National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine

Background. The study examines the transformation of the logistics component of enterprises’ competitiveness in the agricultural sector of Ukraine under conditions of spatial economic changes driven by military events and the restructuring of export infrastructure. The relevance of analysing export logistics channels stems from their decisive role in the resilience of agricultural production given changes in transport route configurations, increased risks, and the need to adapt to new geo-economic conditions. Purpose. This study aims to analyse the impact of the structure and diversification of export logistics channels on the competitiveness of the agricultural sector and develop an integrated approach to measure the logistics component of comprehensive performance. Findings. The study employs statistical, comparative analysis methods, and an index approach to assess the structure of logistics flows. The dynamics of agricultural production indices for 2014–2024, the structure of export logistic flows, and the share of transport modes in agricultural exports are also considered. The diversification index of logistics channels was calculated, reflecting the transition from a highly concentrated logistics structure to a more diversified one. A Logistics Competitiveness Index was also constructed, which integrates export volume, degree of diversification, and the share of alternative routes. The results demonstrated a transition from a mono-channel maritime model in 2021 to a diversified configuration in 2022–2023, which performed an adaptive function and contributed to the recovery of export activity. In 2024, the export volume increased to 70 million tonnes, 12.9% more than in 2023 (62 million tonnes). However, this occurred against the background of a partial return to a more concentrated structure of logistics flows, driven by the restoration of the maritime transport channel’s role. Implications. The competitiveness of agricultural enterprises in a transformed economic space is determined not only by the scale of exports but also by the structural balance of transport channels. Maintaining a multichannel logistics model is considered a key element of logistics innovation mechanisms to ensure resilience and long-term competitive advantage.

Goal. To investigate the long-term dynamics of the temperature regime in Ukraine as a key abiotic environmental factor determining the state of pest populations. To study the patterns of its changes as a basis for compiling a further phytosanitary forecast. Methods. Theoretical analysis (structural-functional and systems approaches) — for the analysis and generalization of statistical data; field methods — conducting systematic phytosanitary monitoring. Results. During the period 2005—2024, climate change in Ukraine manifested itself through an increase in the average annual temperature compared with the long-term average data (average for 1986—2005) and, as a consequence, through an increase in the sum of effective temperatures (SET). In general, the annual SET in Ukraine increased by 266.62°C; in the Steppe zone — by 307.21°C; in the Forest-Steppe — by 274.31°C; and in Polissya — by 222.88°C. The trend lines of the graphs of the long-term dynamics of SET indicators during 2005—2024, both on average for Ukraine and for each natural-climatic zone, indicated a gradual increase in the temperature regime. However, the intensity gradually decreased, and the growth of SET almost stopped starting from 2013. A comparison of data from Kyiv meteorological stations for different periods (over more than the last hundred years) also confirms climatic changes towards warming: the average annual temperature in 2015—2024 exceeds the corresponding indicator at the end of the 19th century (1871—1880) by more than 3°C. Weather conditions in 2024 were especially hot, when in general across Ukraine the SET exceeded the corresponding long-term average value by 607.5°C. Conclusions. The analysis of the long-term dynamics of air temperature showed an increase in the average annual temperature and in the sum of effective temperatures. However, the intensity of SET growth has almost ceased since 2013.

This study evaluates agricultural credit and financial instruments' effectiveness in maintaining sector resilience under wartime conditions in Ukraine. Using statistical, comparative, and system analysis, we assess state-subsidized lending, EU grants, and international finance under infrastructure destruction, supply disruptions, and territorial occupation. The study reveals stark disparities: SMEs face significantly greater barriers through restrictive lending standards, while large agroholdings demonstrate superior access to international financing. Macro-level analysis shows remarkable success in maintaining agricultural exports as dominant despite massive disruptions. However, differential effectiveness reveals a two-tier recovery, with large operations capturing disproportionate credit while SMEs experience declining access. International financing, Affordable Loans 5-7-9%, and EU Production Grants prove most effective in respective domains. Crucially, financial support alone cannot overcome conflict-related constraints—income losses, infrastructure damages, landmine contamination, elevated costs—without addressing broader security challenges. Well-designed financial tools successfully maintain production capacity where market mechanisms would fail, yet integrated approaches combining financial support with physical security and reconstruction are essential for meaningful wartime recovery.

