain; mathematical and statistical methods for the analysis of the experimental data. Results. The research shows that the carbohydrate content of amaranth grain varied from 63.1 to 68.7%. At the same time, the content of carbohydrates in the grain of variety ‘Kharkivskyi-1’ was significantly higher compared to ‘Atstek’ and ‘Helios’. The content of protein in the grain of the studied varieties varied significantly. The highest protein content was in the grain of 'Lera' and ‘Kharkivskyi-1’ varieties (20.2–24.9%). It should be noted that the lysine content in the grain of these varieties was also the highest (0.85–0.91%). Grain moisture content in the studied varieties was low (8.3–11.1%). The highest grain quality was in the ‘Helios’ variety – 819 g/dm3, while in the rest of the studied varieties it ranged from 748 to 775 g/dm3. 1000-kernel weight and 1000-kernel volume were almost equal in the studied amaranth varieties. At the same time, the angle of the natural slope varied reliably. The coefficients of external friction at rest and the coefficient of external friction in motion for the grain of the varieties ‘Kharkivskyi-1’, ‘Lera’ and ‘Atstek’ were significantly higher compared to ‘Helios’. The geometric parameters of grain changed reliably depending on their humidity: as the humidity of the grain increases, its geometric parameters increase. An increase in the moisture content of the grain increases the linear dimensions. At the same time, the volume and surface area of the grain increases, thanks to which the sphericity increases. Conclusions. It was established that the physicochemical properties of amaranth grain reliably change as affected by varietal characteristics and humidity. The grain of amaranth varieties ‘Lera’ and ‘Kharkivskyi-1’ has the highest protein content (20.2–24.9%) and lysine (0.85–0.91%). The carbohydrate content is 65.3–68.7%. ‘Helios’ variety has the highest grain quality – 819 g/dm3. 1000-kernel weight is 0.664–0.710 g, depending on the variety. The grain of varieties ‘Kharkivskyi-1’, ‘Lera’ and ‘Atstek’ is characterized by a higher angle of natural slope, coefficients of external friction at rest and external friction in motion. An increase in grain moisture significantly increases its geometric parameters.