The results of studies are presented to determine the effect of depth of seeding of spring wheat varieties  Rannya 93 and Mironivchanka, its germination on typical black soil of forest-steppe of Right-Bank of Ukraine. Field studies were carried out during 1997-1999 and secondly - in 2013-2014 at the scientific  laboratory of crop rotation science department SS  "Agronomic Research  Station" NULES of Ukraine on typical low humus black soil.

In the scientific literature, devoted to the study of spring wheat, it is so often emphasized that spring wheat seeds have low germination that this statement became an axiom in  textbooks and consciousness of specialists. We are of the opinion, this statement appeared on the basis of studies carried out in less favorable soil and climatic conditions of Ukraine, and those that are carried out  in Ukraine, these are studies of 40-50 years, when farming standards in Ukraine were pretty low. Our study does not confirm this view and suggests that the germination of seeds of modern varieties of spring wheat in the conditions of typical black soil humus of forest-steppe of Ukraine can be quite high, but it depends on a number of agrotechnical activities. One of  such  agronomy measures, determining seed germination, is the depth of its embedding.

Research carried out by us in 1997-1999 showed that the depth of seeding significantly affect the germination of seeds. With increasing depth of seeding deeper than 6 cm field germination of seeds of the studied spring wheat varieties decreased and was as follows: Rannya 93 – 83,4 % at a depth of 8 cm sowing and 77,3 % at a depth of 10 cm sowing; cultivar Mironivchanka – 81,6 % and 74,6 %, respectively. Optimal seeding depth of spring wheat on typical black soil humus depth was 4 cm. On this account, the experience of  Rannya 93 variety descended 88,7 % of the seeds, in  Mironivchanka – 87,6 %. Seeds of spring wheat in the form of experience with shallow planting at 0,5-2,0 cm due to the rapid loss of seed with soil moisture also had  lower  germination 82,9-86,8 % of Rannya 93 and 82,9-86,9 % of Mironivchanka. Therewith, we found that sowing depth deeping to 8-10 cm retards time of phenological phases on delay germination amount, i.e. 2-4 days.

In the variety Mironivchanka with deep embedding field germination of seeds is reduced in larger sizes than  Rannya 93. Obviously, this is due to the smaller mass of 1000 seeds in Mironivchanka. We have also found a close inverse correlation relationship between the depth of planting and field germination of spring wheat seeds of Rannya 93 variety,  it was r = - 0,651, and of Mironivchanka r = - 0,798.

It is worth noting that when it is embedded  the surface of seeds, which can be used with broadcast seeding method, germination is reduced in size, that should be taken into account to determine the optimum seeding rate. The amount of reduced field germination of seeds obtained in our experiments with surface seeding cannot be transferred to the working environment, as it is obviously underestimated. Indeed, in the model experiment, each seed was carefully wrapped with a layer of soil, while using  broadcast seeding  the part of seed remains on the soil surface and has a significantly lower germination.

The change of  seeding depth from 2 to 4 cm virtually does not affect density of seedlings. Deeper seeding depth, which may be necessary in cases where the seed layer of soil is dry, requires an increase in seeding rate due to lower field germination. By increasing the depth of planting more than 4 cm shoots appear late in accordance with largest increase in sowing depth deeping, approximately 1 day for every centimeter increase the depth of seeding.

Key words: spring wheat, seeds, germination, depth of seeding.