The aim of the study was to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the level of development of organic farming and the effectiveness of the use of innovative marketing tools in the green agribusiness of Ukraine. It was found that the share of organic agricultural land in Ukraine increased from 0.6% in 2019 to 1.2% in 2025, which corresponds to a growth rate of 12.2% per year. The introduction of innovative marketing tools among Ukrainian enterprises is on average 38.3%. In particular, ESG reporting is used by 28% of companies, digital marketing by 35%, eco-labelling by 42%, and social media is used by 48% of enterprises. Correlation analysis showed a strong direct relationship between the use of marketing tools and the effectiveness of a green brand: ESG reporting – 0.71, digital marketing – 0.78, eco-labelling – 0.82, social networks – 0.76. Regression analysis confirmed the statistical significance of all factors (p<0.01), with the highest impact on brand performance being eco-labelled (b=0.78). The study confirms that the comprehensive implementation of ESG practices, digital marketing, and eco-labelling has a positive impact on the competitiveness of enterprises and shaping of sustainable green brands.

High-quality, well-balanced feeding strategies are essential for optimizing poultry growth performance and for ensuring the safety of poultry products. Here, we evaluated the effects of chelated vs. inorganic trace minerals on the growth, survival and carcass characteristics of Cobb 500 broiler chickens. A large-scale feeding trial involved four dietary treatments at 21–35 days of age, with Group 1 receiving a control diet with mineral supplements of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn) in sulfate form, based on a standard formulation. A further three experimental diets contained chelated forms of Zn (Group 2), Cu (Group 3) and a mineral premix MINTREX® that provides Zn, Cu and Mn (Group 4). Broilers were raised to 42 days of age under commercial production conditions. Feeding chelated trace minerals resulted in significantly higher body weights during the rearing period, including a 10% increase in pre-slaughter weight compared to the controls (p < 0.01). Moreover, survival rates improved from 87% in the controls to 95–96% in the treatment groups (p < 0.001), and carcass evaluation revealed a 15–17% increase in eviscerated carcass weight in birds fed chelated supplements (p < 0.05). Greater yields of muscle, liver and skin with subcutaneous fat were observed, as was improved production of total edible carcass components. Among the treatments, MINTREX® provided the greatest enhancement effects in performance and slaughter traits. These findings demonstrate that dietary chelated minerals, whether single or combined, may have positive effects on the broiler carcass yield and support their inclusion in poultry production systems.

This study investigated the impact of different environmental enrichment strategies on the welfare of growing pigs under industrial housing conditions. Four groups of piglets (n = 22 heads per group) were housed on fully slatted floors and provided with various enrichment objects: cotton rope, grain-filled plastic bottles and wrapping paper balls, whereas the control group had none. Welfare parameters, including lameness; injuries to the body, ears, carpal joints and tails; and tear staining intensity, which is a biomarker of stress, were assessed weekly via modified Pig Welfare Quality Assessment protocols. Statistical analyses were performed via the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the Friedman rank variance test. The absence of enrichment resulted in a significant increase in the incidence of lameness, carpal joint lesions and body-side injuries (P < 0.05). Compared with the enriched piglets, the control piglets also presented markedly greater rates of ear and tail biting. Among the enrichment types, grain-filled bottles provided the most stable welfare outcomes, maintaining low levels of both physical injuries and tear staining intensity. In contrast, pigs exposed to transient or less interactive enrichment presented higher emotional stress indicators. Overall, the results confirmed that the type and functionality of enriched objects play a decisive role in mitigating harmful oral manipulations, improving locomotor health and reducing chronic stress. Tear staining intensity has proven to be a reliable noninvasive parameter of welfare and is sensitive to changes in environmental conditions. Implementing diversified enrichment strategies alongside regular welfare monitoring can serve as an effective tool for increasing pig welfare and production efficiency in intensive farming systems.

