Research Activities of the Kharkiv Society of Agriculture and Agricultural Industry in the Fi eld of Horticulture and Vegetable Growing (Early 20th Century)

Abstract

The article summarizes the results of an analysis of the activities of the Department of Horticulture and Vegetable Growing of the Kharkiv Society of Agriculture and Agricultural Industry (KSAAI), with particular emphasis on its scientific research aimed at the development of the sector in the early 20th century.
The novelty of the findings lies in the identification and exploration of little-studied aspects of KSAAI’s scientific activity related to sectoral research in horticulture, pomology, vegetable cultivation, and seed production. The source base for this study comprises reports issued by the Department of Horticulture and Vegetable Growing, the Pomological Commission, and the Control Garden operating under KSAAI, which have now been introduced into academic circulation. The analysis demonstrates that the activities of KSAAI members laid a solid foundation for the development of applied scientific research in horticulture, vegetable growing, and seed production during the early 20th century. KSAAI actively engaged in discussions and the organization of research in the field of horticulture, consistently advocating for the establishment of pomological commissions within all agricultural or specialized professional societies. The Pomological Commission at KSAAI, founded in 1910 with the participation of prominent pomologists (A.I. Tiutiunnykov, A.O. Potebnia, A.Ye. Zaikevych, P.V. Budrin, M.S. Balabanov, V.P. Nemets, A.M. Rabinovych, I.I. Hryhoriev, V.H. Averin, and others), conducted numerous studies on fruit varietal classification and developed assortments of fruit trees most suitable for the climatic and soil conditions of the Kharkiv province. KSAAI also initiated the First Congress of Horticultural Research Workers (1911), convened a meeting of seed producers and merchants (1915), and facilitated the establishment of a Union of Seed Producers. Seed plots, the Control Garden, and the mother orchard with a nursery under the Department of Horticulture and Vegetable Growing produced a wealth of valuable materials and research results in the field of seed cultivation, particularly concerning vegetable and ornamental crops. These contributions supported the organization of the seed trade, and with the outbreak of World War I and the closure of foreign markets, stimulated domestic seed production and distribution. The scientific work carried out by specialists at KSAAI’s research centers significantly contributed to the advancement of domestic horticulture, vegetable cultivation, and seed production.