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.

As part of working on the solution of the task of importing asparagus beans, it is necessary to create a conveyor of green beans for vegetables during the growing season under the conditions of the Central Nonchernozem Zone (CNZ). In this regard, in 2018, work was continued on the evaluation of the existing collection of the FSBSI FSVC on economically valuable grounds, which allowed pre-select promising samples for further breeding work. According to the results of the assessment of the collection variety samples of vegetable beans in 2018, 30 variety samples of different groups of ripeness were identified as initial forms for breeding work on creating varieties that meet the requirements of the processing industry and creating a conveyor for producing asparagus products in the CNZ. Selected varieties are described and evaluated for the productivity of beans and seeds, suitability for mechanized harvesting, quality of the bean, seed size, resistance to the most harmful diseases. It is important to note that the year 2018 was unfavorable for the optimal development of culture due to the negative weather conditions that developed from the 3rd decade of May to the 2nd decade of June. This has made its own adjustments to the development of plants, as a result of which the assessment on some grounds is not indicative.

Results of estimation of general and specific combining ability of male and female parental tomato forms were given for complex of traits. The estimation was carried out according to incomplete diallel crosses 15x15. Such varities   as   ‘Trapeza’,  Rosovaya  kapelka’,  ‘Seniorita’, ‘Ocharovanie’,  ‘Tigris’   ‘Vishnya  Zheltaya’  (Gavrish), ‘Denezhnoye Derevo’ (national breeding), and  lines: ‘46/06’,  ‘49/09’,  ‘295/09’,  ‘336/11’,  ‘354/11’,  ‘357/11’, ‘388/09’ (nor), ‘498’ (selection of TARI) were used as intial breeding accessions, differing in bush type (determinate and indeterminate), duration of vegetative phase (ultraearly,  early, medium early, middle-ripening), fruit  shape (rounded, oval), fruit color (red, pink, black, orange, tiger and with the gene nor), fruit weight (10 g. and more), brush structure (dense, friable). As a results, ‘Trapeza’, ‘Vishnya Zheltaya’, ‘Ocharovaniye’, ‘Seniorita’, and lines: ‘295/10’, ‘49/09’,  ‘498’,  ‘357/11’,  ‘354/11’,  ‘388/09’  (nor) were selected and recommended to be used in breeding program for development of heterotic hybrids with high fruit setting and generative bush type. The promising hybrids F1 with high constants of specific combining ability for a complex of economically valuable traits have been observed. Because of different lines and accessions were used in crossings, these hybrids varied in internode length of cluster type, classical or shorten; rounded or oval fruit shape; fruit  color, red (F1   combinations ‘354/11’ х ‘Seniorita’, ‘Trapeza’ х  ‘L.49/09’,  L.  ‘49/09’  х  L.354/11), pink (F1 combination ‘Rosovaya Kapelka’ х ‘L.354/11’), yellow (F1 combination ‘Ocharovaniye’ х  ‘Vishiya Zheltaya’), deep brown (F1 combination  ‘L.357/11’ х ‘L.354/11’).

Routine breeding work for cucumber cultivar and hybrid maintenance and their multiplication is carried out at Laboratory of Cucumber and Gourd Breeding and Seed Production, VNIISSOK. The original seeds of 5-6 cultivars or lines of cucumber are annually produced in open field and winter greenhouses at Experimental Production Division, FGBNU VNIISSOK. The seed productivity of cucumber depended on the number of seed bearers on the plant, size of seed bearers and a number of seeds in a fruit, as well as seed plumpness and seed fineness and etc. The condition of growing, such as meteorological factors, nutrition rates, cultivation technology, diseases and pests, cultivar specification influence on seed productivity and the traits mentioned above. The results given summarized multi-year data on 1000 seed weight and number of seeds in a fruits of bee-pollinated cultivars and hybrids, such as ‘Izyaschiy’, ‘Muromskiy 36’, ‘Viyaznikovskiy 37’, ‘Vodoley’, ‘Electron 2’, ‘Yedinstvo’, ‘Korotishka’, ‘Krepish F1’, ‘Brunet F1’. In open field the 1000 seed weight significantly varied among cultivars from 16.6 g. in ‘Viyaznikovskiy 37’ to 24.1 g. in ‘Yedinstvo’. The cultivars ‘Muromskiy 36’, ‘Viyaznikovskiy 37’ and ‘Izyaschiy’ were of the earlies ripening ones and had frailest seeds. Mid ripening cultivars ‘Edinstvo’ was distinguished by the biggest and plumpest seeds that were produced in open field as well as in greenhouse. 1000 seed weight in most cucumber cultivars was higher in open field than in greenhouse by 3.5-10.7 g., whereas this difference was more significant among hybrids. The film mulching increased 1000 seed weight. In seed fruits of bee-pollinated cultivars ‘Vodoley’ and ‘Electron 2’ and ‘Yedinstvo’, there were 250-259 seeds. This characteristic was the most stable in ‘Yedinstvo’. A problem with seed production occurs in cultivars of bush type ‘Korotishka’ and ‘Maliyutka’ because of the small number of seeds in a fruit as compared with other cultivars.