One of valuable spice-aromatic vegetable of Lamiaceae family is lemony monarda (Monarda citriodora L.) cultivated as nonperennial crop in most of regions of Russian Federation. Information regarding its parentage and biological special aspects are described here in this article. Brief review regarding nutritional quality and pharmaceutical importance as well as description of four cultivars of lemony monarda (which are currently included to Russian State register of selection invention and approved for usage, two of these cultivars Mona Lisa and Simka were selected and cultivated by Federal Scientific Vegetable Center are given here in this article. Main directions for up-to-date selection and application and practical usage of lemony monarda were indicated. In the field of creation of up-to-date vegetable cultivars, one of the main directions is selection of such a cultivars with high content of biologically active compounds for improvement of antioxidative activity and applicability for its cultivation at hydroponic plant with frame area to provide fresh green vegetables for people all year round. Simka cultivar meets requirements mentioned above and can be cultivated at various types of hydroponic plants including horizontal (salad lines, seedling tables) and vertical (multilayer hydroponics) types using natural (drag turf) or artificial (mineral wool blocks) substrates. This article also describes the main elements of technology of cultivation of lemony monarda in the open and protected ground to get green products and seed production. The features of the preparation of raw materials with a high content of biologically active compounds for fresh consumption and as a spicy-aromatic dry seasoning for salads, meat dishes, as a natural preservative and aromatic of jam, tea and other drinks are shown.

Relevance. Abiotic stress, as heat, significantly affect plant and floral organs growth and development, fruit set, productivity, the quality, and survival of crops. Heat injury occurs when plants are exposed to these temperatures for a long period of time. Depending on the intensity and duration of exposure to the high temperatures, photosynthesis, respiration, membrane integrity, water relations and the hormone balance of the plants may affected.Material and methods. In this study used the commercial pepper cultivar “NW Bigarim” (HT37) released in South Korea and accessions “Kobra” (HT1) and “Samchukjaere” (HT7) selected as heat tolerant and susceptible, respectively. Total chlorophyll index and photosynthetic activities measured using a SPAD meter (Konica, Japan) and portable photosynthesis measurement system (LI-6400, LI-COR Bioscience, Lincoln, NE, USA), respectively.Results. To evaluate the positive effects of high temperature regime (40/28°C day/night, 14/10-h light/dark cycle) on the response of photosynthetic parameters in pepper plants with different heat susceptibility, we measured the total chlorophyll content (CHL) and photosynthetic activities such as photosynthesis (Pn), stomatal conductance to H2O (Gs) and transpiration rate (Tr) in a heat-tolerant (HT1) and -susceptible cultivars (HT7) in comparison with released cultivar (HT37) at fruit development stage. Heat-tolerant cultivars showed higher and more stable index of the CHL, Pn, Gs and Tr than those in heat-sensitive cultivars for 14 days of heat treatment (HT) period. However, the initial index of Pn, Gs and Tr showed significant alteration among pepper plants regardless of thermotolerance rate before HT on day 0 and day 7 after recovery at normal treatment condition (NT) except for CHL, meaning that plants response to high temperature regime is different from that in normal condition. These results suggest that constant high rates of Pn, Gs and Tr as well as of CHL in heat stress condition periods confer to avoid from heat injury during reproductive growth stages.

Relevance. The study of the resistance of garden cultures to unfavorable abiotic factors of the winter period is a priority direction of scientific studies, because the low winter hardiness can annul advantages the varieties on other signs. Concerning in the middle zone of Russia, studies on the resistance of cherry to frost during the thaw period remain relevant.Methods. The studies were carried out in the laboratory of physiology of fruit plant resistance at VNI-ISPKin2017-2018. The object of research was the Turgenevka cherry variety on new clonal root-stock of the Institute breeding were studied. Control - Turgenevka on the Rubin stock. For artificial freezing in early December the material was prepared for III and IV components of frost hardiness.Results. As a result of artificial freezing, the Turgenevka cherry variety was characterized by frost resistance of vegetative buds and tissues of annual shoots during a three-day winter thaw of + 2°C with a decrease in temperature of -25°C (III component of frost resistance). Inthiscase, thehighest frost resistance of the generative buds of the Turgenevka variety on rootstock 74340, 82987 is shown. After a three-day thaw of +2°C and repeated hardening with a subsequent decrease in temperature to -30°C in March (IV frost resistance component), the Turgenevka variety on the rootstock 74332, 74363, 82987 was characterized by frost resistance of vegetative buds, bark and wood of annualshoots. Moreover, in the studied scion-rootstock combinations, low frost resistance of the generative kidneys was revealed. Only in the studied variety on the rootstock 82987 was the largest percentage of living flower primordia revealed. The conducted studies revealed the Turgenevka variety in a rootstock of 82987 with the greatest potential for frost resistance during the winter thaws.

