Originality/Value: Farmers must use sprinkler irrigation and avoid surface irrigation because it harms the soil and increases its salinity, also represents a waste of water resources.Research limitations: Limited availability of sufficient numbers of sprinkler irrigation devices in Iraq, their high prices, and the lack of experience of farmers to use them.The Purpose of the research is to evaluate the effect of the appropriate irrigation method and the amount of fertilizer specified for urea fertilizer that achieves the best growth for the plant and increase its productivity while avoiding a negative impact on soil properties.Research Method: Two types of irrigation: spraying and flooding, and four mineral fertilization treatments (0. 50.100. 150) kg.ha-1 were used in the work to study the apparent characteristics of wheat and the amount of productivity, using statistical analysis (Gen Stat) and simple correlation coefficient to find strength of association between variables. The experiment was carried out in 2023 at Al-Khatib Farm, located in Al-Numaniyah District, it is bordered to the south by Wasit Governorate, 50 km away, and to the north by Baghdad Governorate,160 km away (Iraq).Results and Discussion. Sprinkler irrigation showed significant differences with the surface irrigation in the length of the spike, number of seed per spike,1000 seed weight, number of spikes per square meter, grain yield kg .ha-1 and the harvest index, while the plant height was not significant. The study also showed that the correlation coefficient between the apparent characteristics of the plants was stronger in the case of using sprinkler irrigation compared to the surface irrigation.

Relevance. LED sources of plant irradiation, surpassing the level of sodium light sources in terms of energy efficiency, are superior to them in terms of the possibility of optimizing spectral characteristics. Therefore, the issue of wider use of LED light sources when growing plants under light culture conditions is relevant. Possessing significantly greater efficiency compared to high-pressure sodium lamps, LEDs are of great interest to greenhouse growers. However, the successful application of these new light sources requires new approaches. And the main thing is that LED sources of plant irradiation cannot be widely used without changing the technology for growing vegetable crops in protected soil, without introducing new, specially created hybrids. And direct replacement of sodium light sources with LEDs does not make sense.Methods. The studies were carried out in a modern greenhouse under controlled conditions of real light culture while growing a medium-fruited tomato F1 Bountis (DRS). The area of the registration plot was 326 m2. For phenological observations and crop recording, areas with the same number of plants were allocated in the center of the recording plot, leaving protective strips in one row of plants along the edges. The installed lighting power is 200 W/m2. The light source was high-pressure sodium lamps DNaZ/Reflux 600W 400V with a ZhSP25 Reflux lamp with electronic ballasts, as well as a LED greenhouse lamp 680W 400V.Results. When using a hybrid system, the total illumination in the PAR region is 40% higher compared to a sodium lighting system, and it would be expected that the yield of the tomato crop will change accordingly. In general, over the entire period of the experiment, the yield under hybrid lighting conditions was higher by only 3 kg/m2 or 5.5% and amounted to 58.3 kg/m2, and under the sodium system – 55.2 kg/m2. At the same time, under the conditions of the hybrid lighting system, plant growth was slightly behind the control: the length of the main stem was by 15%, the number of established leaves and their average length by 3%, the number of formed inflorescences by 5%, and the thickness of the leaf blade by 20%.Conclusion. An increase in light does not always lead to a similar increase in yield. Not just light is important for plants, it is important to correctly assess its productivity and spectral composition. The problem of assessing illumination taking into account the real interaction of light with the plant exists and must be solved.

Relevance. In the transition to highly productive and environmentally friendly, in particular, organic agriculture and production of safe and high-quality products, which is a priority direction of strategies of scientific and technological development of the Russian Federation, one of the necessary links is the creation and control of optimal conditions of plant nutrition, i.e. provision of plants with nutrients in the right combination throughout the vegetation. Achievement of such conditions is possible through soil and plant nutrition diagnostics, which in turn allows to establish the ability of crops to assimilate nutrients from the soil and adjust the doses of mineral fertilisers as top dressings.Material and Methods. On alluvial meadow soil in the conditions of the non-Black Earth region of Russia, the effectiveness of root feeding with macronutrients (NPK) was studied according to the results of plant and soil diagnostics of table root crops nutrition when grown on organic and mineral fertiliser systems. Plant and soil diagnostics of mineral nutrition was carried out according to the methods of Zerling V.V. (1990) and Magnitsky K.P. (1972). Two crops were tested during the experiment: red beet variety Mulatka and garden carrot variety Losinoostrovskaya 13.Results and Discussion. Root fertilizers on the basis of nutrition diagnostics on the basis of soil and leaf petiole analysis made significant changes in the dynamics of basic nutrients in the soil, there was an increase in nitrate nitrogen and mobile potassium in comparison with the control variant, with natural soil supply of mobile phosphorus (more than 250 mg/kg), which had a positive effect on the root nutrition of plants. At the main application of mineral and organic (biocompost BIUD) fertilizers, root fertilizers according to nutrition diagnostics the carrot yield 51,2-63,9 t/ha with standard 87,4- 94,6%, red beet 41,7-54,2 t/ha with standard 80,7-92,3% were obtained. Root feeding of carrots by soil diagnostics N52K14 on the background of biocompost gave 24.9% increase to the control, by plant diagnostics N17 gave 16.6%; red beet by soil diagnostics N65K45 – 30% increase, by plant diagnostics N54K30 – 23.7%

