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.

The article presents information about the research directions, the results of work and achievements in the selection of onion crops in the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Federal Scientific Vegetable Center". Brief historical information is given about the work of the outstanding scientists who headed the laboratory – V.V. Ordynsky, A.D. Plinka, I. I. Yershov, A.F. Agafonov. At present, new varieties and hybrids of onion crops of domestic selection that meet all the requirements are required for industrial production.The FSBSI FSVC is working on studying the breeding material of onion crops and identifying promising ones with a complex of economically valuable characteristics for creating fundamentally new, competitive varieties and hybrids for various zones of the Russian Federation. Selection of individual types of bows is carried out: onions – for early maturation, consistently high yield, high dry matter content (17-22%), keeping quality, resistance to peronosporosis, cervical and bacterial rot, with a different rate of reaction to the length of the day, for winter and spring crops, in sowing culture – with a cold method of storing sowing, good keeping quality; perennial onions – winter hardiness, high productivity of green mass, high content of biologically active substances and high resistance to diseases; winter garlic – winter hardiness, yield, resistance to fusarium and bacteriosis, keeping quality during storage; spring garlic – high yield of large cloves, high shelf life; shallots –ultra-fast ripeness, high productivity, keeping quality during storage. The results of the long-term work of the FSVC were 140 varieties of 16 types of onion crops of various uses. Modern varieties of onion for industrial cultivation were created and submitted to the State Variety Testing in 2020: F1 Drakon, AFBAK.

Relevance. The state of Russia's agro-industrial complex determines the country's national security, as it provides the population with quality agricultural products and raw materials, which affects state sovereignty. According to a number of analysts, in commercial vegetable growing, about 80 % of sown areas are annually sown with imported varieties and hybrids, and this is a vulnerability in ensuring the industry's independence and the country's competitiveness. Strengthening technological sovereignty in the field of vegetable production is one of the priorities of the state agrarian policy, as well as the main focus of scientific organisations and private companies.Results. Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Federal Scientific Vegetable Center (FSBSI FSVC) is a major scientific center of the industry, which can compete with foreign companies with its breeding achievements. The article shows the leading position in the breeding of vegetable and melon crops FSBSI FSVC, which actively conducts research on private genetics, biotechnology, contributing to the acceleration of the breeding process; varieties and hybrids are created that combine consistently high productivity, early maturity, resistance to biotic and abiotic stressors, high quality products with an optimal content of biologically active substances to obtain potential raw materials and products of functional action; development of resource-saving, environmentally safe, high-precision technologies for cultivation of vegetable and melon crops, taking into account species and varietal characteristics, as well as scientific bases and practical recommendations for production of original seeds taking into account zonal specifics.However, there are problems hindering the introduction of breeding achievements: the increased cost of registration of breeding achievements in the State Register of Selection Achievements of the Russian Federation of the Russian Federation, bureaucratic difficulties in their approbation, which arose for breeders after the adoption of the new law "On Seed Production". In order to solve the problems of seed production, the Ministries in charge of vegetable production have launched a sub-programme "Development of breeding and seed production of vegetable crops", which aims to increase the production of domestic competitive seeds and brings together the state, science and business.

The article is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the head institution of the Federal Scientific Vegetable Center - the oldest and leading breeding organization for vegetable crops, better known in the scientific and socio-economic spheres of the Russian Federation by its historical name - VNIISSOK. The center's activity dates back to the creation in 1920 of the Gribovskaya Vegetable Breeding Experimental Station, where, under the leadership of Professor Sergei Ivanovich Zhegalov, a theoretical and practical basis for the development of domestic breeding was laid. In 1970, the experimental station was transformed into the AllUnion Research Institute of Selection and Seed Production of Vegetable Crops, and in 1992 into the All-Russian Research Institute of Selection and Seed Production of Vegetable Crops. Over the years, breeding methods have been developed and improved, including modern biotechnological methods, using molecular marking and interspecies hybridization. The results obtained during this period reflect the traditions of scientific schools and approaches laid down by scientists-breeders, seed growers, vegetable growers, flower growers, both in the field of basic research, and in the creation of varieties and hybrids of vegetable crops. The organizational and structural reform of breeding institutions carried out in 2017 contributed to the formation of the Federal scientific vegetable center (FSBSI FSVC), which includes VNIISSOK as the parent organization and 8 branches located in various ecological and geographical zones. At a new stage of development, the FSBSI FSVC continues its glorious traditions. Scientists have obtained world-class results in basic research and competitive selection achievements in priority applied research. The scientific results and structural changes that have occurred over the hundred-year period of the breeding establishment are the foundation for the further development of the vegetable science in the country.