Yaltinskiy onion is one of the symbols of the Crimea, the very name of which is tied to the famous resort, which emphasizes belonging to the Crimean Peninsula. Salad sweet onion is in constant demand among the guests of the peninsula and locals. Its price is several times higher than the price of other onion varieties. Unfortunately, under the guise of Yaltinskiy sortotype, products that are much inferior to it according to taste peculiarities are often sold. In this regard, creation of new cultivar of sweet salad onion, exceeding palatability of the existing cultivar Yaltinskiy Rubin is an urgent task, having an undeniable economic direction. The source material was collected at various zones of the Crimean Peninsula. During the research, hybridization and selection in hybrid progeny were carried out. The plants were analyzed using various methods of evaluation. Much attention was paid to biochemical analysis. The palatability traits are important for the onion cultivars of salad direction. The best indicators for sugars and vitamin C were identified in salad onion of a new cultivar Yaltinskiy plus. Reducing the content of essential oil has improved the taste and its consumer properties. Useful properties were also supplemented by the fact that the presence of selenium antioxidant 68 μg/kg and anthocyanins of 1.66 mg/100 g in salad onions was established, which is 1.5 and 2.3 times higher than the standard sample showed. The content of quercetin and other polyphenols was also noted. The cultivar is characterized by high agronomic stability (90%), product quality (88%), and productivity (49 tons per ha).

Presently, rutabaga can be regarded as not widespread vegetable in Russia; nevertheless it is very valuable for its biochemical composition. Therefore, it is important to provide the its marketability and preserve it among common vegetable crops. Cultivars and hybrids of different specifications and economically valuable traits are required. Multi-year results on study of collection of rutabaga to select out promising accessions for breeding program are given in the article. The very important aim, on which the most consideration is taken, is to develop the cultivars suitable for mechanized harvesting with resistance to diseases and pests, with stable quality and yield ability. As a result, 18 table and fodder cultivars characterized by early maturation, stable yield ability per year have been selected out and recommended. Among them the promising accessions with fast maturation, high yield ability, resistance to diseases and pests, high consumer’s quality of roots. As it has been shown there are not cultivars completely immune to most dangerous pathogens, only few breeding accessions bore resistance of different levels. Therefore, it needs to select the genetic sources possessing the resistance of different level to clubroot, powdery mildew, downy mildew, and storage diseases. The selected accessions are recommended to develop hybrids F1. The accessions with high content of dry matter (11.0%-13.0%) and sugar (7.0%-9.0%) are ‘Brukva Zhjoltaya’ (Poland), ‘Kohlruben’, ‘Seegold’ (Germany), ‘Pajbjerg Sana’ (Danmark), ‘Frankenschtolz’, ‘Angela’ (Germany), Shedskaya Zhjoltaya (Russia) and ‘Mestniy Sort’ (Belgium). The accessions with decreased content of mustard oil are ‘Koalrot Banholm’ (Norway), ‘Krasnoselskaya’ (Russia), ‘Fenix’ (Sweden) and ‘Seegold’ (Germany).

The aim of our research was to study the combinational ability of gynomonoecious form and to assess the best hybrid combinations for agriculturally valuable traits. The experiments were carried out in arid condition of Astrakhan oblast with the use of drop irrigation system at All-Russian Research Institute of Irrigated Vegetable, Melon and Ground Growing. Five hybrids produced from crossing of maternal form Gм r/l, comparing with already released cultivars ‘Goliyanka’, ‘Skazka’, ‘Zolotistaya’, ‘Kolkhoznitsa’ and ‘Lada’ have been studied. In the course of the study hybrid 'Ladushka' that excelled its parental cultivar ‘Lada’ at all main characteristics has been developed.

The Russian-Belarusian cooperation in breeding of legumes and onion crops has resulted in development of new cultivars of pea (Samorodok), bean (Phaeton and Mignon), onion (Palesskaya znahodka, Patrida and Vermeles), winter garlic (Dubkovsky Asilak), which were included in 2014 in the State Register of the Republic of Belarus.

