Field Day at the «Mayak» Research Station

On 24 June 2026, a Field Day was held at the «Mayak» Experimental Station of the Institute of Vegetable and Melon Growing of the NAAS, entitled: «Assortment of vegetable and less common crops bred by the ‘Mayak’ Experimental Station of the Institute of Vegetable and Melon Growing of the NAAS».

The event took place at the demonstration plot and seed production plots on the institution’s experimental field in the village of Baklanove, Nizhyn District, Chernihiv Region.

Those responsible for organising the event were: Zakhar LINNIK, Acting Director of the «Mayak» Experimental Station of the Institute of Vegetable and Melon Growing of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine (NAAS); and research associates Lesіa CHABAN and Nadiіa PTUKHA.

During the Field Day, attendees had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the range of common and less common plant species developed at the institute, as well as promising specimens currently undergoing variety trials; promising species – green, herbaceous, aromatic and delicacy crops, namely over 80 varieties, hybrids and promising breeding forms of common and less common plants.

Visitors to the event showed particular interest in the range of lettuce varieties – head lettuce (Hoda and Dyvohrai), leaf lettuce (Snizhynka, Zolotyi shar, Zolotyi shar, Vyshyvanka, Lel and others), romaine (Skarb and Promin) and stem lettuce (Leleka and Kiborh). This variety of cultivars is capable of meeting the needs of both the restaurant industry and private consumers of leafy produce.

Among other leafy crops, the vegetable chrysanthemum variety Uspikh and the vegetable purslane variety Svitanok stand out; their produce is unique in terms of quality characteristics, and the breeding of these crops is carried out exclusively at the «Mayak» State Station of the Institute of Horticulture of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences.

The institute’s varieties of culinary and aromatic plants are also popular (the Znakhar variety of indau, the Zorіanka and Popelіushka varieties of salad mustard, and perennial onion species – multi-tiered, batun, slizun, schnit, etc.).

Valuable root crops on display at the demonstration plot include the new variety of vegetable burdock Imenуnnуk, which is distinguished by the high marketability of its roots and its high content of high-molecular-weight inulin, as well as the root chicory variety Tsezar and the parsnip variety Stуmul, both of which have high yields and marketable root crops.

The institute currently offers agricultural producers and private consumers a wide range of seed material from its own breeding programme (basic and certified) and invites them to engage in joint activities by entering into licence agreements for seed production.

A tasting session was held for the Nizhynskyi mistsevyi cucumber variety and varieties of the Nizhyn type (Optуmist, Triumf nizhynskyi) bred by the institution (both salted and pickled fruits). The importance of the station’s team’s work in preserving the classic variety and developing a new range of varieties was highlighted.

The event was attended by representatives of local authorities – the Krutivska rural community in Chernihiv Oblast – agribusiness specialists, representatives of museums in the city of Nizhyn, and residents of the Krutivska territorial community.