Economic efficiency of growing amaranth varieties in the conditions of the Western Forest-Steppe of Ukraine

Amaranth is a valuable new crop, the sown area of which in Ukraine is expanding. It should be noted that the technology of growing this crop is not sufficiently studied. Almost all elements of the technology need to be clarified, taking into account certain soil and climatic conditions. The research was conducted at the experimental field of the Department of Plant Technology of the Lviv National Agrarian University in the Western Forest-Steppe zone. The aim of the research was to establish the level of grain yield and economic efficiency of growing seven amaranth varieties in conditions of sufficient moisture: «Sem», «Lera», «Kharkivskyi 1», «Studentskyi», «Aztec», «Ultra», «Polishchuk». It was studied that the highest yield on average over three years was formed by the «Kharkivskyi 1» variety – 4.03 t/ha, which is higher than the «Ultra» variety by 2.06 t/ha. The «Lera» variety had a yield of 3.28 t/ha. The «Sem» variety with a yield of 2.74 t/ha exceeded the «Ultra» variety by 0.77 t/ha. The «Studentskyi» variety had a yield of 2.45 t/ha. Among amaranth varieties, the lowest grain yield was obtained in the «Ultra» variety – 1.97 t/ha. The «Aztec» variety also had a low yield – 2.19 t/ha, which is higher than the «Ultra» variety by 0.22 t/ha. The grain yield of the «Polishchuk» variety was formed at almost the same level – 2.21 t/ha, or more than the «Ultra» variety by 0.24 t/ha. At a price of 25,000 UAH production cost in our studies for the «Ultra» variety was 49,250 UAH, and for the most productive variety «Kharkivskyi 1» it increased to 100,750 UAH. Production costs per 1 ha were 44,445 UAH. The cost price of 1 t of grain was the highest in the «Ultra» variety – 22,561 UAH and the lowest – in the «Kharkivskyi 1» variety – 11,028 UAH. The net profit was the highest in the «Kharkivskyi 1» variety and amounted to 56,305 UAH, and the lowest in the «Ultra» variety – 4,805 UAH. In the «Studentskyi» variety this indicator was at the level of 16,814 UAH, in the «Lera» variety – 37,555 UAH, «Aztec» – 10,305 UAH, «Sem» – 24,055 UAH, «Polishchuk» – 10,805 UAH. The level of profitability ranged from 11 % to 127 %. Key words: variety, amaranth, yield, economic efficiency.