Relevance. High temperatures are among the environmental factors that negatively affect the development of most crops including tomatoes. Thus, important condition for the realization of potential plant productivity is the heat resistance.Methods of the gamete selection in combination with classical approaches can be used to select resistant genotypes and create initial breeding material with resistance to the temperature factor. Materials and methods.The experiments were carried out with intraspecific hybrids F4 of tomato: Elvira x Milenium, Elvira x Tomis, Elvira x Prestij, Mihaela x Milenium, Mihaela x Tomis, Mihaela x Prestij, Jubiliar х Milenium, Jubiliar x Tomis, Jubiliar x Prestij, Milenium x Elvira, Milenium x  Mihaela. Plants were grown in the field. Flowers were collected, anthers were separated, pollen was isolated. Pollen was heated for 2 or 4 hours at 43°C in the experimental variants. In the control, pollen was maintained at a temperature of 26°C. Then pollen was sown and germinated on a cultural medium. The viability was determined by the length of pollen tubes.Results.A different reaction of pollen grains to temperature influence was established. The main sources of variability and their contribution to the variability of the pollen and seedling traits were determined. The temperature and genotype mainly determine the variability of the gametophyte and sporophyte. More than half of the hybrids combined high indicators of resistance of both pollen and seedlings, formed a larger number of flowers and better set fruits. Thus, tomato genotypes with good indicators of heat-resistance for applying in breeding have been identified based on a complex of methods for assessing the resistance of hybrids using gametophyte and sporophyte characteristics, as well as results of genetic-statistical analysis.

Relevance. The action of viral phytopathogens changes the quality of the male gametophyte, which ultimately leads to a decrease in plant productivity. So, information on the features of the variability of morphofunctional characteristics of the microgametophyte becomes topical. Taking into account the expression of a part of the plant genome in pollen, the male gametophyte can be used as a reliable system for assessing the response of genotypes to the action of viral pathogens. Presuming that the problems of variability of characteristics of the male gametophyte in conditions of viral pathogenesis have not been enough studied, as well as the main factors determining the variability have not been identified, the aim of the research was to study the effect of viral phytopathogens on the male gametophyte characters in tomato.Material and methods. Hybrids F1 and varieties of tomato were used in the experiments. Plants were grown in a greenhouse. They were inoculated with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) or tomato aspermia virus (TAV) in the 4-5 leaf phase. To determine the quality of pollen, flowers of control and infected plants were collected; pollen was isolated and sown on a nutrient medium. The preparations were analyzed under microscope. The viability of the pollen and the length of the pollen tubes were assessed, and the ratio of these indicators was calculated.Results. Infection of plants with viruses changes some functional characteristics of the male gametophyte. The responses manifested as stimulation, inhibition, or neutral effect. The main sources of variability in characters of pollen were the genotype and viral agents. In viral pathogenesis, unequal indicators of pollen grains were found in terms of the rate of germination and growth of pollen tubes (PT). Analysis of the heritability coefficients of the ratio of pollen viability and PT length (experiment / control) revealed positive dominance and overdominance in 70% of cases. Genotypes have been identified that combine a high level of viability when infected with different viruses. The prospect of their use in further research is proposed.

When working with pollen, it is important to keep its functional parameters for some time. To do this, you need to choose the best conditions to preserve pollen germination. The influence of different method of pollen storage of inbred plants of beetroot on its functional characteristics, at germination on artificial nutrient medium under conditions in vitro. When storing pollen in eppendorf tube for the second-third day, the pollen germination decreased by 3-10 times compared to the initial value, after a week of storage, pollen was in conglomerates, a lot of burst pollen. When stored on the sprigs for the seventh to eighth days, the decrease in pollen germination was no more than 30% of the control, and the growth rate of the pollen tube in most samples remained approximately at the control level. For a comparative analysis of the germination of pollen of inbred plants beetroot when evaluating a large set of samples, it is recommended to store flowering twigs in paper bags at a reduced temperature (10-12°C). This is important when working with a large set of samples where it is not possible to compare them at the same time.

