Fruit peel/pulp distribution of biologically active compounds is an important characteristic of plant physiology and the basis of zero waste production in agriculture. Among C. ficifolia, C. maxima and C. moschata the former showed the lowest dry matter content, especially in peel, similar peel and pulp values of antioxidant activity (AOA) and polyphenol content (TP), with the highest levels in fruit placenta. Peel carbohydrate profile of C. ficifolia fruit was characterized by lower levels of disaccharides compared to C. maxima and C. moschata peel and an opposite pattern of monosaccharides accumulation. The analysis of 25 elements content in Cucurbita peel and pulp, using ICP-MS, indicated that C. ficifolia fruit are characterized by significantly high concentrations of Sr, Si and I in pulp compared to the values of C. maxima and C. moschata. On the contrary, C. maxima and C. moschata were characterized by low concentration of pulp Mn. Highly significant positive correlations were recorded between Cr-Sr, Cr-Ca and CaSr (r=0.906; 0.939 and 0.974 respectively) and P-Cu (r=0.968). Despite C. ficifolia, does not contain carotenoids, it is highly valuable due to the high levels of Si, I, Cr and Ca in peel and pulp, which reveals new areas of its application.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a fairly popular agricultural crop in Russia, the tubers of which are the main food of the population. For the North, it is important to replenish the assortment of early potato varieties adapted to growing in extreme conditions. The aim of this research was to study the development of plants of early and mid-early potato varieties in the Murmansk region.Methods. The article presents the results of studying the developmental biology and productivity elements of 63 early and mid-early varieties from the of VIR world potato collection. The Khibinskiy ranniy variety is used as a standard. The study was conducted on the territory of the Polar Experimental Station of Apatity. The soil of the experimental plot is sandy loam, highly cultivated, the organic matter content is 8,7%, pH 5,2; Р2О5 – 103 mg/100 g, К2О – 39,2 mg/100 g of soil. The total area of the plot was 286,5 m2 , the counting area was 5 m2, the planting scheme was 70x30 cm, the experiment was repeated three times, the distribution of varieties was randomized.Results. Phenological observations revealed varieties with the shortest interphase periods: Ognivo, Sundinsky ranniy, Uralsky ranniy, Khibinskiy ranniy, Amazone, Aster, Lady Claire. Varieties Daryonka, Lyubava, Dolphin formed berries within three years.Conclusion. Concorde, Corine и Karatop exceeded the standart at 50, 60, 75 days from planting in the years of study, which shows the ability of the cultivars for intensive tuberization in the early stages, combined with high stable productivity in the North. The significant influence of meteorological conditions on the development dynamics of potato plants, their yield and on the adaptive ability to local growing conditions has been identified. There singled out the cultivars that are characterized by consistently high rates of the dynamics of tuber accumulation in the early stages, possessing a high adaptive ability, which can be used in breeding for early maturity and productivity in the North regions.

The article describes the life and creative path of the famous scientist, a prominent specialist in the field of ecology, breeding and seed production of vegetable crops, аcademician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation, laureate of the State Prize and the Prizes of the Government of the Russian Federation Viktor Fedorovich Pivovarov.

The 28-spotted potato ladybird beetle is an endemicspecies of the Russian Far East. Nowadays the potato ladybird beetle is widespread across Primorsky and Khabarovsky kray, south Sakhalin, Kunashir Island, and in China, Japan, and India. This paper presents historical data on the dispersal of the potato ladybird beetle in Russia. The first records of the pest presence in the coastal area of Primorsky kray were made in 1929. In the 1950s and 1960s, the pest was observed to inhabit not only the forest steppe zone and the districts adjacent to the taiga in Primorsky kray, but also Khabarovsky kray, Amur oblast and Jewish autonomous oblast. The process of dispersal of the potato ladybird beetle can be divided in several stages: the formation of a new breeding ground, an increase in the size of the pest population, the dispersal of the pest. The range expansion of the potato ladybird beetle can be linked to two facts. First, the land area under potato cultivation increased and neared the breeding grounds of the pest. Secondly, thedietary preference of the phytophagous insect shifted to the new fodder plant. In addition, the development of transportation routes played an important role in the dispersal of the pest. Therefore, anthropogenic factors significantly affected the distribution of the potato ladybird beetle. These factors in combination with a high ecological plasticity of the pest allowed the phytophagous insect to spread across the whole area under potato cultivation in the south of the Russian Far East.

