Features of growth and development of Lavandula angustifolia when grown under drip irrigation conditions in the Southern Steppe zone of Ukraine

Abstract

In the context of climate change, agriculture must respond to new challenges – one of them is the search for and adaptation of new plant varieties in areas where they have not been grown on an industrial scale. The research aims to investigate the effect of biological treatment on the growth and development of Lavandula angustifolia under different irrigation methods to increase the efficiency of its use as an industrial crop in the Southern Steppe zone of Ukraine. The species L. angustifolia is primarily important as an essential oil crop and is used in the preparation of food and beverages, perfumery, medicine, pharmacy, cosmetics, industry, for air purification from particulate matter in urban plantations, as a honey plant and for decorative purposes. In the research. A randomized scheme of blocks with a 2x2 factorial arrangement was used with two bacterial preparations (“Azogran A” and “Biocomplex BTU”) and two moisture levels (80-70-70% MHC and 90-80-70% MHC) in triple repetition. Plants in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year of vegetation were analysed following several factors, such as the beginning and end of the vegetative phase, the beginning of the budding phase, the flowering period, and the ratio of these indicators to the amount of heat received during the growing season. Phenotypic characteristics, green and dry mass yields, percentage of essential oils, and conditional yields were also evaluated under all the studied conditions. Overall, it was established, that the biggest stimulative effect on the growth of L. angustifolia was found when growing lavender under the irrigation regime of 90-80-70% MHC with double top dressing of plantings in the budding phase “Biocomplex BTU” – these plants were the most developed and had noticeably higher dry mass and theoretical yield. Therefore, the control of irrigation and treatment with biological products makes the prospect of industrial lavender cultivation in the Southern Steppe of Ukraine more accessible