Relevance. Oenothera tetragona is an ornamental plant used in folk medicine. Until now, studies of the biological characteristics of the Oenothera tetragona have not been carried out on the territory of the NonChernozem zone of the Russian Federation.The purpose of the work is the introduction and biological study of the Oenothera tetragona in the NonChernozem zone of Russia in the conditions of the Moscow region.Methodology. The experiment was based on two-month-old seedlings according to a 60x30 cm pattern. Phenological observations and biometric measurements (during the mass flowering phase) were carried out according to the methods adopted at VILAR (All-Russian scientific research Institute of medicinal and aromatic plants). Experimental data were processed according to B.A. Dospehov. Weather conditions were checked on the Weather and Climate website. Microspecimens were prepared according to methods for light microscopy.Results. In the conditions of the Moscow region the period from the beginning of the growing season to mass fruiting in Oenothera tetragona Roth. averages about 110-115 days. The plant is well adapted: it goes through the entire seasonal cycle of growth and development. The population includes Oenothera tetragona Roth. includes many variable biotypes, which indicates the possibility of targeted selection of forms with useful traits. The main assessment of breeding material can be carried out, starting from the second year of plant life, based on a set of interrelated quantitative traits (height, number of generative shoots, etc.). Some anatomical features of the epidermis of the Oenothera tetragona leaf have been studied for the first time; the number of covering trichomes and the number of stomata per 1 mm2 were determined. As a result of microscopic examination of the epidermis of leaf plates of O. tetragona Roth.: the presence of three groups was revealed, which differed in microscopic characteristics (shape and number of stomata, pubescence) in the absence of a noticeable correlation with the main phenotypic characteristics.

Relevance. Grain of vegetable pea varieties is processed at canning factories, frozen, dried, and consumed fresh. Industrial cultivation of peas can be made more environmentally friendly by using biological preparations that contain growth-stimulating bacteria, for example Rhizobium species. With additional inoculation with rhizobacteria, legumes have higher values of traits characterizing vegetative development, biochemical parameters and yield; their immunity and resistance to abiotic stress increases as well.Methodology. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of additional inoculation of Rhizobium leguminosarum strain 245a on biometric and physiological parameters and yield of vegetable pea varieties. The experiment was carried out at Krymsk Experiment Breeding Station – a branch of VIR (Krasnodar Region, Krymsk). We studied six commercial cultivar: Prima, Mayak, Alpha 2, Vesta, Parus (leafless morphotype) and Patriot. The seeds were treated the day before sowing with an aqueous solution of the biopreparation Rhizotorfin (produced by ECOS BIOPREPARATIONS, St.Petersburg) and with water in the control variant.Results. The use of the preparation had a growth-stimulating effect on vegetable pea plants. An increase in the length of plants, the height of attachment of the lower pod and the number of completed pods on the plant was found. An increase in the content of dry matter in the total biomass of plants, stems with leaves and pods was noted when using Rhizotorfin. Also, inoculation with rhizobacteria contributed to an increase in yield. The effectiveness of the biopreparation depended on the conditions of the year. The maximum difference between the values of the studied traits for the control and treatment variants was in 2023 - with a uniform distribution of precipitation and optimal temperatures during the growing season. A genotype-dependent reaction of vegetable pea plants to seed treatment with bacteria Rhizobium leguminosarum strain 245a was revealed. The most responsive to additional inoculation is the variety Parus of the leafless morphotype. The values of most biometric and physiological traits and yield in this genotype were significantly higher in the variant with the use of the Rhizotorfin biopreparation. Based on the results obtained, we recommend using the Rhizotorfin biopreparation when growing the variety Parus for commercial production.