Relevance. In order to form a targeted assortment of watermelon for specific soil and climatic conditions, an assessment was made and the results of the ecological adaptability of varieties bred by FSBSI “FNTs Rice” and Bykovskaya BSOS in different zones of melon growing were obtained.Methodology. The object of the study is watermelon varieties bred by two research institutions. Tests were carried out in three agroecological zones: Astrakhan, Volgograd regions and Krasnodar region. Agrotechnical measures were applied in accordance with the recommendations adopted for the study area.Results. Despite different soil and climatic conditions of cultivation, all varieties showed high potential yield, regularity and stability of fruiting, controlled by the genotype of the varieties. Varieties of watermelon are able to form a high yield in dry areas. Meteorological conditions during the growing period influenced the length of the growing season. From germination to ripening, the varieties of the early ripeness group showed an increase of up to 5...15 days, in the group of varieties of medium and late ripening up to 20...49 days. The spread in the limits of biometric indicators and fruit weight depended on weather conditions, but was within the varietal parameters. The factor of growing conditions did not influence the accumulation of dry soluble substances in the fruit pulp. Marketability of harvested fruits is 80…90% with high taste qualities. The results of the tests have shown that the varieties of the Krasnodar and Volgograd breeding show adaptability to the specific conditions of the region. Using them will make it possible to minimize losses from the weather conditions of the growing season and obtain stable and high yields.

Significance. Potato products seem to be gaining popularity in Russia, especially potato chips and french fries. The processing of potato into food products reduces storage losses and the amount of transportation needed and allows the nutritional potential of potato to be harnessed fully. However, only a minor part of all produced potato is processed in Primorsky kray by small-scale enterprises. The lack of high quality raw material is the main reason for that. The research aim was to evaluate potato varieties from our collection nursery for the traits that determine potato suitability for the production of potato chips and french fries.Materials and methods. The research was carried out in the experimental fields of the Department of potato breeding and horticulture, FSBIS “Federal Scientific Center of Agricultural Biotechnology of the Far East named after A.K. Chaiki”, in 2019-2021. One hundred and eighty potato hybrids of various origin and from different maturity groups were used as the research object. The evaluation was conducted according to the guidelines on the assessment of potato varieties for their suitability for processing and storage with a few additions.Results. The conditions in 2019 were the most favorable for yield formation in medium-early (32.3 t/ha), mid-season (31.9 t/ha) and medium-late (33.1 t/ha) varieties. Early varieties were observed to have the highest mean yield in 2021 (34.0 t/ha). Biochemical parameters (the dry matter content) and the content of reducing sugars were optimal (22-24 % and less than 0.26 %, respectively) in varieties Vektar, Zhuravinka, Darnitsa, Pamyati Rogacheva, Lady Rosetta, VR 808. The morphological parameters (the shape of tubers, the quantity and depth of potato eyes) of varieties Severnyi, Bryanskii delikates, Danaya, Kurazh, Sante, Dubrava, Nayada made them the most suitable for the production of potato chips. Varieties Kolette, Narka, Innovator, Vdokhnovenie were determined to be the most suitable for processing into french fries. Based on the complex of morphological and biochemical parameters, 29 potato varieties were selected for the production of potato chips and 26 varieties were approved for the production of french fries. The degree of suitability varied from 6.4 to 8 points. Under the conditions of Primorsky kray, varieties Sante, Tanai, Nayada. Alyaska, Krasa Meshchery, Kazachok generate the most interest for the production of potato chips. Varieties Liga, Vesna Belaya, Udacha, Utenok, Charodei, Ocharovanie, Rikarda appear to be the most suitable for processing into french fries. These varieties have a high degree of suitability after harvest and good yield.

Relevance. Peanut seeds are rich in oils, protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and flavonoids, therefore they are widely used in the production of food, feed, biodiesel, as well as in medicine. When cultivating peanuts, the problem of reducing the yield and sometimes the quality of seeds necessarily arises due to the impact of phytopathogenic microscopic fungi, and the main factors in the transmission of the infectious principle are soil and plant residues. The plant protection system should be based on knowledge of the structure of mycocomplexes of the rhizosphere and phylloplane.Methods. On a typical black soil on a natural infectious background in Belgorod (Russia), a sample of cultural peanuts V-2012 (Vietnam) from the collection of the Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology of the Institute of Pharmacy, Chemistry and Biology of the National Research University "BelSU" was studied. The species composition of microscopic fungi in the peanut rhizosphere was analyzed in comparison with fallow soil (control), which was found by seeding soil dilutions and leaf samples on dense nutrient media, followed by identification to species.Results. Compared with the control soil, the mycocomplex of the peanut rhizosphere (the Shannon index value at the level of 2.5 and 2.7 in the rhizosphere and control, respectively) was characterized by a lower degree of diversity and the degree of similarity of soil samples was high (the Jaccard coefficient was 50%), which means that that the cultivation of peanuts has lit- tle effect on the composition and structure of a typical black soil. In the peanut rhizosphere, a decrease in the frequency of occurrence of the phytopathogenic species F. oxysporum was observed, which may be associated with an increase in the rank in the mycocomplex of the mycophilic species T. lignorum. Aspergillus ochraceus, A. terreus, A. ustus, Candida albicans, Curvularia lunata, Fusarium oxysporum, Trichothecium roseum species were found to be sen- sitive to peanut cultivation. Peanut leaf spot was caused annually by the species Alternaria alternate, which can lead to a decrease in seed productivity up to 80%.