Over the years, breeders around the world have made significant changes to the architecture of plants of vegetable pea varieties. The changes made were aimed at increasing, first of all, the yield. New varieties should have an optimal combination of plant height, the number of productive nodes and increased resistance to lodging. Having achieved certain results, breeders find ways to improve the culture, further improving its economically valuable features. The article highlights the priority directions in the selection of vegetable peas in the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution «Federal Scientific Vegetable Center»(FSBSI FSVC), which are directly related to modern market requirements, and considers the specific factors encountered in breeding work, in the production sector and seed practice. Within the framework of import substitution and the achievement of food security of the country, the scientists of the center are intensively working to create new generation varieties: highly productive (by increasing the number of beans at the node and the number of seeds in the bean), suitable for mechanized harvesting (by obtaining appropriate morphotypes with increased stem strength or modified leaf shape) and with high quality indicators of green peas. There is also a constant selection for resistance to abiotic and biotic environmental factors that have been changing in recent years, both in the country and around the world. The article presents the main achievements obtained thanks to the experience and knowledge of the leading breeders of the center, specialists in seed production and production, as well as specialists in the field of plant immunity. Thus, selectively valuable forms with high productivity (up to 30 beans and more than 150 seeds per plant) were obtained, a variety with high resistance to lodging due to the strength of the stem was obtained. Work is underway to create varieties with high quality green peas and resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses.

Relevance. Tomato is the most widespread vegetable crop in the southern regions of Russia and one of the most popular with the population in all natural and climatic zones of the country. The majority of products is produced in large vegetable-growing, farming and private household farms. One of the most important tasks is to improve the assortment taking into account natural and climatic conditions of cultivation and directions of use. In this regard, the selection of industrial tomato with a high level of flexibility and resistance to biotic and abiotic stressors for the south of Russia is an urgent task.   The aim of the study is to evaluate economically valuable features of perspective lines and new hybrids of tomato of industrial type, adapted to the conditions of southern Russia.   Material and methodology. The work was carried out in the open field conditions of experimental production farm of the Federal Scientific Center of Vegetable Industry (Moscow region) and Biryuchekutskaya vegetable breeding experimental station – branch of the FSBSI FSVC (Rostov region).   The objects of research were breeding material and 6 perspective new hybrid combinations of tomato of selection of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific and Scientific Institution of the Russian Federation.   Results and discussion. As a result of step-by-step study and selection, the most promising samples were identified for further use as source material for practical breeding: B-6-C-2014, VS-B-№7, VS-B-18, VS-B-20, VS-B-35, VS-B-38. As a result of the competitive testing, the best hybrid combinations were identified: F1 B-1, F1 B-2, F1 B-4, meeting the requirements of commercial production in the south of Russia. It is shown that the hybrid combination F1 B-2 exceeds both standard samples F1 Meteor and F1 Perfectpeel both in terms of total yield (by 10.9 t/ha and 9.6 t/ha), marketability of fruits, and dry matter content in fruits (6.1 % vs. 5.1% and 5.2 %). Taking into account the complex of economic characteristics, a precocious F1 hybrid of tomato F1 B-2 called F1 Profy has been submitted to the State Variety Testing, as it shows stable economic characteristics over several years of study.

Relevance. Powdery mildew is one of the most common and harmful diseases of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in open and protected ground. Moreover, in the closed ground, the harmfulness is higher than in the field. The yield of cucumber, due to the defeat of plants by powdery mildew, decreases by 30-50%, and in some cases by more than 70%. The creation of modern cucumber hybrids is impossible without the constant involvement in the breeding process of new sources of economically useful traits, including resistance to real powdery mildew. It is very important to combine in one line both a high degree of parthenocarpy, and the female type of flowering, and resistance to the most harmful diseases. We tried to solve this problem in our work.Materials and methods. The experience was laid in 2018-2022 in the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region on the basis of the head institution of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Federal Scientific Vegetable Center (FSBSI FSVC) in the conditions of a spring ground greenhouse of the Block type, on a natural infectious background. On the basis of the laboratory of breeding and seed production of pumpkin crops, 27 collectible and about 50 breeding samples of parthenocarpic cucumber were studied. The article presents an assessment of the resistance to this powdery mildew of 36 of the most aligned and most valuable cucumber breeding samples in terms of a complex of economically useful features. 2-3 families, 6 plants in each, were evaluated for each sample for 2 years. During the entire growing season, the intensity of powdery mildew damage was assessed on a four-point scale and the spread of the disease in %.Results. Among the collection samples of cucumber, on a natural infectious background, two hybrids of the agrofirm BEJO ZADEN B.V. were not affected by powdery mildew: Amur 1801 F1, Artist F1, a hybrid without a name of the agrofirm MONSANTO HOLLAND B.V., conventionally named – Semenis F1 and hybrid Kibria F1 of the agrofirm RIJK ZWAAN. To a small extent, less than one point, they were amazed: Orpheus F1, Merengue F1, Marinda F1, Masha F1, Othello F1, List F1, Adam F1, SV 4097 F1 and Krasotka F1. 11cucumber breeding samples selected in previous years of research on a complex of economically useful signs that were not affected by this disease during 2 years of research were identified. Work will continue to evaluate these lines for resistance to real powdery mildew on an artificial infectious background.

