The main factors limiting the productivity of vegetables are the arid climate and uneven rainfall, but the use of absorbents can solve this problem. The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of absorbents on the productivity of basil. This study used field and laboratory measurements, statistical, computational and analytical methods. The study revealed that absorbent in a form of gel positively influenced the increase of the leaf area index (+7.26% in Badioryi cultivar, +8.20% in the Rutan cultivar – leaf area, +34.55% in the Badioryi cultivar, 37.43% in the Rutan cultivar – leaf area index). Absorbents contributed to a slight decrease of sugar content (-0.86-2.68% in the Badioryi cultivar, -1.48–2.35% in the Rutan cultivar) and content (-8.8-13.2%) and yield of the essential oil (-19.6-39.5) in both cultivars. The activity of APX, CAT, SOD, tended to decrease in all variants, regardless of the form of the absorbent: APX (-12.8-35.1%), CAT (-10.9-22.0%), SOD (-11.9-17.0%). Results of the study have shown that the increase in the activity of antioxidant enzymes in control variants of basil varieties indicates their drought resistance. It has been substantiated that higher yield was observed in the variant with gel absorbent. Thus, the yield of the Badioryi and Rutan cultivars exceeded the control by 52.67 and 50.05%, respectively. In general, the productivity of basil has increased with the use of superabsorbent polymers. This practice can be recommended to agricultural producers who grow vegetables, in particular, basil in areas of unstable or insufficient moisture. Nevertheless, it is not desirable to use absorbents on industrial crops (to obtain essential oil), since with an increase in moisture and an increase in yield, it significantly decreases content and yield of essential oil

The population of Ukraine should receive fresh greens from early spring to autumn from open field production and the period of growing spinach will ensure the supply of fresh greens. The purpose of the research was to study the possibility of extending the period of fresh greens supplying from the open field due to the extension of the seed sowing period in the open field. The research was conducted in 2019-2021 in the conditions of the Southern Steppe of Ukraine. For the research, field, statistical, calculationanalytical and laboratory methods were used. The varieties Fantaziia and Malakhit were studied. The behaviour of plants after six sowing dates was examined. The control variant was the variety Fantaziia for sowing in the 1st decade of April. It was found that plants of both varieties of spinach had a larger leaf surface (114.2-127.7 cm2 ) in the early sowing period. Plants which were sown in August had a smaller leaf surface – 86.0-106.2 cm2 . The highest yield of marketable green mass was obtained for sowing in the 3rd decade of April and 2nd decade of May. The variety Fantasia provided 22.9-23.0 t/ha, and the variety Malakhit provided 23.3-23.9 t/ha. The sowing date had a significant influence on the main chemical parameters of spinach of the Fantaziia and Malakhit varieties. The higher indicators were the sowing dates in the third decade of April and the second decade of May, when the brix reached the level of 6.4-6.8%, the sugars content – 2.3-2.4% and the content of vitamin C – 58-70 mg/100 g. It was established that the soil and climatic conditions of the Southern Steppe of Ukraine were suitable for sowing spinach in six dates and would ensure an uninterrupted supply of products from the 3rd decade of April to the end of September inclusive, and in years with favourable weather conditions in the 2nd to 3rd decades September to mid-October. Such approach will solve the problem of seasonality in the consumption of fresh vegetables. The sowing dates are recommended to agricultural producers of spinach in order to extend the period of receiving fresh greens from the 3rd decade of April to the end of September and in some years to the middle of October

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