The use of paulownia for planting as a bioenergy crop on marginal lands does not always allow the use of herbicides for successful weed control. Such plantations can be placed in residential areas, near water bodies, etc. where the use of herbicides is restricted or completely prohibited. In order to reduce the negative anthropic pressure on the environment in the processes of growing bioenergy crops, field studies on the influence of weeds on the growth and development of paulownia were conducted. It was established that the decrease in height of paulownia plants in stands weeded throughout the growing season was 29% less than on the treatment where the plantings of the crop did not compete with weed plants. The maximum leaf area of one paulownia plant was 3.72 m2, which is 3.41 m2 greater than the control variant. Therefore, weed control in planting bioenergy crops is one of the main factors in obtaining high yields. The main task in the first year of paulownia vegetation is to control weeds, which negatively affect the growth and development of paulownia plantations.

Purpose. Establish the impact of basic tillage and weed protection measures on soil density in winter wheat and sugar beet crops. Investigate the criteria for the formation of winter wheat and sugar beet productivity depending on weather conditions, measures of basic tillage and protection against weeds. Methods. Field, laboratory. Results. Soil density for the period of winter wheat harvesting for plowing to a depth of 20–22 cm and direct sowing was in the same range at the level of 1.22 and 1.23 g/cm3, which can be explained by the peculiarity of the soil and the root system of the plants themselves. In sugar beet crops, the combination of plowing to a depth of 25–27 cm with subsequent shelfless loosening at 34–36 cm makes it possible to maintain the density of the arable soil at the level of equilibrium for this type of soil. In other treatments, the soil density increases to 1.27 and 1.28 g/cm3, with compaction of the upper 0–10 cm layer of soil to 1.25 g/cm3 for plowing by 30–32 cm and 1.29 g/cm3 – for shelf-free loosening by 34–36 cm, which has a negative impact on the productivity of sugar beets. Conclusions. With the optimal sowing period for the conditions of Kyiv region on September 12–15, the most optimal sowing rate remains 4.5 million units. nas./ha, for increase in density of standing of plants we note lodging of plants and damp years and essential shortage of grain in arid. According to our research, the main tillage for winter wheat plowing by 20–22 cm remains the most rational for obtaining stable yields of winter wheat (yield was 5.03 t/ha). At the same time, good predecessors of peas for grain, rape, buckwheat can be used direct sowing with the introduction of herbicide continuous action Roundup, 48% v.r. 3.0 l/ha. The highest productivity of sugar beets was obtained by using the main tillage plowing by 25–27 cm + shelfless loosening by 34–36 cm yield of root crops at the level of 52.13–51.73 t/ha, sugar content – 14.80–14.83%, sugar harvest – 7.73–7.81 t/ha. On deep medium loam chernozems, this tillage allows to ensure optimal agrophysical indicators of the soil, remove the plow sole, earn crop residues and ensure yields in arid conditions. Application of sugar-free loosening to sugar beets to a depth of 34–36 cm reduces the yield of root crops by 5.32 and 7.20 t/ha compared to plowing to a depth of 30–32 cm, which is associated with an increase in weediness of crops and soil density.