Relevance. Although there is notable success in breeding vegetable crops to obtain heterotic F1 hybrids, traditional selection methods have been gaining in popularity as a means of improving the economically important traits of local traditional varieties in Russia today. These varieties suffered the reduction in their valuable starting parameters (yield, the uniformity of marketable produce and biochemical composition) over the many years of reproduction. The Department of Potato Breeding and Horticulture (FSBSI “FSC of Agricultural Biotechnology of the Far East named after A. K. Chaiki”) have been working on the creation of new squash variety-populations with large fruits using the variety-population Banannaya 42, bred by V. Ya. Smolei at the Far Eastern experimental station of the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Plant Breeding in the 1940s, as the starting material. We carried out a multi-year research on the selection of promising families belonging to this variety to increase yield, improve the uniformity of fruits and the main biochemical parameters.   Results. The breeding work conducted on the families of variety-population 945 in 2011-2022 resulted in the improvement of some economically important traits (the uniformity of fruit shape, yield, and biochemical parameters) compared to the started form. The eleven years of research allowed us to achieve high uniformity of fruit shape in the selection of the ninth year (PIP 2) – 90.0-90.7 % (increased by 34.9-36.0 %). The yield increased from 28.4 t/ha to 38.2-45.3 t/ha or by 34.5-59.5 %. The following biochemical parameters were improved through selection: the content of dry mater from 8.5 to 12.9 % or by 51.8 % on average, the content of sugars from 6.1 to 9.1 or by 49.2 %, the content of carotene from 1.7 to 3.8 or by 123.5 %, and the content of vitamin C from 9.6 to 21.1 or by 119.8 %. We selected the families of the same type from variety-population 945 (variety-population Banata) with improved and uniform economically important traits for submission to the State variety testing. The yield was 38.2-45.3 t/ha, fruits were heart-shaped, skin was greyish green, pulp was orange, and the content of sugars was 9.0-13.2 %. Large-fruited variety population Banata was included in the State register of breeding achievements admitted to use in the Russian Federation in 2024.

Relevance. Recently, the number of hot and dry years has increased significantly. Under the influence of drought, the leaves of the apple tree prematurely fall, the ovaries and fruits fall off, which significantly affects on the yield. In this regard, the study of the water regime of apple remains relevant under drought conditions.Methods. The studies were carried out on the basis of the laboratory of physiology of fruit plant resistance at VNIISPK in 2016-2017. Apple cultivars of the VNIISPK breeding growing on the semi-dwarf rootstock 54-118 were studied. Antonovka Obyknovennaya was taken as a standard cultivar. The experiments were laid in 2013, the spacing scheme was 5 m x 3 m. The crown shape is of spindle type. The row-spacing and near-trunk stripes are kept under the fall fallow. The method of artificial dehydration was used to determine drought resistance of apple cultivars. The apple cultivars were studied with the aim to determine the physiological parameters of water regime relative to their drought resistance.Results. As a result of the two-year studies, the cultivars were characterized by the average content of water in leaves (61.2-65.1%). Water deficiency in most varieties was optimal in the field and did not exceed 10.0%. The increase in water deficiency in apple leaves was noted in drought modeling. For two years, of the leaf tissues water deficiency was in leaves of the Veniaminovskoye cultivar both in the field (5.2%) and after drought modeling (22.4%). During the growing season, the distribution of precipitation and temperature during the passage of individual phenophases by apple plants influenced the overall water content in the leaf tissues. The decrease of the water content in the leaf tissues and the increase of water deficiency were observed when dry conditions occurred. The decrease of the water regime and water deficiency in leaves was notes to a greater extent during the formation of fruits. It was found that all of the studied apple cultivars had an average level of resistance to drought. The study of water regime parameters showed that Veniaminovskoye was characterized by more stable indices and this indicated greater resistance to drought.

The main problem of agroindustrial sector of national economy is an absence of sufficient production of plant proteins that are used for food production as well as a forage production. New cultivars of  legumes, namely in  soybean have to  be developed to resolve this task. Soybean seeds contain much protein up to 50%, fat up to 28 %, along with  vitamins, phospholipids,  isoflavones and ferments. Soybean is a short-day crop. The main reason that limits the spread of soybean is the absence of new early-ripening cultivars. Folk cultivars and varieties native to China produce the grain yield at the sum of temperatures over 3500oC. At the beginning of the last century, there were bred the varieties that  produced  the grains at the sum of temperatures  below  3000oC.  Only after  that  the soybean as a crop is started to be introduced in different countries. The study on association among quantitative traits is needed to select necessary accessions for breeding program. In this research estimation of correlationship based on data of structure analysis was carried out within two-year period.  The correlationship  of  economically valuable traits, such as 1000 seed grain weight, number of grains in bean (pod) and other traits such as plant height, stem thickness, the height of pod  attachment, a number of branches, number of pods on the plant, number of productive nodes, average number of pods at node, average number of grains (beans) per plant in field experiment in 2015-2016, Central Zone of Non-chernozem Zone of Russia. It was noticed  the difference in trait correlationship depended on a year, and it needs to be taken into account for realization of breeding program in soybean.