Increasing the competitiveness of the agro-industrial complex is inextricably linked with the development of science that ensures the development of innovative methods, the introduction of new knowledge and achievements of agricultural science in production. In order to provide scientific support to the vegetable-growing industry in 2017, the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Federal Scientific Vegetable Center” was founded. The main directions and tasks of the Center are presented in the article. Brief results of research work for the current year are given: 47 new varieties and hybrids have been created; more than 200 gene sources and 30 donors of especially valuable features were allocated, 28 patents for selection achievements, inventions and utility models were obtained. The publication activity of the center for 2017 is 159 publications in the RINC system, as well as 22 articles in the journals included in the Web of Science, Scopus and RSCI databases. Citation of FSBSI FSVC articles on the RINC database -1075.

Research staff All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Vegetable Growing – Branch of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Federal Scientific Vegetable Center in collaboration with Russian state agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev agricultural Academy conducted research (2014-2016) on the effect of fertilizers and plant growth regulators on changes in the quality of onions of the Pervenets F1, Bennito F1 hybrids and Poisk 012 F1 during storage. As a result of research, the greatest effect was obtained from the complex application of N90P90K90 in combination with trace elements (tenso-cocktail) and a growth regulator Zircon. This system allowed to obtain high biochemical parameters of onions. At the end of the 7 months of storage (October-may), the highest dry matter and sugar content and the minimum nitrate content was observed in Pervenets F1 onions, as well as in hybrid Bennito F1. In the latematuring hybrid onions Poisk 012 F1 at the end of storage, the dry matter content decreased to 6,8-7,3%, sugars to 3,6-4,1%, vitamin "C" to 3,2-4,9 mg%, and nitrates increased to 92,1 mg/kg, which led to a decrease in product quality and large losses of onions from diseases and natural losses (up to 48-59%). The main reason for these losses was the lack of maturity of bulbs,low solids and sugars during harvest. It is obvious that for long-term storage it is necessary to use bulbs with a dry matter content of at least 10%. It was found out that feeding of onions during the beginning of the formation of food organizations with potassium nitrate, treatment with a growth regulator of Zircon and a complex of microelements of tenso-cocktail contributes to better preservation of the quality of onions.

Vegetable root plants is a valuable, essential components of a balanced diet person. The basis of the modern methodology of breeding work on root crops is to meet the requirements of the market, so the breeders are faced with the task of creating varieties and hybrids of root crops with an attractive appearance and a sufficiently high nutritional value, suitable for new technologies of cultivation and processing. The regular meeting of the methodical Commission of the edible plants in the FSBSI Federal Scientific Vegetable Center in the framework of the international scientific-practical conference "Methodology of selection and seed growing of vegetable root plants." The conference was attended by scientists, breeders, seed growers, experts from Russia and CIS countries. The participants of the conference exchanged information on the achievements, development and application of various methodological approaches in the selection and seed production of vegetable root plants, contributing to the creation and introduction of domestic competitive varieties and hybrids, which will solve the problem of import substitution. The need to create a new source material on the basis of the collections of recent years for breeding on technology, alignment of the external parameters of varieties and hybrids of all vegetable root plants, as well as to improve the methods of seed production, especially for the reproduction of seeds of higher categories and lines of hybrids. The changed scientific and technological conditions of conducting the selection and seed-growing process require improving the efficiency of breeding development, the complexity of selection and genetic research, the use of biotechnological methods, MAS technologies, phytotrons, greenhouses and other facilities to accelerate the selection process.

The vegetable production is one of the main factors for food security, as vegetables play an important role in the structure of nutrition. The Federal Scientific Vegetable Center creates competitive varieties and hybrids of vegetable crops that meet market requirements to meet the needs of domestic producers and thereby contributes to food security. As a result of national breeding program, the varieties and hybrids adapted to different growing conditions, with resistance to local races of pathogens, temperature stresses, and ground frosts were developed to provide the sustainable production of vegetables with high nutritional and medicinal qualities. The varieties and hybrids F1 of white head cabbage that have been created for the last 5 years are distinguished from foreign ones by taste qualities, appropriate pickling characteristics with increased sugar, and decreased cellulose contents. The local onion varieties combine long shelf life, early maturing, well bulb formation, high dry matter content (18-20%) and ability to form the bulb for one year. Breeders have developed bee-pollinated and parthenocarpic hybrids of cucumber well adapted to local growing conditions and suitable for open field cultivation in different regions of Russia. Parthenocarpic heterotic hybrids of the multi-propose use, corresponding to the modern variety model with high productivity, early-ripening, bunch ovary disposition, resistance to abiotic stresses, and most harmful diseases. The carrot and red beet varieties with high nutritional qualities, long shelf-life, ecological plasticity that are widely used for seed production have been created. The varieties of Solanaceae crops have been developed to cultivate in Non Chernozem zone, Far East, Western Siberia, the Middle Belt of Russia and the south of Russia, are also suitable for different greenhouse complexes located in different light zones of the Russia. Wide application of varieties produced through national vegetable breeding programs can provide the population with our own products of high quality.