Relevance. For the cultivation of environmentally friendly products, the preservation of soil fertility and environmental protection, the question of the prospects for longterm use of various fertilizer systems is very important. With an acute shortage of manure, a mineral-biological fertilizer system is promising, when an estimated dose of mineral fertilizers is applied against the background of annually sown siderates. Such a system of fertilizer application makes it possible to increase yields, product quality, significantly reduce the shortage of organic matter in the soil, improve its structure and biological activity. The inclusion of the employed steam with the most effective precursors, doses of mineral macro and micro fertilizers and humic acids in the rowed link of crop rotation can reduce the contamination of crops and significantly increase the yield of root chicory root crops.Materials and methods. The research was carried out in 2017-2021 located in the Rostov district of the Yaroslavl region.Results. As a result of the conducted research, it was found that on turf-podzolic medium-loamy soils of the Non-Chernozem zone of the Russian Federation, it is economically feasible to use technology for the cultivation of root chicory using an oatpea mixture as a precursor in combination with the introduction of mineral fertilizers into the soil at a dose of N60P60K120 and the treatment of vegetative plants with boron and humate. When using this technology, the contamination of crops decreases, their photosynthetic potential and the yield of root crops increases, the cost of production decreases, and the profitability exceeds 104%.

Precision farming technologies can help mitigate the environmental impact of agriculture by reducing the use of fertilizers and irrigation while reducing costs. Vegetable precision farming technology uses geographic positioning system (GPS), geographic information system (GIS), artificial intelligence (IoT), robotics, sensor technology, data-based genome editing, etc. to improve the production and quality of vegetables. Digital genome sequencing, developed over the past decade, has greatly reduced the cost and time required to map the DNA of plants and other organisms. Digital genome sequencing methods generate vast amounts of genome sequence data, which in turn aid in plant breeding for specific field conditions or desired traits. This maintains excellent prospects for growing vegetables in the current farming scenario, when climate change is forcing a rethink of all agricultural practices. This article provides useful information about precision farming technologies for vegetable growers, enthusiasts, farmers and researchers. Economic factors are important drivers and barriers to technology adoption. The practical significance of new technologies provided through communication and education has additional potential in terms of their promotion.

Relevance. Anthocyanin pigments can be synthesised in the stem, leaves, calyx, peel and pulp of tomato fruit. These compounds protect the photosynthetic apparatus of the plant, neutralise free radicals, increase the efficiency of phosphorus and nitrogen assimilation, have an osmoregulatory function, antimicrobial activity and increase the level of adaptation to unfavourable environmental conditions. In addition, anthocyanins from plant foods play an important role in the prevention of type II diabetes, neurodegenerative processes, cardiovascular and infectious diseases. Therefore, the cultivation of tomatoes with anthocyanin-coloured fruits is a perspective area for the vegetable industry in Russia. Vegetable products containing antioxidant substances belong to the functional products and conform to the concept of a healthy diet. As one of the most popular and frequently consumed vegetable crops, the anthocyanin content of tomato is advisable to increase in the fruit (peel and pulp).Material and methods. In this work we studied breeding samples of FSBSI FSVC: L-Ch-365, L-IR-2080, L-Zemba, hybrid combination F1 Zemba x L-Ch-365, variety of Siberian Botanical Garden Bosare blue. The aim of our research was to determine the quantitative composition of phenolic compounds - anthocyanins in different tomato samples, and on this basis to determine the objectives of breeding to improve the content of phenolic compounds.Results. As a result of the research, the quantitative content of anthocyanins in fruits of dif- ferent tomato specimens has been studied, on which the dietary and medicinal quality of the fruits depends. The sources of high content of anthocyanins (L-Zemba, L-IR-2080) have been obtained, which will make possible to conduct directed breeding work for high content of phenolic compounds. It has been shown that anthocyanin-rich tomato samples can be rich in carotenoids, which gives an opportunity to create new varieties and hybrids with high content of water- and fat-soluble antioxidants. Potential samples for breeding according to the complex of biochemical indicators have been identified: L-Zemba, L-IR-2080, Bosare blue. It has been shown that selection for high content of anthocyanins can be performed at various stages of fruit ripening (large ripe fruit, blangetongue, biological ripeness), selecting the most intense colouring. The Zemba tomato variety developed at FSBSI FSVC has a sufficiently high anthocyanin content and is recommended for cultivation in production.