Bread, oil, cherries: what do your menu and agricultural science of Ukraine have in common?
Kyiv • UNN
Scientists are working on plant varieties that withstand climate challenges and yield crops. Preserving the "Melitopol collection" is a valuable genetic treasure.
It all starts with selection. Scientists create plant varieties that can withstand climatic challenges and produce good yields, which ensures the country's food stability. The best developments are included in the relevant State Register - "navigator for farmers". Among the particularly valuable achievements is the so-called "Melitopol collection" of apricots and cherries. It has become a real genetic treasure, which is now being preserved and distributed by scientists of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine, UNN writes.
Details
Bread, oil, vegetables, cereals - almost all the basic products that we see on the table every day start in the field, or rather, with the work of farmers, breeders and scientists. The assortment in stores, the level of prices, the country's foreign exchange earnings and even the stability of the hryvnia depend on the harvest.
All plants that have passed scientific tests, have proven themselves in the field and meet the requirements for yield, disease resistance and adaptation to climatic conditions, are systematized in the "State Register of Plant Varieties Suitable for Distribution in Ukraine". Simply put, the Register is like a map or advisor that tells you what is best to sow in order to get a good harvest in our conditions. As of the end of April 2025, this "navigator" for farmers includes more than 15.2 thousand items, of which a little more than 11 thousand are plants of domestic origin.
According to scientists, each variety that enters the Register is the result of many years of work in laboratories, on experimental fields and in farms. One of the leaders in this field is the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine. Its institutions are applicants, owners or supporters of more than 35% of varieties registered by Ukrainian representatives.
The Institute of Feeds and Agriculture of Podillya NAAS has created about 210 varieties, of which 130 are currently included in the State Register of Plants Suitable for Distribution in Ukraine. Currently, the selection of another 30 different agricultural crops is underway.
Almost every scientific institution in the NAAS system has from several to dozens of varieties in its assets that have already been included in the State Register. But among this diversity, those that are of exceptional value today deserve special attention.
We are talking about the so-called "Melitopol collection" - varieties that have been grown in southern Ukraine for decades, known for their drought resistance, high yields and excellent taste.
The Melitopol Experimental Horticulture Station named after M.F. Sydorenko of the Institute of Horticulture of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine once entered the real pearls of Ukrainian selection into the State Register: the "Melitopol clear" peach variety, the "Melitopol black" cherry and five apricot varieties at once - "Dar Melitopolya", "Zoryany", "Kumir", "Melitopol early" and "Melitopol late".
These varieties differ in terms of ripening - from the earliest summer to the late autumn fruits - which allows for stable fruiting throughout the season. At the same time, each of them meets the key requirements: high yield, resistance to diseases and pests, good transportability, as well as adaptability to cultivation in various climatic conditions.
Before the full-scale Russian invasion, the Melitopol Experimental Station was one of the largest suppliers of high-quality and environmentally friendly seedlings of these crops in Ukraine. After the temporary occupation of the southern territories, the preservation of unique varietal collections became a challenge, but thanks to the efforts of other scientific institutions and enterprises of the NAAS system, it was possible to save valuable genetic material. Today, active work is underway to preserve, restore and distribute it in safer regions of the country.
As a result, the work of scientists allows farmers to focus on varieties that really work - with a predictable result, high yield and resistance to external influences. This reduces the risks for the agricultural business and ensures the stability of the food market. Crop production is also hundreds of thousands of jobs in rural areas, the development of regions and a significant contribution to the future of the country. So even if we don't notice it every day, it is thanks to hard work in the field and in the laboratory that we have affordable products on the table and confidence in the future.
Let us remind you
Earlier, experts warned that the withdrawal of land from the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine may lead to the complete decline of applied agricultural science. Not only experimental farms, but also unique scientific bases, breeding collections, field test sites and laboratories, where new varieties of agricultural crops, including berries, have been developed for years, are under threat.
The loss of these capacities will mean Ukraine's dependence on expensive imports and the loss of its ability to independently provide itself with high-quality planting material. This directly affects the country's food security, the development of berry growing and the competitiveness of the domestic agricultural sector.