Relevance. Most of the pea varieties used in the production of canned vegetables have similar morphological structure of the stalk: shortened internodes, their limited number and location in the upper part of the stalk. The deficiency of such plant architectonics is the limitation of yielding capacity in relation to small number of yielding nodes, yielding capacity instability, and high degree of affliction by plant diseases. The production of pea varieties having an increased number of yielding nodes will allow changing the relation between the nonproductive and reproductive parts to the advantage of the latter.Methods. The pea varieties from the collection of bean cultures laboratories of the Federal Scientific Vegetable Center were used as the research varieties. The main method of work was intervarietal hybridization with subsequent single plant selection. In 2018-2019 the selected lines were seeded in a nursery with an area of 7 m2 . The forms with changed flowering pattern (Pervenets, Ranniy 28-11, Wenson) and the most yielding early and midseason varieties (Dakota, Ranniy Gribovsky 11, Voronezhsky Zelyony, Korsar, Orus, Viola, Zelyonaya Strela, Quartella) were used as parent components. The selection was performed on the basis of the following features: changed flowering pattern, the number of yielding nodes, the number of legumes on a node, as well as the length of a bean and the number of seeds in a legume. A finometer was used for the determination of the green pea hardness.Results. Sample 50-4-19 having a relatively low number of yielding nodes (6, 9) had the highest characteristics and was considerably superior to all the other samples by its yielding capacity during the first and the second harvesting periods (7.24 and 9.55 tons per hectare). The selection of the early forms with the changed flowering pattern and the shift of the attraction centre to the 2nd or to the 3rd node allow carrying out breeding aimed at increasing the early ripeness and the yielding capacity of peas.

Relevance. Currently, there is a tendency to increase the volume of lettuce cultivation in hydroponics. Such specific conditions for growing lettuce hydroponically as high humidity in the root zone, different levels of illumination throughout the year and specific mineral nutrition, dictate a number of necessary characteristics that varieties should possess. In addition, the lettuce variety for hydroponics should consistently give high yield and have good consumer qualities. Accordingly, it is necessary to carry out selection separately for specific hydroponic conditions. And for theoretical justification of the selection of lettuce varieties for this technology and increasing the efficiency of the breeding process, it is necessary to form a model of the variety, which was the goal of this research.Methods. The 13 most common lettuce varieties were research: 8 light green and 5 dark green Batavia. The morphological characteristics of plants in the phase of industrial ripeness were described and the biometric traits of plants were determined.Results. Based on research in 2021-2023 the 13 most commonly hydroponically grown lettuce varieties of the Batavia variety have been defined as the variety model criteria for hydroponics. The characteristics of a leaf rosette, leaf blade, indicators of early ripening and productivity inherent in these varieties were identified, and a model of the variety was formed on their basis.

Beet is considered a difficult breeding object due to its biological peculiarities that make it difficult to obtain hybrid seed progeny. In cross-pollinated crops, the maximum hybridization is achieved by using sterile mother plants, which are extremely rare in the nature. Inbreeding is one of the ways to isolate genotypes with cytoplasmic male sterility, which are controlled by recessive alleles of nuclear genes and S-factor of mitochondrial DNA, from a complex heterogeneous population. The main distinguishing features allowing to identify plants with male sterility are the structure and coloring of anthers, and the quality composition of pollen. The diversity of phenotypic manifestation of marker coloration in sterile anthers is determined by the ratio of different pigments. Diversity of pollen grains of fertile and sterile plants is caused by differences in their development at the late stages of androgenesis. The degree of sterilization varies in different genotypes, which is associated with complex regulatory mechanisms of interaction between the genetic apparatus of the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Along with abnormalities of pollen grain micropopulations, self-fertilization results in morphological changes in the structure of inflorescences and number of flower organs, which has a direct impact on the seed productivity of plants. The studies summarized in this publication are relevant and essential for the search of effective ways to control plant development in ontogenesis and universal selection criteria in the process of creating fundamentally new forms of plants, which is especially important for breeding.