Relevance. Shallots (Allium ascalonicum L.) is a very useful and promising crop with high nutrition- al, taste and medicinal properties. Shallot is appreciated for its tender and juicy tasty greens, as well as early ripening of bulbs with a long shelf life. For widespread distribution and consumption, increasing demand and popularizing this culture, it is relevant to create new promising varieties with valuable economically useful characteristics that meet modern market requirements. When creating new varieties, it is important to search for sources of early maturity, keeping quality, productivity, yield and quality.The aim of the research was to study local varieties of shallots for a complex of valuable traits, select the best forms and create a new fruitful, white early-ripening white variety of the salad direction, possessing useful properties, good keeping quality of bulbs, resistant to unfavorable environmental factors for cultivation in the regions of the European part of Russia.Materials and methods. The initial material consisted of 18 varieties of the local population from the North Caucasian group, differing in morphometric, in particular the color of the bulb (yellow to white), biological and economic characteristics. The studies were carried out at the collection site of the Krymsk EBS, VIR Branch (Krasnodar Region, Krymsk). As a standard, we used two varieties included in the State Register with the color of the bulb from yellow (Off-season) to white (Snezhok).Results. The study of phenological, biological, morphometric and economic characteristics made it possible to select five promising forms that are valuable for the consumer: those with early maturity, productivity, light color, large long-term bulb, green feather productivity, winter hardiness and good taste. The best form – LSh 5-05, with a consistently high yield, long-term keeping quality of white bulbs, marketability, good mild taste and attractive appearance, is included in the State Register of the Russian Federation for admission to use as a shallot Blondin variety.

Relevance. Leek (Allium porrum L.) has been known as a cultivated plant since ancient times. It plays an important role in human nutrition. To increase the interest of the population, increase demand and consumption, as well as widespread and popularize this culture, it is urgent to create new promising varieties of leeks that meet modern requirements and have valuable economically useful traits. The creation of new highly productive varieties is associated with the search for sources of valuable biological and economic traits: productivity, early maturity, yield. The aim of the research was to study collection varieties of leeks, to identify the sources of the necessary valuable traits for their further use in breeding work. Materials and methods. The initial material was 73 samples of leeks of the European subspecies of various ecological and geographical origin from the collection of VIR. The studies were carried out at the collection site of the Krymsk EBS, VIR Branch (Krasnodar Territory, the city of Krymsk). Results. As a result of the study of phenological, biological, morphometric and economic characteristics, the foliage of the plant, the size of its and the false stem of the "leg", productivity and yield were determined. Formed groups of samples by ripeness and use. Comparative assessment of collection samples made it possible to identify the sources of productivity: the weight of the plant and the stem, its diameter and height, the yield of plants and the yield of marketable products. The isolated sources of valuable traits are recommended as a starting material for the selection of leeks.

Few vegetable plants are a source of necessary biologically active substances. Special significance is given to spicy cultures, the most common among which is basil gardening (Ocimum basilicum L.). Its plants, possessing a rich and diverse chemical composition, are used in the medical and food industry, fresh and as components of spice mixtures to improve the quality of food. However, the basil culture is not widely spread and its use is limited. To increase the demand and consumption of this vegetable crop, the creation of promising varieties that meet modern market requirements is relevant. At the same time, it is necessary to search for sources of economically valuable traits - productivity, precocity and yield. The aim of the study was to study the collection variety samples of basil and the selection of sources of valuable features for use in breeding work. The initial material served as 72 samples of this culture of various ecological and geographical origin from the VIR collection. In the phase of mass flowering, they differ as early flowering, medium flowering and late flowering. In the phase of ripening seeds – early ripening, mid-ripening and late ripening. Selected sources of valuable features are recommended as a starting material for the selection of garden basil (Ocimum basilicum L.).