Relevance. During the formation of cabbage heads, under certain conditions, white cabbage is damaged by a burn of the top of the inner leaves of the head, which abroad received the stable name “tip burn”. This disorder is interpreted as a physiological or non-infectious disease, the cause of which is a violation of calcium intake. The disease manifests itself inside the cabbage head, resulting from the interaction of environmental stress factors and the predisposed genotype. The most effective way to combat this disorder is to develop highly tolerant hybrids. This is especially true for the south of Russia, where the stress load on plants is maximum.Purpose of the study – to develop a principle for selecting parental pairs for developing hybrids that are resistant to the tip burn of the inner leaves of a cabbage head, and to identify promising hybrids. Materials and methods. In 2021-2022 in FSBSI "Federal Scientific Rice Centre", in the department of vegetable growing, 45 hybrid combinations obtained on the basis of 10 inbred lines were assessed under field conditions for the trait "burn damage to the inner leaves of the cabbage head." An analysis of the combining ability of lines according to Griffin, and an analysis of the inheritance of the trait according to Heiman were carried out. In 2023, a competitive test of promising hybrids was carried out.Results. In both years of research, 5 lines had negatively stable TCA for burn damage: Ten4270, Yas25p, Bs1f, Agr 82, 270Hn111. SCA of lines is more subject to changes from year to year. The effects of SCA in hybrids due to dominance, epistasis and overdominance in individual combinations significantly influence the manifestation of the trait in the direction of decrease or increase. The principle of selecting parental pairs to develop stable hybrids is based on a combination of lines with a negative SCA value; in some cases, it is permissible to include one line with an average SCA and low SCA. Analysis of genetic parameters according to Heiman confirms the prevalence of non-additive inheritance of the lesion; in unstable forms, the disorder is controlled by dominant polygenes and is highly heritable.

Relevance. Forests play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance and providing habitats, oxygen, and carbon sinks. However, deforestation resulting from mining, logging, infrastructure development, climate change, and agriculture is leading to their depletion.This paper aims to investigate the underlying factors driving deforestation and their socioeconomic and ecological consequences.Results and Discussion. Deforestation has resulted in the loss of 10 million hectares of global forest cover annually, with direct drivers including fires, logging, and converting forests to agricultural land. Indirect drivers encompass political elections, military conflicts, population density, and corruption. Economic growth, road expansion, and politics have exacerbated the pressure on forests, resulting in biodiversity loss. Deforestation is predicted to continue at a rate of 10 million hectares annually until 2025. To mitigate this issue, measures such as reducing emissions from deforestation, promoting sustainable forest management, and enhancing protected area management can be implemented. Furthermore, legal action should be pursued to address the issue of deforestation.

Relevanse. Rhizosphere associative bacteria, multiplying on root secretions, provide the plant with the entire complex of necessary nutrients from the soil and help increase productivity.The purpose of the research was to identify the feasibility and effectiveness of using bacterial preparations, optimizing the rates and timing of their application when cultivating onions as an annual crop on alluvial meadow soils of the Non-Chernozem Zone.Materials and Methods. Field experiments were carried out on the experimental field of VNIIO on an area of 1000 m2 in 2021-2023. We used drugs provided by the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "All-Russian Research Institute of Agricultural Microbiology" (St. Petersburg): BisolbiPlant BIS88 (Bacillus pumilis strain); N40 – Experimental strain (Paenibacillus xylanexedens) – bacillary nitrogen fixer; V514 – Experimental strain (Bacillus megaterium) – bacillary stimulator of mobilization of soil phosphates and phosphorus from mineral fertilizers. The following tasks were solved by year: 2021 – Integrated use of biological products at application rates, l/ha: 0.0; 10.0; 20.0; 40.0; 2022 – Application of biological products in the following options: Control, Control + BIS88 (1+1) l/ha, Control + BIS88 (1+1) l/ha + N40 (1+1) l/ha + V514 (1+1) l/ha; 2023 – Options: BIS88 (0.5+0.5) l/ha + N40 (0.5+0.5) l/ha + V514 (0.5+0.5) l/ha at different base levels spring fertilization: N160P160K160; N110P110K110; N60P60K60.Results. It is not advisable to apply the studied bacterial preparations at a total rate of more than 10.0 l/ha during the cultivation of onions due to plant disease with bacteriosis. The use of the BisolbiPlant drug at a rate of (0.5+0.5) l/ha helps to increase the yield of onions with harvest quality comparable to the control. Biological products applied in combination with irrigation water during the growing season: BIS88 (0.5+0.5) l/ha; N40 (0.5+0.5) l/ha; V514 (0.5+0.5) l/ha, provide an increase in yield (13.4%) with harvest quality comparable to the control in the case of a low (N60P60K60) level of basic spring fertilizer application with subsequent fertilizing during the growing season Ca40N30 + N40K40 + N40K40. At the rates of the main spring application of fertilizers N110P110K110 and N160P160K160, complex application of preparations does not ensure an increase in the yield and its quality.

