The article attempts to reconstruct the life and scientific career of Professor L. M. Ro as one of the founders of scientific horticulture in Ukraine. For the first time, a comprehensive analysis of archival materials, published works, and memoir sources has been carried out, exploring the main stages of his scientific biography and professional activity. His scientific achievements in breeding, particularly in fruit growing, entomology, botany, technical processing of horticultural products, vegetable growing, ornamental gardening, as well as his role in establishing horticultural research institutions in Ukraine and popularizing agricultural knowledge, have been studied in depth.

The research is grounded in the principles of historicism, objectivity, systematicity, and comprehensiveness, allowing thorough exploration of the evolutionary aspects of the scientist's work. Methods used include problem-chronological and comparative-historical analysis, biographical approach, and content analysis of sources.

Analysis of Ro’s scientific works allowed categorizing his research into four key areas: 1) breeding and horticulture; 2) physiology of fruit-bearing; 3) agricultural technology; and 4) research methodology and yield assessment. The evolution of L. M. Ro’s scientific interests was traced, highlighting their significance for the current state and future prospects of Ukrainian breeding science. The findings enable a reassessment of Ro’s scientific heritage as foundational to horticultural science in Ukraine, improving our understanding of his role in shaping Ukrainian breeding science in the first half of the 20th century, and revitalizing his legacy within contemporary scientific discourse concerning the advancement of domestic breeding science and training of the new generation of specialists.

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4. Ro Lev Mykhailovych (1883–1957) – professor-selektsioner (Uman, Penza, Poltava, Simferopol, Tashkent, Kyiv). Laureat Stalinskoi premii (1951) [Lev Mykhailovych Ro (1883–1957) – professor-breeder (Uman, Penza, Poltava, Simferopol, Tashkent, Kyiv). Laureate of the Stalin Prize (1951)]. URL: https://accountology.ucoz.ru/index/ro_lev_mikhajlovich/0-13341 [In Ukrainian].
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7. Shreder, R. R. (1911). Uchastie Opytnoi stantsii na vystavke v Peterburge v 1910 godu [Participation of the Experimental Station at the exhibition in St. Petersburg in 1910]. Izvestiia Turkestanskoi s.-kh. opytnoi stantsii, 2, 133–138 [In Turkestan].

8. (1911). Ro Lev Mikhaylovich (plodovod, prepodavatel Bobritskoy shkoly sadovodstva) [Ro Lev Mikhailovich (fruit grower, teacher at the Bobritskaya school of gardening)]. Rukovodstvo k otsenke i uchetu dokhodnosti kultury plodovykh derev’ev i iagodnykh kustarnikov [Guide to assessing and recording the profitability of fruit tree and berry bush crops]. St. Petersburg [In Russian].
9. Ro, L. M. (1913). Plodorodie fruktovykh derev’ev: ego fiziologicheskie prichiny i uvelichenie ego iskusstvennymi merami [Fertility of fruit trees: its physiological causes and increase by artificial means]. St. Petersburg [In Russian].
10. Ro, L. M. (1928). Programma otdela plodovodstva Mleevskoi opytnoi stantsii [Program of the Department of Fruit Growing of the Mliiv Experimental Station]. Mleyev [In Russian].
11. Ro, L. M. (1929). Materialy po izucheniiu vliianiia opylitelei na razvitie plodov i semian u opyliamykh sortov (za gody 1924–1928) [Materials on the study of the influence of pollinators on the development of fruits and seeds in pollinated varieties (for the years 1924–1928)]. Mleyev [In Russian].
12. Ro, L. M. (1954). Zakladka, remont i vosstanovleniye plodovogo sada [Planting, repair and restoration of an orchard]. Simferopol [In Russian].
13. Ro, L. M. (1930). Prorastaimost’ pyl’tsy razlichnykh plodovykh derev’ev v sviazi s ee fertylnost’iu (za 1925–1928) [Germination of pollen of various fruit trees in relation to its fertility (for 1925–1928)]. Mleyev [In Russian].
14. Ro, L. M. (1929). Perekrestnoe opylienie i samoopylienie u razlichnykh plodovykh derev’ev [Cross-pollination and self-pollination in various fruit trees]. Mleyev [In Russian].

15. Ro, L. M. (1934). Sadivnytstvo: pidruchnyk z tekhminimumu dlia hurtkiv ahrotekhnavchannia [Horticulture: a textbook on the technical minimum for agricultural training groups]. Kharkiv [In Ukrainian].16. Ro, L. M. (1932). Vesniani roboty v ovochovomu sadu [Spring works in the vegetable garden]. Kharkiv [In Ukrainian].

17. Ro, L. M. (1932). Osinni roboty v ovochovomu sadu [Autumn works in the vegetable garden]. Kharkiv [In Ukrainian].
18. Ro, L. M. (1938). Plodovyi pitomnyk v Krymu: praktychne rukovodstvo [Fruit nursery in Crimea: practical guide]: Simferopol [In Russian].
19. Ro, L. M. (1954). Zakladka, remont i vosstanovlenie plodovogo sada [Planting, repair, and restoration of the fruit orchard]. Symferopol [In Russian].
20. Ro, L. M. (1933). Khemizatsiia v sadivnytstvi [Chemization in horticulture]. Kharkiv [In Ukrainian].
21. Ro, L. M. (1927). Taksatsiia ovochovykh derev, iahidnykh roslyn, vynohhradnykiv ta horodnikh kultur sposobom Iunhe ta Krista: pidruchnyk pro sadivnykiv, sadovo-horodni profshkoly ta tekhnikumy [Taxation of fruit trees, berry plants, vineyards, and vegetable crops by the Junge and Christ method: a textbook for gardeners, horticultural vocational schools, and technical schools]. Kharkiv [In Ukrainian].
22. Ro, L. M. (1933). Ovochevyi rozsadnyk [Vegetable nursery]. Kharkiv [In Ukrainian].
23. Ro, L. M. (1933). Dobir mistsya pid rozsadnyk [Vegetable nursery]. Ovochevyy rozsadnyk, (Part 2), Kharkiv [In Ukrainian].