The results of estimation of growth and development parameters, SSR analysis, electron microscopic examination of the surface of pollen and seeds, biochemical composition (ascorbic acid, carotenoids, carotenes, macro- and microelements content in the stem part of plant) of 8 Chinese broccoli, Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra samples grown in the unheated greenhouse of the Central Siberian Botanical Garden SB RAS, Novosibirsk (54°49′33″ N, 83°06′34″ E) and phy- totron of N. I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) have been presented. Through the study, the large surface cellularity of B.oleracea var. alboglabra (cv. “Siji Xianggu jie lan” [“SX”]) seeds was similar with seed coat surface of B.oleraceae var. capitata f. alba cv. "Slava". A scanning electron microscopic study of Chinese broccoli pollen (cv. “SX”) revealed the formation of colpate pollen with ellipsoidal shape with a size of 32.9 ± 0.76 x 17.8 ± 0.42 μm, characterized by foveolate ornamentation with a length-to-diameter ratio – 1.85.The duration of the period from emergence stage to thickening of a stalk and flower-bud formation of cv. “SX” continued for 49-54 days. Сlose correlation was established between the largest diameter of the stem and the length of the leaf petiole (r=0,87, p < 0,001) and between the length of the leaf petiole and the weight of the stem (r=0,77, p < 0,001). As a result of molecular screening of Chinese broccoli using 5 SSR markers (Na10D09, Ol12F02, Ra2E12, BC 7 и BC 65) the greatest polymorphism was in the test with the BC 7 marker - five alleles from 160 to 295 bp in size. In the “SX” variety single flowering (10%) occurred on 59 ... 63 day and mass flowering (75%) – on 65 ... 68 day. The stem part of B. oleracea var. alboglabra is a fairly good source of vitamin C, accumulating as much as 32-46 mg/100 g, and also increased concentration of K, Ca, Mg and Cu. At the end of the season the fruits, together with the phytomass of stems are well-seasoned for 3-4 weeks forming viable seeds with germination above 85% corresponding to the Russian state standard (GOST 32592-2013) for white cabbage seeds.

The irreciprocal self'incompatibility at site'specific hybridization of Capsicum annuum L. and its morphological features in the varieties of sweet pepper Belosnezhka and Karlik during pollination by other samples is described.

When working with pollen, it is important to keep its functional parameters for some time. To do this, it is necessary to select the best conditions to preserve microgametophyte germination. The influence of two methods of pollen collection and storage of inbred plants of beetroot on their functional characteristics, at germination on an artificial nutrient medium under in vitro conditions was studied. In the first variant pollen was harvested from full-blown flowers in sealed sample bottles, in the second variant small branches with flowers and large buds were separated from inflorescence, placed in paper and then in polyethylene bags and stored till germination in a refrigerated heating circulator at 10-12 deg. C (control is freshly harvested pollen). It is shown that when storing pollen in sample bottles, the pollen viability decreased 3-10 times depending on a sample compared to the initial value already on the second or third days, and after a week of storage, pollen conglomerated, the number of burst pollen grains in the preparation increased. When stored in flowers and in branch buds on the seventh to eighth days, the decrease in pollen viability was no more than 30% of the control, and the growth rate of the pollen tube in most samples remained approximately at the control level. And the sample distribution pattern as to microgametophyte viability retained. The linear dependence covariance coefficient between the viability values before and after week-long storage was R2=0.94. That is, for evaluating the functional microgametophyte parameters of inbred beetroot plants , it is recommended to store pollen directly in branches of blossom placed in paper and then in polyethylene bags at a reduced temperature of 10-12 deg C. This is important when working with a large set of samples where it is not possible to compare them at the same time. | Важным условием при работе с пыльцой является сохранение ее функциональных параметров в течение определенного времени, для чего необходимо подобрать оптимальные условия, позволяющие сохранять жизне- и оплодотворяющую способность микрогаметофита. С этой целью изучено влияние двух способов сбора и хранения пыльцы инбредных растений свеклы столовой на ее функциональные характеристики при проращивании на искусственной питательной среде в условиях in vitro. В первом варианте пыльцу собирали с распустившихся цветков в герметично закрываемые бюксы, во втором – отделяли от соцветия небольшие веточки с цветками и крупными бутонами, помещали их бумажные, а затем в полиэтиленовый пакеты и хранили до проращивания в хладотермостате при 10…12 град. С (контроль – свежесобранная пыльца). Показано, что при хранении пыльцы в бюксах уже на вторые-третьи сутки жизнеспособность (ЖСП) в зависимости от образца снижалась в 3-10 раз по сравнению с исходным значением, а после недельного хранения она слипалась в конгломераты, и увеличивалось число лопнувших пыльцевых зерен в препарате. При хранении в цветках и бутонах на веточках снижение ЖСП на 7-8-е сутки хранения составляло не более 30% от контроля, а скорость роста пыльцевой трубки у большинства образцов оставалась на уровне контрольной. При этом характер распределения образцов по уровню ЖСП микрогаметофита сохранялся. Коэффициент ковариации линейной зависимости между значениями ЖСП до и после недельного хранения составил R2=0,94. То есть, для оценки функциональных параметров микрогаметофита инбредных растений свеклы столовой рекомендуется хранение пыльцы непосредственно на цветущих веточках, помещенных в бумажные, а затем в полиэтиленовый пакеты, при пониженной положительной температуре 10-12 град. С. Это важно при работе с большим набором образцов, когда нет возможности провести их сравнительный анализ единовременно.