SALVIA AT INTRODUCTION IN THE KHAKASSIA STEPPE ZONE

The purpose of research is to establish the development features of introduced sage species and the prospects for their cultivation in the steppe conditions of Khakassia. The object of research is 3 species of the genus Salvia L. – S. pratensis, S. verticillata and S. tesquicola. Phenological observations of plant development were carried out in 2018–2022 according to the methodology adopted in medicinal plant growing. The prospects of species during introduction were determined by five indicators, each of which was assessed on a three-point scale: seed reproduction; natural vegetative propagation under cultural conditions; plant development power; resistance to adverse environmental factors; damage from pests and diseases. The studied sage species go through a full cycle of seasonal development. The spring regrowth and early flowering phase of S. pratensis and regrowth of S. verticillata occur with a moderate degree of variability. The dates of the remaining phases of development of sage species occur with very low and low variation. Air temperature correlates positively with the growth and end of flowering of S. pratensis (r = 0.83 and 0.75) and negatively with the beginning of seed maturation (r = -0.77). In addition, the beginning of the growing season and flowering, as well as the end of the growing season, strongly depend on the amount of precipitation (r = 0.83; 0.80; 0.88). There is a correlation between the strong degree of regrowth, the beginning and end of flowering of S. verticillata with temperature (r = 0.72; 0.77; 0.76) and with the amount of precipitation at the beginning of the growing season (r = 0.91). Precipitation has a strong influence on the onset of flowering of S. tesquicola (r = 0.88). According to the assessment of prospects, S. tesquicola is classified as a very promising species – 13 points, S. pratensis and S. verticillata – as promising (10 and 12 points).