COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF MORPHOMETRIC FEATURES AND AGRONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF LAVANDULA ANGUSTIFOLIA MILL. AND LAVANDULA HYBRIDA REV.

Although the high value and popularity of lavender essential oil on the world market, the biological potential of this crop doesn’t satisfy the growing demand for it. At the same time, lavandin is an interspecific hybrid, created as a result of artificial crossing of lavender angustifolia and spike lavender, which exceed lavender yield twice and the yield of lavender essential oil – 4–5 times. The Institute of Rice of the NAAS researched the morphometric parameters and agronomic characteristics of lavender angustifolia (lavandula angustifolia Mill.), form 21–11, and lavandin (Lavandula hybrida Rev.), cultivar Iniy, for the purpose of their comparative assessment in the sector of mobilization and conservation plant resources. During the experiment, scientific, laboratory, mathematical and statistical methods in combination with well-known in Ukraine methodology and methodical recommendations were used. It was found that plants of lavandin, cultivar Iniy, according to morphometric parameters (plant height, bush diameter, number of peduncles per 1 plant, inflorescence length, peduncle length) were 1.5–2.3 times higher than plants of lavender angustifolia, form 21–11. The yield of lavandin flowers of cultivar Iniy was 1.9 times higher compared to form 21–11 of lavender angustifolia. The amount of essential oil from the crude weight in lavandin, cultivar Iniy, was 31.2 % higher, and the productivity of bush plants was 4.7 times higher than form 21–11 of lavender angustifolia. The component composition of essential oil of Lavandula hybrida Reverenon, cultivar Iniy, is inferior to Lavandula angustifolia Mill., form 21–11, first of all, by the presence of unwanted components such as 1,8–cineole, camphor. The test samples contain low amount of linalyl acetate, which makes impossible to use them in the perfume industry. However, this fact is compensate by higher yield of lavandin and higher content of linalool, which is used in the cosmetic industry as a flavoring substance. Further research will focus on the development of elements of technology for growing lavandin on mid-loam chestnut soils in irrigation conditions in the southern Ukraine.