Вступ. Пластичність та різноманіття адаптивних стратегій рослин визначають можливість їхнього існування за екстремальних умов і забезпечують стійкість біогеоценозу в цілому.Проблематика. Сучасні моніторингові дослідження свідчать, що більшість вуличних насаджень потерпають від антропогенного навантаження через інтенсивну урбанізацію, зокрема значне аерогенне та світлове забруднення.Мета. Встановити фізіолого-біохімічні особливості стійкості основних деревних порід насаджень Київського мегаполісу до світлового та аерогенного забруднення викидами автотраспорту.Матеріали й методи. Об’єктами були вуличні насадження Tilia cordata Mill., Aesculus hippocastanum L. та Platanus acerifolia (Aiton) Willd. Київського мегаполісу. Польові спостереження проводили у НБС НАНУкраїни (ділянка 1) та зеленій зоні вздовж бульвару Лесі Українки (ділянка 2). Визначали температуру ґрунту дослідних ділянок, емісію СО2 з його поверхні. Вміст хімічних елементів у ґрунтових та рослинних зразках досліджували за допомогою плазмового емісійного спектрометру iСАР 6300 DUO (Thermo Fisher Scientific, США). Аналізували вміст фотосинтетичних пігментів, танінів та брасиностероїдів у листках рослин. У вегетаційному досліді рослини обробляли 1%-м водним розчином Ti(SO4)2, мефенамінату титану та мефенамінової кислоти. Проводили мікробіологічний аналіз філоплани листків.Результати. Мультиваріантний підхід дозволив проаналізувати взаємодію у системі «рослина-ґрунтрослина» і відібрати найбільш стійкі та найчутливі параметри щодо оцінки зовнішнього впливу. За умовсвітлового і аерогенного забруднення спостерігалося підвищення вмісту титану в 1,2—4,4 рази, брасиностероїдів в 1,4—3,0 рази, танінів в 1,2—4,1 рази, кремнію в 1,1—2,3 рази в тканинах, що забезпечує ефективність функціонування лабільних механізмів стійкості рослин.Висновки. Застосування сполук титану й кремнію є перспективним для підвищення адаптаційної здатності рослин до стресових умов, а також створення ефективних препаратів на їхній основі.

Relevance of the work. One of the key challenges currently faced by manufacturers of steel wire rod for welding applications worldwide is achieving maximum plasticity in the metal before delivery to hardware plants. This need arises due to the ongoing technological advancements in hardware plants and the integration of modern equipment capable of producing wire at high drawing speeds with significant degrees of unit deformation. Such processes demand high-quality raw materials (wire rod). Another crucial aspect is ensuring a high-quality surface for the welding wire, free from microcracks and hard inclusions. These defects can negatively impact the welding process by increasing metal spatter, causing electric arc instability, and leading to critical defects in welded joints, such as cavities and cracks. Rational microstructural design is a key principle in producing highly plastic wire rod for the efficient manufacturing of solid-section welding wire from low-carbon alloy steels. The presence of hard components (such as martensite, bainite, or their mixtures) in the wire rod’s structure is undesirable, as they increase the risk of metal failure during intensive cold deformation by drawing. Minimizing these hard phases remains an urgent scientific and practical challenge. The aim of the study is to determine the mechanism of martensite grains formation during slow cooling of low-carbon alloy steel grade CrMoV1Si wire rod, used for producing welding wire, from the austenitization temperature to room temperature. Material and methodology. The material used in this study was steel with the chemical composition (in wt.%) 0.08C–1.30Mn–0.54Si–1.06Cr–0.54Mo–0.24V–Fe ( balance ) . The samples were subjected to thermal cycles using an automated Gleeble 3800 thermal deformation simulation system. The thermal cycle involved heating the samples to the temperature required for complete austenitization, holding them at this temperature, and then continuously cooling at controlled rates of 0.20, 0.10, and 0.05 °C/s to room temperature. Metallographic analysis was conducted using an optical microscope and a scanning electron microscope. The hardness of individual structural components was measured using a microhardness tester following the standard method. The chemical composition of the phases was determined by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy. Results. The study established an anomalous increase in the volume fraction of austenite shear transformation products in CrMoV1Si steel after continuous slow cooling at rates of 0.20–0.05 °C/s, at the same time, martensite had a relatively high carbon content (up to 1.6 wt.%). The authors attribute this microstructural evolution to dynamic changes in the chemical composition of individual phases during cooling, primarily due to the partitioning of carbon and other alloying elements between the α and γ phases, as confirmed experimentally. Based on the obtained results, a mechanism has been proposed for the formation of high-carbon martensite grains in low-carbon alloy steel wire rod during slow cooling from the austenitization temperature to room temperature.

