Open pit coal mining is a global problem, because mines occupy large areas that completely change the relief, dramatically affect ecosystems, as a result of which they lose most of their functions, and a significant part of the fertile soil degrades and becomes unsuitable for agricultural activities. In the presented work, the initial stage of soil formation was studied, the parameters of the granulometric composition of uneven-aged rocks of Donbas mine dumps, their nutritional regime, and the species composition of soil algae were studied. Samples were taken from three different-aged rock dumps of the mines: ˮSouth-Donbaska -3ˮ (rock storage for 40 years); ˮSouth-Donbaska -1ˮ (storage of rock for 52 years), ˮTrudovska №5 -bis (storage of rock for more than 100 years). The agrochemical parameters of the rock were determined in the samples: pH water , humus, nitrate nitrogen, mobile phosphorus, exchangeable potassium, particle size distribution. The determination of granulometric fractions of 0-20 cm layer of rock dumps of the mines shows, along with the age, a potential increase of the dump of fine fractions and a decrease in the fraction of stones from 83% in the dump of the South-Donbaska mine, and by 30 to 64.7% in the dump of the Trudovska No. 5-bis. The proportion of the clay fraction is not high in all dumps and it does not exceed 1%, but its appearance indicates the initial stage of a soil structure formation. Soil formation begins with the colonization of mineral rocks with soil algae. The species composition of soil algae, the quantitative accounting were determined by microscopy of a freshly selected soil sample and by cultural methods. Algae species were determined by determinants. In the rock dump, the structure of algal groups becomes more similar to, their structure in the background soils of the territory. The dominance of the representatives of Chlorophyta and Cyanophyta in the rock indicates the steppe process of soil formation. The data obtained contribute to the expansion of the ecological and biological understanding of the initial stages of the formation of soil cenoses.

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.

Досліджено адаптивний потенціал Morus alba L. (шовковиці білої), яка росте в різних кварталах Національного дендропарку "Софіївка" НАН України. Відзначено, що за тривалістю періоду спокою Morus alba L. належить до групи рослин, які мають короткий період вимушеного спокою, що під дією факторів зовнішнього середовища переходить у вимушений тривалий. Встановлено, що в умовах стаціонарних досліджень Національного дендропарку "Софіївка" НАН України, що входить до території південної частини Правобережного Лісостепу України, Morus alba L. успішно переносить несприятливі умови осінньо-зимового періоду і має достатню морозо- та зимостійкість. Дослідження із визначення вмісту загальної води в листках М. alba L. показали поступове зменшення загальної вологи в листках впродовж вегетаційного періоду, що підтверджують природну здатність цієї рослини добре переносити несприятливі періоди тривалої посухи. Підтверджено приналежність Morus alba L. до рослин, не вибагливих до родючості ґрунту. Вони успішно зростають на різних за поживністю ґрунтах. Відзначено здатність досліджуваного виду задовільно рости за умов напівзатінку, незважаючи на її світловибагливість. Установлено вплив освітлення на процес формування генеративних бруньок та плодоношення цих деревних рослин – найбільше суплідь утворювалось у верхній частині крони, а найменше – в нижній. Вивчено вплив різних стимуляторів росту на процес укорінення зелених та здерев'янілих живців М. alba L. Встановлено, що найкращу регенераційну здатність проявляють здерев'янілі живці, заготовлені із пагонів базальної частини однорічних пагонів молодих рослин (до п'яти років), які не вступили у фазу плодоношення. Найкращу регенераційну здатність зелених живців M. alba L. зафіксовано під час заготівлі їх із базальної та медіальної частин пагонів поточного року. Серед досліджуваних стимуляторів росту найбільшу ефективність виявлено під час застосування препарату clonex. Найбільшу схожість отримано під час посіву насіння М. alba L. влітку на глибину ґрунту до 1,0 см, а зі збільшенням глибини загортання спостережено тенденцію до зменшення кількості пророслих сіянців. Адаптивний потенціал M. alba L., яка росте в умовах Національного дендропарку "Софіївка" НАН України, оцінено як високий.

Conclusions. Agrochemical parameters of gray podzolic soil for growing different bioenergy crops have been establishing. Under the condition of growing switchgrass since 2009, the metabolic acidity decreases from 6.90 to 6.60, hydrolytic increases from 2.01 to 2.11 resins/kg of soil, the amount of absorbed bases decreases from 10.7 to 9.8 resins/kg humus contentfrom 2.52 to 2.41 %, nitrogen content of mineral compoundsfrom 42 to 31 mg/kg, mobile phosphorus compoundsfrom 110 to 101, mobile potassium compoundsfrom 121 to 114 mg/kg of soil. The agrochemical characteristics of the soil under crops of giant miscanthus are similar to switchgrass. Under the condition of growing energy willow since 2012, the metabolic acidity decreases from 5.92 to 5.85, hydrolytic increases from 2.23 to 2.29 resins/kg of soil, the amount of absorbed bases decreases from 9.7 to 9.2 resins/kg, humus contentfrom 2.52 to 2.49 %, nitrogen content of mineral compoundsfrom 39 to 28 mg/kg, mobile phosphorus compoundsfrom 114 to 108, mobile potassium compoundsfrom 123 to 116 mg/kg soil.

The article presents the study results of the frost resistance of sweet cherry varieties of different ripening periods under artificial freezing. The damage degree of various tissues of one-and two-year-old wood, as well as fruit formations, was analyzed. In the group of early-ripening and late-ripening varieties, a significant resistance of the bark to the effect of low temperature was found, the average damage score was 0.7. Among late-ripening cherry varieties Drogana yellow had low-temperature damage to one-year-old wood, while no negative effect on the wood was observed for the Amazonka variety. The highest overall degree of freezing of one-year wood was observed for the varieties Mliivska yellow and Drogana yellow, the lowest values were obtained for the varieties Meotida, Mirage and Amazonka. Dispersion analysis based on a combination of factors confirmed the highest degree of wood freezing for the Mliivska yellow and Drogana yellow varieties. Among the early-ripening varieties, the two-year-old wood froze the most in trees of the Dar Mlieva variety, where the highest degree of damage to the tissues of the bark, cambium, and wood was observed. The least tissue damage was in the Mliivska yellow variety, however, its core had the maximum damage not only within the group, but also among all the studied varieties. By artificial freezing in laboratory conditions, it was established that the highest frost resistance of annual and perennial wood is characteristic of the early ripening variety Zoryana, medium ripening Meotida and late ripening Amazonka. As a result of laboratory freezing, the frost resistance of fruiting bodies did not exceed 2.2 points. The fruiting formations of the Drogana yellow exceeded all the studied varieties in terms of the level of damage. High resistance to low temperatures was shown by the fruiting formations of the varieties Zoryana, Mirage and, especially, Alyonushka. The damage level of other pomological varieties was in the range of 1.9-2.25 points. The most negative effect of low temperatures was caused on flower germs.