Relevance. Today special attention is paid to potato anthocyanins as components of functional food. Increasing interest is generated by research on the use of anthocyanins for the benefit of animals and people in addition to their significant role in the life of plants.   The research goal was to identify the quantitative and qualitative composition of anthocyanins in the tubers of valuable potato hybrids of Primorsky selection.   Five promising potato hybrids (Solanum tuberosum L.) belonging to different groups of maturity and involved in the comparative variety testing by FSBSI “FSC of Agricultural Biotechnology named after A. K. Chaiki” were used as the research object.   The research was carried out under the conditions of field and laboratory experiments in Primorsky kray, Russia, in 2018-2023. The anthocyanins were divided by the method of high-performance liquid chromatography. The anthocyanins were identified by the method of second-order mass spectrometry.   Results. The research evaluated the potato hybrids for the content of anthocyanins in the tissues of the tubers – skin and flesh. The following specimens were determined to have a high content of anthocyanins both in the skin and flesh: Pri-15-12-14 (petunidin-3-arabinoside: 310.0 and 91.1 mg/kg; cyanidin-3-glucoside: 149.8 and 39.8 mg/kg) and Pri-14-52-2 (petunidin-3-arabinoside: 360.0 and 143.0 mg/kg; cyanidin-3-glucoside: 80.4 and 81.2 mg/kg). The selected specimens were characterized by purple and blue-purple skin. Genotypes Pri-14-52-2 and Pri-15-12-14 had tuber flesh with purple pigmentation. Hybrids Pri-15-12-14 and Pri-14-52-2 had the highest total content of anthocyanins in the flesh – 130.9 and 224.2 mg/kg, respectively. The conducted research identified eight different anthocyanins in the tubers of the studied potato specimens: delphinidin-3-glucoside, delphinidin-3-ramnosil-5-glucoside, petunidin-3-glucoside, malvidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-ramnosil-5-glucoside, pelargonidin-3-glucoside, and petunidin-3-arabinoside. The tubers with pink and red skin were determined to contain pelargonidin-3-glucoside. Petunidin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-glucoside colored tuber skin purple. The selected group of specimens might be recommended for use as functional food and in goal-oriented breeding.

Relevance. The purpose of the research was to improve the elements of zonal agricultural technology for cultivating a new variety of sweet pepper Zarnitsa, to study the possibility of increasing productivity, reducing production costs during its seed production through the use of a non-seedling method of cultivation in irrigated conditions and the plant growth regulator Zircon, R.Methodology. Experimental studies were carried out on the experimental field of All-Russian Research Institute of Irrigated Vegetable and Melon Growing (Astrakhan region) in 2022-2023. The establishment of the field experiment and the carrying out of records and observations in the experiment were carried out in accordance with generally accepted methods.Results. It was found that with the seedless method of growing sweet pepper, the period from sowing to the start of fruit harvesting was 12 days shorter. Sweet pepper plants in the seedling method during the fruiting phase had advantages: in plant height by 9.3%, in the number of lateral shoots by 21.2%, in leaf weight by 7.0%, in average fruit weight by 6.1%. The highest yield, on average 31.6 t/ha, was obtained using the seedling method; when sowing seeds in the ground, it was 3.8% lower. Replacing the seedling method of cultivation with a non-seedling method contributed to a reduction in production costs by 74.7 thousand rub./ha, production costs by 1.9 thousand rub./t, production profitability by 1.2 times, due to savings in labor resources and working capital for growing and planting seedlings. Replacing the seedling method of cultivation with a non-seedling method helped reduce production costs by 74.7 thousand rub./ha, production costs by 1.9 thousand rubles/t, the profitability of production of sweet pepper products and seeds by 1.2 times, due to savings labor resources, working capital for growing, planting seedlings. A single treatment with the plant growth regulator Zircon, P (30 ml/ha) at the beginning of flowering contributed to a significant increase in plant biometric parameters: height by 12.2%, number of lateral shoots by 30.8%, leaf weight by 14.3%, yield by 2.4 t/ha (7.9%), compared to the control (30.4 t/ha), an increase in sugar content by 0.2%, vitamin C by 4 mg% and seed yield by 9 kg/ha (8.7%). The sowing qualities of sweet pepper seeds in all variants of the experiment met the standard requirements and were – 94-95% in terms of germination and – 92-94% in terms of germination energy. The highest level of profitability of 204.9% was obtained as a result of using a growth regulator; in the option without treatment it was lower by 14.4%.