Relevance. The creation of new varieties and hybrids of sweet pepper adapted to the conditions of the Astrakhan region will increase yields, product quality and competitiveness. The analysis of the inheritance of valuable traits in F1 hybrids will also expand the base of the pepper gene pool and create new promising varieties and hybrids that meet the requirements of the modern market and consumers. The purpose of the study was to study the collection and breeding material for the creation of F1 sweet pepper hybrids with a combination of new economically valuable ones in the Astrakhan region.Methodology. The work was carried out in the Astrakhan region, Kamyzyaksky district in the VNIIOOB branch of the "PAFSC RAS" according to accepted methods and technologies. During 2021-2023, 82 collection samples and 420 breeding lines were studied, with a total area of 0.42 ha.The objects of research were 4 varieties and 1 line of sweet pepper.Results. In the collection and breeding nurseries, promising samples were selected, according to which hybridization was carried out. When studying the hybrids obtained, four hybrid combinations are of breeding interest: Cuboid red x Sprinter, Sprinter x Gift of Moldova, Sprinter x Flight, Flight x Sprinter. Inheritance was studied according to the characteristics: the type of bush, the shape of the fruit, color in the technical and biological degree of maturity, wall thickness and insemination of fruits. We studied the parental forms and inheritance of sweet pepper traits in F1 hybrids of four crossing combinations. Description and selection of combinations Cube-shaped red × Sprinter and Sprinter × Podarok Moldovan, exceeding the standard in yield by 5.7-7.3 tonnes/ha, which are of interest for further breeding work. It was determined that in the obtained hybrid combinations, the morphological characteristics of plants were inherited mainly by overdomination of the Sprinter variety.Conclusion. The research results can be applied in practice when creating the starting material for future varieties and hybrids of sweet pepper, and the resulting hybrids will complement the range of existing varieties and hybrids of sweet pepper.

Relevance. In the modern production of greenhouse products, with hydroponic cultivation of crops, one of the safe ways to increase the quantity, quality of cucumber products and plant protection is the use of microbiological preparations.Methodology. The purpose of our work was to assess the effect of a complex of microbiological preparations on the productivity of cucumber hybrids in winter and spring turnover. The study was conducted in industrial greenhouses during 2021-2022. Long-fruited (Lohengrin F1) medium-fruited (Mewa F1 and Svyatogor F1) and short-fruited (Valigora F1) parthenocarpic cucumber hybrids were selected as research objects. The preparations were applied five times, at 30-day intervals throughout the entire growing period, the first application when planting plants in the production department. Measurements of economically valuable and chemical indicators were carried out weekly. Descriptive statistics and ANOVA methods were used for statistical data analysis.Results. As a result of the research, a positive stimulating effect of a complex of microbiological preparations on the accumulation of raw and dry biomass, an increase in yield and its quality in the studied cucumber hybrids was revealed. The final yield when applying microbiological preparations increased on average from 4.1 to 5.5 kg/m2 in all cucumber hybrids over the two years of study, while the yield of standard products in the total crop structure increased by 2.7% - 6.4%.

