A COLLECTION OF ORIGANUM VULGARE L. SAMPLES AS A SOURCE OF VALUABLE TRAITS FOR BREEDING

The aim of the study is a comprehensive examination of some morphological traits and productivity indicators of various genotypes of the O. vulgare collection in order to isolate genotypes that can be used as sources of valuable traits for further breeding of oregano. A comprehensive study of some morphological traits and productivity indicators of various genotypes of the updated and expanded Origanum vulgare L. collection was conducted in order to isolate genotypes that can be used as sources of valuable traits for further breeding of oregano. The studies were carried out in 2023–2025 at the experimental site of the Department of Essential Oil and Medicinal Crops of the Crimean Research Institute of Agriculture, located in the foothill zone of the Crimean Peninsula (Krymskaya Roza village, Belogorsky District). The soil of the experimental site is southern carbonate heavy loamy chernozem with the following agrochemical characteristics: acidity – 7.0–7.2 units. The pH and humus content in the arable layer were 2.7–3.0 %, total nitrogen 0.12 %, phosphorus 0.10 %, and potassium 1.0 %. Common oregano plants (50 genotypes) were propagated by green cuttings and planted in duplicate on 2.1 m2 plots in 2022. As a result of research of the O. vulgare collection over an average of 3 years, 15 most promising accessions (30 % of the total number) were selected, which can be used in further breeding work as sources of the following valuable traits: tallness – accessions 69 (87.0 cm) and 11 (86.5 cm); formation of a large diameter of plants – accessions 69 (100.8 cm), g163 (106.3 cm), 10 (108.0 cm), Severnoye sijaniye (114.0 cm), 11 (114.8 cm); formation of a large number of shoots – Aurea (149.3 pcs.), Khutoryanka (100.7 pcs.), 102.9 (96.1 pcs.), 11 (97.3 pcs.), 10 (96.6 pcs.), g129 (93.3 pcs.), Kvazar (90.0 pcs.); High yield of green mass – samples Kvazar (1.6 kg/m2), 40 (2.0 kg/m2), g163 (2.1 kg/m2), 102.9 (2.2 kg/m2), g202 (2.2 kg/m2), 10 (2.3 kg/m2), 11 (2.6 kg/m2); high mass fraction of essential oil – Kvazar (1.63 % of wet weight or 4.29 % of absolutely dry weight); high collection of essential oil – g129 (6.1 g/m2), g202 (6.2 g/m2), TS-1 (6.6 g/m2), g31 (7.3 g/m2), Ak-Kaya (7.6 g/m2) and Kvazar (26.2 g/m2).