Objective – To determine the effectiveness of various plant nutrition optimization systems for carrot cultivation in the Forest-Steppe conditions of Ukraine using organic technology. Methods. The research was conducted in 2024–2025 at the Institute of Vegetable and Melon Growing, NAAS of Ukraine. Carrots of the Nantskaya Kharkivska variety were grown in a vegetable-feed crop rotation with drip irrigation. The experiment included four variants of nutrition optimization systems: control (no fertilizer), local application of mineral fertilizers (N30P30K30) as a benchmark for intensive technology, the use of microbial preparations (Groundfix, Azotofit, Organic Balance, HelpRost vegetable) for fertigation and foliar feeding, seed treatment with the Mycofriend preparation, and further use of humic preparations such as Humifrend for fertigation and foliar feeding. Results. Biometric indicators of carrots (plant height, leaf number) increased due to the use of biological nutrition optimization systems. The highest growth in height was achieved by using the complex of microbial preparations (Groundfix, Azotofit, Organic Balance). The total carrot yield with the combined use of microbial preparations reached 28.8 t/ha, which is 7.7 t/ha more than the control, while the marketable yield was 23.6 t/ha. Application of mineral fertilizers at the rate of N30P30K30 increased the yield to 27.1 t/ha and marketable yield to 22.3 t/ha, but it did not achieve results as high as those from biological systems. Conclusions. Biological nutrition optimization systems using microbial preparations and biofertilizers showed a positive effect on carrot growth and productivity, comparable to mineral fertilizers (N30P30K30). The maximum effect was obtained with the system using Groundfix (5 t/ha) during pre-sowing cultivation, the first fertigation with Azotofit (1 t/ha), the second fertigation with Organic Balance (1.5 t/ha), and two foliar feedings with HelpRost vegetable fertilizer (2 t/ha each) during the 3–4 true leaf phase and 25 days after the first treatment. This system significantly increased the carrot plant height by 5.3 cm (18.0%) relative to the control and by 4.2 cm (13.7%) compared to the benchmark mineral fertilizer application. Additionally, total carrot yield increased by 7.7 t/ha or 36.5% relative to the control.

The research was conducted in a long-term stationary experiment established on light grey forest surface-gleyed soil in 1965. Data presented in this study were collected during 2022–2024 growing seasons within the framework of this long-term experiment. The experiment is registered in the NAAS long-term field experiments registry (certificate No. 29) and the Global Long-Term Agricultural Experiments Network (GLTEN). The study examined the effect of growing red clover in a four-field crop rotation on nutrient balance at different fertiliser and lime doses and ratios. Red clover was used for feed and feed-green manure purposes. The research aimed to substantiate optimal methods of utilising this valuable forage crop and optimise fertilisation systems to ensure sustainable agricultural development. Growing the first cut of red clover for feed purposes and the second as green manure with fertilisation (N₁₀₅P₁₀₁K₁₀₁ + organic fertilisers + liming) ensures a positive surface balance of 402 kg/ha of nitrogen, 150 kg/ha of phosphorus, and 204 kg/ha of potassium. These data are almost twice higher than indicators under minimal fertilisation doses. Despite the reduction in symbiotic nitrogen fixation from 217 kg/ha to 147 kg/ha when growing red clover in crop rotation with intensive fertilisation, it remains an effective phytobiological ameliorant.