Relevance. Development of valuable sterile lines of sweet pepper using nuclear-cytoplasmic male sterility is associated with the search for stable sterility maintainers in collection material.Material and methods. The purpose of the research is to optimize the identification of the desired genotypes and accelerate the development of sterile lines using artificial climate chambers. The research material was a sterile line msTol55, which under the conditions of a film greenhouse showed partial fertility at the beginning or at the end of the growing season. The place of cultivation is artificial climate chamber, a film spring greenhouse.50-day-old seedlings were planted in pots on 10.01, the period of growing plants in the chamber - until 20.04, then the adult plants were transplanted into a spring film greenhouse. According to the traditional technology, the cassette seedlings of the same line were planted in the greenhouse on 15.04. The number of tested plants is 16-20 pcs. Growing mode in the chamber: 12 hours were illuminated with DRLV lamps, while the temperature was at the level of 26-28°C, from 20.00 to 8.00 the lamps were not illuminated, the temperature was 14-15°C. The actual sterility / fertility of the flowers was determined by the level of contamination of the fruits at the beginning of their formation.Results. The maintained temperature regime for growing in an artificial climate chamber made it possible to identify sterile (30%) and partially fertile plants (70%) in the first 2 weeks of flowering. When adult plants were transplanted into a spring greenhouse, the number of sterile plants increased to 56%. When growing the line msTol55 in a spring greenhouse using the usual technology, partial setting of seeded and little seeded fruits on 60% of the plants was observed from the third decade of May to the second decade of July, then all plants set only non-seeded fruits. Based on the results obtained, it is advisable to identify the breeding material for the Rf gene in the ACC, since the proposed growing regime serves as a provocative background and allows for more effective control over the manifestation of sterility.

Leek very ancient culture which was widely applied in cookery and as remedy still by ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Now the leek is widespread in countries of Western Europe and North Africa, in the USA, Canada, Australia. On chemical composition it is one of the most valuable onions representing in fact "the alive table of Mendeleyev". In such countries as Belgium, Holland and France it is one of the main vegetable cultures, and annual production it per capita makes from 4 to 10 kg. In Russia, unfortunately, it is still rare culture though falls into to the most valuable types of an onion on biochemical structure, productivity, resistance to wreckers and diseases. Widespread introduction of a leek in production restrains a number of factors among which lack of early ripening varieties with the increased resistance to extreme environmental conditions, and in this regard – difficulty of receiving high-quality seeds of leek in a midland of Russia to the north of Rostov-on-Don. Therefore, a vital necessity is on the basis of study under various conditions of cooperation a "genotype is an environment" and selection from world collection of sources of economic-valuable signs, creation of productive sorts and hybrids with good resistance to cold, possessing in the conditions of Moscow Suburbs, along with the high productivity and quality of products, by a high adaptivity to the different terms of height winter spending. Results of long-term researches of laboratory of selection of onions cultures (VNIISSOK) on studying, assessment and selection of exemplars of grades of leek from the VIR world collection are presented in article, receiving hybrid combinations and lines, development of methods of selection and creation on this basis of grades and hybrids of leek for not seedling culture in a midland of Russia, possessing high rates of vegetable and seed efficiency, quality of production and winter hardiness.

Melon crops have long been non-traditional crops in the Amur region, being grown in small quantities in household plots, while the climatic conditions of Southern Priamurie are favorable for their large-scale cultivation. The results of the study of 10 samples of watermelon and 4 samples of melons of domestic selection in the conditions of the southern zone of Amurskaya Oblast are presented. According to the evaluation of the collection, 7 samples of watermelon are selected: Start, Graal F1, Fronder, Vektor, Skorik, Rapid, Foton, and 2 samples of melon: Alisa F1 and Lolita. They are characterized by sufficiently early ripeness, high and stable yield of marketable fruits of good taste. These varieties and hybrids are promising for cultivation in the south of Amurskaya Oblast. The characteristics of these varieties are summarized and recommendations for their cultivation are offered.

The success and timing of new varieties largely depend on the correct selection of the source material, representing the initial stage of breeding. This is especially true for plant species that have a two-year development cycle. The purpose of our research was to obtain intraspecific hybrids of chicory root. Research was carried out in the traditional area of growing root chicory – Rostov region of the Yaroslavl region. For testing the breeding process and obtaining promising lines us in 2014, there were direct steam crossing. A total of 14 samples of hybrid seeds were obtained, which were 2015-2016 sown for testing in the nursery source material. The article presents the data on the study of intraspecific hybrids of chicory root, they are evaluated in the nursery of the source material on yield, marketability, root shape, resistance to root rot during the growing season. Production requires varieties with short root, in which the bulk is concentrated in the upper part, combining high yields and resistance to root rot during the growing season. Among the hybrids dominated the cylindrical shape of the root. The conical shape had rooms Г1432 and Г1442 with root length of 20.0 cm, curved short form (16 cm) of root was different sample Г1462. This sample stood out spread sheet outlet with a strong anthocyanin coloration. As the yield of roots separated rooms Г1432, Г1452 and Г1441 (3.6; 3.4 and 3.7 kg/m2, representing a cash consideration of 133.3; and 127.0- 138.6% of the standard).