Relevance. Cucumber in the Russian Federation in protected ground in terms of growing areas and production volume is the first, its share in the total production of greenhouse products in recent years accounts for about 50-55%. Scientific research confirms the positive effect of silicon-containing agrochemicals on the intensity of metabolic processes in the plant body, which is manifested in increasing the yield of commercial products, resistance to adverse environmental factors, and the realization of the biological potential of crops. Methods. The aim of the research is to evaluate the effect of silicon – containing fertilizers on the productivity of Cyborg F1 cucumber in low-volume cultivation technology. The research was conducted in the winter-spring period of 2020 in the conditions of a winter glazed greenhouse of the greenhouse complex of the Stavropol state agrarian university. The objects of research were cucumber Cyborg F1, fertilizers Kelik Potassium Silicon, Siliplant, Forris, Bio Silicium. Fertilizers were applied to foliar top dressing three times during the cucumber growing season. All microclimate conditions in the greenhouse were regulated automatically using the Sercom climate program. Mineral wool was used as a substrate. Results. Fertilizing with silicon – containing fertilizers increased the degree of assimilation of nutrients by plants of cucumber Cyborg F1: the nitrogen content in the drainage solution decreased by 6-26 mg/l, phosphorus – by 4-8 mg/l, and potassium-by 18-34 mg/l. The use of silicon-containing fertilizers contributed to an increase in the area of cucumber leaves compared to the control by 1.6-3.1%, the yield of standard products-by 3.7-8.1%, yield-by 0.9-2.5 kg/m2, and a decrease in the degree of ovary death – by 2.0-3.5%. When using silicon-containing fertilizers, the quality of cucumber products improved. Thus, in the conditions of the sixth light zone, to increase the yield of Cyborg F1 cucumber in low-volume cultivation technology, it is recommended to use silicon-containing fertilizers Siliplant and Forris, which provides an increase relative to the control of 7.4 and 9.2%, respectively.

Relevance. The specifics of the fresh cut flowers market in the Russian Federation is such, that 85-100% of the total volume of flowers sold is imported. The most popular flowers among Russian consumers are roses (up to 60% in the total share of fresh flowers), chrysanthemums and carnations, all of which require certain growing conditions. Recently, the market of local seasonal flowers has begun to develop, the main players in which are small farms or household plots. Material and methods. This article presents the data about market analysis of fresh cut flowers in Russia for the last five years (2015-2020). For this analysis were used the methods applied in economics. The main information database of this research includes data from official state statistics; open data from analytical centers; federal and regional regulations; data from the Federal agency for technical regulation and Metrology; reference materials of specialized data on research field; data from industry-specific portals; sites; articles and reviews written by producers of fresh cut flowers in Russia and worldwide. Results. Russia is one of the top six importers of fresh cut flowers in the world. The most popular flower among Russian consumers is a rose. There is not much suitable soil and climatic conditions in Russia for growing it on a commercial scale in the open ground. In 2018-2019 according to Rosstat data the number of flowers, grown for cutting in Russia, was estimated 263,3 billion pieces. However, now Russian flower producers are not able to meet domestic demand for fresh flowers, so there is no almost export.

Relevance. New types of vegetable crops, previously unknown on a large scale, appear on the market. Japanese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. subsp. nipposinica (L. H. Bailey) Hanelt) is one of such crops for the middle zone of the Russian Federation. Due to the high content of vitamin C and microelements, Japanese cabbage can be classified as a rational balanced diet, including dietary one, and it can also be used as a raw material for the medical industry. Methods. The study of a promising sample of Japanese cabbage selection at the Federal Research Vegetable Center consisted in phenological observation of the stages of plant growth and development, morphological study of economically valuable traits, and biochemical analyzes of the content of ascorbic acid, dry matter and photosynthetic pigments. Results. The results of observations made it possible to establish the timing of the onset of phenological phases in Japanese cabbage plants and showed that the active formation of leaf mass in plants occurs 20 days after planting the seedlings. A close direct relationship was established between the duration of economic shelf life and the number of leaves in a plant (R = 0.95) and the length of the leaf plate (R=0.92). In the conducted biochemical studies, it was revealed that the content of ascorbic acid in the promising sample is 37.84±0.88 mg%, and the dry matter is in the range of 11.3±0.42%. The content of antioxidants in terms of HA and AA is within 5.72±0.72 and 19.5±2.46 mg/g, respectively. The study of the morphological characteristics and biological characteristics of Japanese cabbage plants contribute to the maximum use of the potential of vegetable crops in the conditions of the Moscow region.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is one of the main carriers of hereditary information. The structural physicochemical information of DNA ultimately determines the structure and functioning of all living organisms. In DNA, various mutational events accumulate and recombination events occur, which lead to the variability of organisms and are subject to both natural and artificial selection. The interaction "genotype-environment" inherent in all living organisms is also characteristic of DNA, which is located in the intracellular and intranuclear physicochemical environment of water molecules, sugars, metal ions, pH, nucleotides and other components. The establishment and study of the physicochemical properties of native DNA contributes to not only understanding the mechanisms of the structure of the main hereditary biomolecule, but also to clarify their functioning, as well as interaction with other molecules at the molecular level. The discovery of various forms of double helices: A, Aʹ, B, α-Bʹ, β-Bʹ, C, Cʹ, Cʹʹ, D, E and Z suggests the idea of molecular genetic diversity existing at the DNA level and the establishment of their structural and functional features can lead to an understanding of the implementation of genetic information at the general biological level. The structure of natural DNA as a whole, apparently, does not depend on the sequence and nucleotide composition. For natural molecules - satellite DNA with repeats or DNA without repeats, the presence of only A-, B- and C-forms has been confirmed. The structure of DNA depends not only on temperature, but also on the nature of the cations present. The presence of a certain amount of metal ions in the medium can lead to the transition of the B-form of DNA to the Zform. The B ↔ Z transition modifies the general structure of DNA and, therefore, may be important for the regulation of gene expression. The study of the biological role of Z-DNA, possibly in the near future, will help to understand the mechanism of gene expression, primarily of an epigenetic nature, which has not yet been fully elucidated.

