Coal mining in Donbas is a global problem as it causes the destabilization of ecological landscapes. Spoil tips, covering almost 52% of the territory, alter the topography of the land, affect the ecosystem, and decrease soil fertility. The soils become degraded and are unsuitable for agricultural...

Mushrooms' quality may be significantly changing depending on their type, strain, growing cycle, packing, cooling, postharvest handling (PHH), and conditions of storage. This work aimed to define the influence of the type and mushrooms' strain, the regime of the PHH by carbon dioxide on their preservation (marketability, loss of weight (LW)), changes in the chemical substances, and physiological activity (intensity respiration (IR) and heat release (HR)). Mushrooms Agaricus bisporus (AB) (strains ІБК-25 and ІБК-15) and Pleurotus ostreatus (PO) (strains НК-35 and Amycel 3000) were used for testing. Three regimes of treatment by CO2 with a concentration of 20% were applied: 2 h; 12 h and 22 h. The control was the mushrooms without treatment by CO2. Changes in the chemical substances such as dry matters (DM), protein nitrogen (PN), and ascorbic acid (AA) in the researched mushrooms were observed. The best result of mushroom preservation was provided by the regime of CO2 treatment during 12 h. The yield of marketable AB was 94.9% (IBK-25) and 94.2% (IBK-15) comparison to control 93.5%, and 92.5%, respectively. The regime of PHH 2 h almost has no influence but 22 h harmed this indicator. PHH of mushrooms by carbon dioxide was promoted to preserve the DM and increasing concentration of CO2 was supplied better results. Thus, DM at the end of storage in the AB of strain IBK-25 depend on the regime were 8.5, 8.6, and 8.4%, against – 8.3% in the control variant. Significant quantitative changes in the PN and AA as a result of treatment by CO2 were not established. PHH also affected the IR and HR. The increased duration of treatment by CO2 inhibited the intensity of physiological processes in the mushrooms. But, as in previous cases, the best result was provided PHH by 20% CO2 during 12 h. Similar trends of treatments effect by carbon dioxide were observed in the mushrooms of PO.

Basic quality indicators studied: acidity, peroxide, anisidine value and integrated value of complete fat oxidation. Butter paste was selected as a reference, consisting of butter, skim milk powder and fat-soluble emulsifiers. Peroxide value during storage at the temperature of (4 ±2 °С) for the first 4 days did not exceed 5.0 1/2 О mmol.kg-1, on the 15th day fat peroxide value of butter paste with milk-vegetable protein exceeded permissible limits that is indicative of milk fat contamination. At the temperature of (-3 ±1 °С) butter paste fat couldn't be qualified as fresh when storing during 15 days, peroxide value exceeds permissible limits on the 25th day of storage. Rising of the peroxide value above 5 1/2 О mmol.kg-1 was detected on the 25th day of storage, exceeding of threshold value was on the 45th day. It was established that rate of oxidation processes in butter pastes with vegetable protein is the highest among all studied samples in each particular control and observation point. It was determined that the rate of secondary lipid oxidation depends on the storage temperature and is observed when storing butter paste samples at a temperature of (-3 ±1 °С) on the 10th day, (-24 ±2 °С) – on the 30th day of storage. Acid value did not exceed recommended limits (2.5 °K) and was on average – 2.3 °K when storing butter paste during 10 days at a temperature of (4 ±2 °С); 2.1 °K during 20 days at the temperature of (-3 ±1 °С), 2.4 °K during 40 days at the temperature of (-24 ±2 °С). In view of obtained results of fat phase stability evaluation of studied butter pastes, the following storage maximum time is recommended: at the temperature of (4 ±2 °С) ‒ 7 days, at the temperature of (-3 ±1 °С) – 15 days, at the temperature of (-26 ±2 °С) ‒ 30 days.

Forests perform essential ecological functions - water protection, sanitation, health, recreation, and aesthetics. The research aimed to substantiate the ecological and economic importance of forest resources in the Kyiv region and analyse their rational use and protection. The article shows that...

Improving the productivity and stability of winter wheat under increasingly variable climatic conditions remains a major challenge for sustainable agriculture. This study evaluated the effects of pre-sowing seed treatment with a microbial preparation (Nando BioExpert) and a biostimulant (Vitazyme), applied individually and in combination, on crop establishment, yield components, and grain yield of winter wheat under unstable moisture conditions in the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. A three-year field experiment demonstrated that both treatments positively influenced plant growth, while their combined application produced a pronounced synergistic effect. Seed treatment enhanced plant establishment, increasing plant density at emergence from 242 plants m⁻² in the control to 372 plants m⁻² under the combined treatment. This improvement contributed to increased stand-level productive tiller density per unit area. Consequently, grain yield was consistently improved across years, with the combined treatment producing the highest average yield (6.04 t ha⁻¹), corresponding to a 37% increase relative to the control. The results indicate enhanced winter wheat resilience to environmental stress under biological seed treatment. Overall, integrating microbial inoculants with biostimulants represents an effective strategy for improving winter wheat productivity under moisture-limited conditions and supports the transition toward sustainable and resource-efficient crop production systems.

The results of investigations of the effect of duration and conditions of storage on changes in the quality of mushrooms of the Agaricus Bisporus (AB) of strain IBK-25 and Pleurotus Ostreatus (PO) of strain NK-35 were presented in the article. Changes in the quality of mushrooms were determined before and after 6 days of storage by organoleptic, marketability and chemical parameters. The temperatures of storage were minus 1, 1, 3 and 5°C and relative humidity – 90±1%. The quality of products was evaluated by appearance, magnitude of natural losses (NL), output of marketability mushrooms and chemical parameters (dry matter (DM), protein nitrogen (PN), ascorbic acid (AA)). The results of visual observations during 6 days were indicated that better temperature of storage for mushrooms was 1°C. AB at a temperature of minus 1°C frozen and after defrosting was not suitable for utilize, and the PO restored own structure and after sorting them could be processed. The quantity of marketability AB during 6 days of storage at a temperature of 3°C decreased by 3.4 and 3.5%, PO – by 3.4 and 3.8%, compared with the control; at 5°C – in AB by 19.2 and 20.6% and in the PO by 12.4 and 13.1%, respectively, depending on the waves of fruiting. NL of PO after 6 days of storage at 5°C were greater than AB as a result larger evaporation area, but they had smaller quantity of non- marketability mushrooms 8.7–9.9% against 17.7–19.3%. The output of marketability products at a temperature of 1°C in both species of mushrooms was approximately the same but at the temperature of 5°C in PO it was higher on 9.0-9.4%. Term of storage of AB during 6 days had effect on the changed quantity of some chemical substances: the amount of DM decreased (by 5.3-17.4%), AA (by 7.4-25.9%) but almost did not change the quantity of PN. Similar trends were observed for PO. Thus, as a result of the conducted researches we recommend as an optimum temperature regime of storage for mushrooms of AB and PO 1°С because it provides preservation of their organoleptic, marketability and chemical indicators.