2026 Issue №3

The study investigated the effect of a polysaccharide isolated from the fruiting bodies of the oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus P-88) on the rhizogenesis of peach cuttings of two cultivars, Yubileiny Ranniy and Novoselkovsky. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the polysaccharide as a root formation regulator under different application methods. The results demonstrated that the polysaccharide exerted a pronounced stimulatory effect on root system development, with the greatest effect observed when it was applied in combination with indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). The highest rooting rates in both cultivars were achieved following treatment with a solution containing both the polysaccharide and indole-3-butyric acid, whereas the application of a polysaccharide-based film coating in combination with an indole-3-butyric acid solution also produced high, although slightly lower, rooting performance. The combined application of the polysaccharide and indole-3-butyric acid promoted callus formation and reduced the incidence of planting material decay.

The cultivation area of clary sage (Salvia sclarea L.), a promising essential oil crop, has been steadily expanding in Crimea. However, its resource potential as a source of sugars for melittophilous insects remains insufficiently studied. The present study aims to address this research gap. Nectar production in flowers located in different parts of the plant, as well as the effect of individual plant variability, was assessed using a well-established nectar extraction method based on glass microcapillaries. The results demonstrated that flowers in the upper part of the plant accumulated a statistically significantly greater volume of nectar, while the contribution of individual plant variability accounted for 8.9 % of the total variation. Nectar volume was measured at two-hour intervals over a complete 24-hour period. At most sampling times, the distribution of this variable was close to normal, both at the beginning and in the middle of the flowering period. The diurnal dynamics of nectar sugar concentration were determined by refractometry. Statistically significant negative correlations and regression relationships were established between the trends in nectar sugar concentration and nectar volume. The mean sugar production per flower was estimated at 0.82 ± 0.14 mg within a 95 % confidence interval. Based on the data obtained in this study on the amount of sugars produced per flower, together with additional biological parameters, the potential honey productivity of clary sage plantations was estimated to range from 65 to 328 kg/ha per season.