Relevance. Broccoli cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. convar. botrytis (L.) Alef. var. cymosa Duch.) is widely spread around the world due to its dietetic attribute, preventive and healing effect, cooking simplicity. F1 hybrids production is the main stream in modern crop breeding as they surpass varieties in evenness and yield quality. However, it takes up to 6 years of inbreeding to obtain pure parent lines capable for hybrid creation. Thus biotechnological methods, especially doubled haploids production technology shell be implemented in selection process. 100% homozygous line can be worked out in one generation by this technology. Nevertheless earlier researches revealed such plants low seed set that hinder their application in mass production. Therefore after pollination seed set level identification is an important step in applying lines gained via in vitro process.Materials and methods. Broccoli cabbage regenerated plants produced by isolated microspore in vitro culture method were used as raw material in our study. Flower and bud pollination was held in climate cells.Results. Study of 11 broccoli cabbage DH-lines disclosed genotype influence the ability to set seeds after bud pollination. 93.3% genotype A and 95.5% A1.3 pods were seedless in our experiments. Most genotypes demonstrated 50.3-85.7% seed set level. Low and middle ability to form seeds prevailed mainly. This peculiarity should be considered while dealing with regenerated plants by raising the number of crossings for successful breeding.

Relevance. The structure of the food market is represented by various types of products, of which the largest share is taken by the fruit and vegetable sector. In the conditions of a tense political situation in the world and the establishment of barriers in foreign trade, agriculture is a strategically important branch of the Russian economy. Today, the fruit and vegetable sector of the Russian economy does not fully satisfy the needs of the population for vegetables and fruits. This is evidenced by the fact that the domestic market does not provide the population with high-quality vegetables and fruits, creates favorable conditions for filling it with foreign goods, which constitute about 35% of the consumer basket of Russians. All this leads to the need for additional analysis to identify trends in the development of the Russian market for fruits and vegetables and to identify priority areas for its development.Methods. The purpose of the article is to conduct an analysis of the main trends in the development of the Russian fruit and vegetable market, in order to determine the priority areas of its operation. The basis of the study was the statistical data of the customs authorities of the Russian Federation on the import and export of fruits and vegetables, as well as the federal service of state statistics on the volumes of production and consumption of fruits and vegetables in Russia.Results. As a result of the analysis of the state of the fruit and vegetable market in Russia in 2011-2018, carried out in the article. It can be stated that the population is experiencing a shortage of consumption of fruits and vegetables. Over the past eight years, imports exceeded exports in the structure of commodity circulation of fruits and vegetables, which indicates the dependence of the national market on foreign goods. The state of the fruit and vegetable market is influenced by the following factors: the level of development of the logistics infrastructure, material and technical equipment of enterprises, as well as the presence of sanctions and counter sanctions.

Relevance. This study aimed to improve fruit set and plant performance to increase tomato productivity by studying the effect of plant growth regulators on tomato plants.Methods. A specific experiment has been carried out to study the effect of plant growth regulators Milagro (1% indol-3-butric acid) and Atlet active substances indol-3-butric acid and chloromequate chloride with applied doses (0.6 M/L, 1.0 M/L and 1.5 M/L) and (1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 M/L) on growth and physiological characteristics of plants (Big Beef F1). The experimental design was a Complete Randomized Blocks Design. Both Hemo bles was applied three times (spraying on plants at 30 DAP, spraying on plants at 60 DAP and spraying on plants 90 DAP).Results. The obtained results showed that, Applying Milagro (1% indol-3-butric acid) had the highest significant Plant height (80.13, 128.77 and 239 cm), number of leaves/plant (18.0, 34.67 and 44.3) and stem diameter (1.07, 1.5 and 2.03 cm), fruit weight (122.0 and 136 g), Flower Clusters number in the plant (4.64, 13.33 and 16.33) and Fruits Number (61.67, 62.0 and 67) Over the three years of study. The results were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey’s HSD test with α = 0.05 with the help of MINITAB (v. 19.0) program.

Relevance. Development of valuable sterile lines of sweet pepper using nuclear-cytoplasmic male sterility is associated with the search for stable sterility maintainers in collection material.Material and methods. The purpose of the research is to optimize the identification of the desired genotypes and accelerate the development of sterile lines using artificial climate chambers. The research material was a sterile line msTol55, which under the conditions of a film greenhouse showed partial fertility at the beginning or at the end of the growing season. The place of cultivation is artificial climate chamber, a film spring greenhouse.50-day-old seedlings were planted in pots on 10.01, the period of growing plants in the chamber - until 20.04, then the adult plants were transplanted into a spring film greenhouse. According to the traditional technology, the cassette seedlings of the same line were planted in the greenhouse on 15.04. The number of tested plants is 16-20 pcs. Growing mode in the chamber: 12 hours were illuminated with DRLV lamps, while the temperature was at the level of 26-28°C, from 20.00 to 8.00 the lamps were not illuminated, the temperature was 14-15°C. The actual sterility / fertility of the flowers was determined by the level of contamination of the fruits at the beginning of their formation.Results. The maintained temperature regime for growing in an artificial climate chamber made it possible to identify sterile (30%) and partially fertile plants (70%) in the first 2 weeks of flowering. When adult plants were transplanted into a spring greenhouse, the number of sterile plants increased to 56%. When growing the line msTol55 in a spring greenhouse using the usual technology, partial setting of seeded and little seeded fruits on 60% of the plants was observed from the third decade of May to the second decade of July, then all plants set only non-seeded fruits. Based on the results obtained, it is advisable to identify the breeding material for the Rf gene in the ACC, since the proposed growing regime serves as a provocative background and allows for more effective control over the manifestation of sterility.

Relevance and methods. The structure of the food market is represented by various types of products, of which the largest share is in the fruit and vegetable sector. Given the tense political situation in the world and the establishment of barriers in foreign trade, agriculture is a strategically important sector of the Russian economy. Today, the fruit and vegetable branch of the Russian economy does not fully satisfy the population’s needs for fruits and vegetables. This is evidenced by the fact that the domestic market does not provide the population with high-quality vegetables and fruits, creates favorable conditions for filling it with foreign goods, which make up about 35% of the consumer basket of Russians. All this leads to the need for additional analysis to identify trends in the Russian market of fruits and vegetables and identify priority areas for its development. The purpose of the article is to identify the features of the functioning of the fruit and vegetable market in Russia. The study was based on statistics from the customs authorities of the Russian Federation on the import and export of fruits and vegetables, as well as the Federal State Statistics Service on production, consumption of fruits and vegetables in Russia. The article discusses the features of the functioning of the fruit and vegetable market in Russia. The key factors that influence the development of the market of fruits and vegetables at the present stage are determined.Results. As a result of analysis of the state of the market of fruits and vegetables in Russia in 2011-2020. it can be stated that the fruit and vegetable market is experiencing difficult times due to the sanctions policy of the EU and the USA and the low level of material, technical and logistics base in Russia. The advantages of the market of fruits and vegetables during the period of antiRussian sanctions are reflected. Groups of problems of functioning of the market of fruits and vegetables are revealed. Based on the identified problems of the fruit and vegetable market, methods for solving them are proposed based on the best practices of the European Union. The article focuses on the development of the market for fruits and vegetables in Russia. The proposed solutions and development directions are substantiated by specific figures of economic efficiency.

Relevance. The aim of the work is to define the adaptive ability and environmental plasticity of pea genotypes of different ripeness groups which were selected in Krymsk EBS VIR Branch in special conditions of Krasnodar region. Materials and methods.Eleven pea varieties and one pea strain were sown for studying in fields of Krymsk EBS VIR Branch in 2013-2017. The area of the plot was 10 m2. Each variety was sown three times. The recording of the harvest was made in period of industrial ripeness. The share of influence of different factors on the yield of pea was defined with the help of mathematical methods. The differential ability of environmental and adaptive ability of genotypes, stability and environmental plasticity were also defined. Results.2013 was the most unfavorable year because of the bad weather conditions. That year the pea yield was only 5/1 tons per hectare. We detected a great influence of the environmental factors (38%), the genotype factors (31) and their cooperative factors (27) on the yield of pea. The main differential ability of environmental was detected in 2016 and 2016. There were average conditions in 2014. During all years of studying there was a high effect of environmental destabilization which showed the great difference between the yields of the different genotypes. The following genotypes were found: the genotypes with a high total adaptive ability – Kudesnik 2, Vesta (k-9352) Berkut (k-8856), G-344/16; stable genotypes – Krasavchik (k-9449) and Istok (k-9353); the genotypes with an environmental plasticity – Alpha (k-7071), Vesta (k-9352), Parus (k-9350), G-344/16. The varieties which were found for breeding purposes on the totality of different characteristics of adaptability, stability and environmental plasticity are Prima (o155213) of a very early ripeness group, Vesta (k-9352) – medium-early, Parus (k-9350, leafless) –medium and the G-344/16 – medium-late.