Relevance. Contarinia nasturtii Keiffer is one of the most dangerous insect pests of Brassicaceae plants dramatically affecting plant yield and seed productivity.Material and Methods. The effect of single foliar application of sodium selenate, ionic form of silicon (Siliplant fertilizer) and garlic extract on the efficiency of Raphanus sativus lobo defense against Contarinia nasturtii infestation was evaluated in condition of greenhouse. Concentrations of the applied reagents were: sodium selenate 26.4 mM; Siliplant – 1 ml/l; garlic extract – 8 g/l. Seed productivity and C. nasturtii infestation levels under Se, Si and garlic extract administration under infestation were determined along with the analysis of plant antioxidant status and sugar content.Results. Foliar application of Siliplant singular or in combination with Se provided the highest seed productivity and mass of 1000 seeds. Plants treated with Si, garlic extract and Si+Se demonstrated lack of C. nasturtii infestation only a week after the preparation supply. Contrary, selenate provided less pronounced defense. Among biochemical parameters tested the values of the total dissolved solids were the highest in plants treated with Se and Se+Si. Changes in the intensity of plant defense due to garlic, Se and Si supply were reflected in the increase of the total phenolic content compared to the values typical for control plants and in a significant accumulation increase of disaccharides, participating in tissue recovery after herbivory attack. Silicon application also provided an increase of selenium accumulation by lobo leaves.

Relevance. Eating a natural product of seedlings can completely replenish the body with missing vitamins, but there are problems in obtaining seedlings – damage to seeds by a complex of phytopathogens. Obtaining high-quality soy seedlings is an urgent task.The purpose of the research is to identify the main problems associated with the manifestation and removal of pathogenic microbiota in the production of vegetable soybean seedlings.Material and Methods. The seeds of domestic and foreign soybean varieties served as the material. Patent No. 2349098 of the Russian Federation. The determination of germination and infection of seeds was carried out according to GOST 12038-84 in 4 repetitions. Methods of disinfection of seeds: ultraviolet radiation and ozonation.Results and Discussion. It was revealed that the Hidaka variety has a high seed contamination of 48.7%, and low germination. The varieties Sibiryachka and Lydia have high germination, pathogen infestation is 6 and 8%, respectively. The contamination of the seeds of the Bar variety was a minimum of 2.7%, this variety was taken into further work. Pathogens from the genera Mucor spp., Fusarium spp., Alternaria spp., Pythium spp., Penicillium have been isolated. The phases of water consumption of vegetable soybeans have been determined, which makes it possible to determine the weight of the seed in a specific period of time and use the data for pre-sowing seed treatment. Ecological methods of disinfection of seed material have been tested – treatment with ultraviolet radiation, the use of ozone washing and ozonation of water. An analysis of the percentage of the yield of healthy and affected seedlings, depending on the method of seed treatment, showed that the untreated option has the lowest number of healthy seedlings – 10.76%. UV treatment of dry seeds and treatment in an ozone sink allowed to increase the yield of healthy seedlings to 14.24 and 14.30%, respectively. UV treatment of soaked seeds allowed to increase the yield of healthy products by 62%, and the option of using an ozone sink with further use of ozonated water allowed to obtain the maximum yield of healthy seedlings – 20.04%, which is 2 times higher relative to the control.

Relevance. Tomato late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans can cause almost 100% yield loss in open ground in cool and humid conditions. At the same time, the genetic characteristics of P. infestans allow it to overcome the genetic resistance of host plants over time, which requires breeders to look for new genes for resistance to late blight and to obtain new varieties that have several resistance genes at once.Material and methods. 12 tomato lines, or a total of 335 plants, were obtained from the N.N. Timofeev breeding station collection and planted in an artificially infected background. For molecular genetic screening, 12 plants from the Kr6 line were used. The markers linked to the late blight resistance genes Ph-3, R1, and R3a were utilized.Results. On an artificial infectious background, phenotypic evaluation of tomato resistance to late blight showed 1 line of plants free of pathogen damage, 5 lines of plants fully afflicted by late blight, and 6 lines with only partial plant damage. According to molecular genetic investigation the resistant plants were heterozygotes for the Ph-3 gene. Furthermore, the R1 gene was present in most of the plants under study; but, without the Ph-3 gene, this gene did not provide plant resistance against late blight.Conclusions. The results of this research led to the selection of tomato plants for further breeding that were resistant to late blight. It was shown that markers linked to the Ph-3 and R1 genes might be used for marker-mediated selection. Furthermore, it has been established that tomato plants are more effectively protected against P. infestans when several resistance genes are present.

Relevance. Tomato occupies a special place among vegetable crops in the world, including in the Republic of Dagestan. The article presents the results of research on the use of biostimulators of growth on the productivity of tomato plants in open ground conditions of the Tersk-Sulak subprovincion of Dagestan. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of the biological product Relict R and Humate+7 on economically valuable indicators in the production of tomatoes of domestic selection in open ground conditions. Tomatoes were grown using conventional technology in open ground conditions.   Material and methodology. The research was carried out on the basis of the Tersko-Sulak subprovince of the Federal Agricultural Research Center of the Republic of Dagestan of the Kizlyar district. The soil of the experimental site is alluvial-meadow, medium-saline, medium loamy in mechanical composition. Agricultural technology is generally accepted in the Republic of Dagestan for tomato culture. The objects of research were tomatoes of the Voskhod VNIISSOKa variety, Relict R, Humate+7.   Results. The use of humic preparations accelerated the duration of the interphase period of germination-maturation, the difference in variants ranged from 6 to 11 days. The yield of tomatoes has shown that the use of biostimulants of growth gives a significant increase. Relict P turned out to be the most effective – the increase was 4.1 t/ha. The effectiveness of Humate+7 also exceeded the control yield and amounted to 2.3 t/ha, respectively. The use of the biopreparation stimulated the accumulation of dry substances in tomato fruits from 5.9 % in the control to 6.4-6.9 % in the experimental versions, the sugar content increased by 0.2 %. The studied preparations had a positive effect on the yield and quality indicators of tomatoes. According to the research results, it is recommended to use the Relict R – liquid humic preparation on tomato to increase yields and quality indicators in the conditions of the south of the country.

Relevance. Salvia officinalis L. is an important essential oilseed crop with anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Providing the pharmaceutical industry with raw materials of Salvia in full is possible due to the expansion of production areas and the availability of the maximum amount of highquality seed material of new promising varieties.Methods. In 2019-2022 in the conditions of the North Caucasus branch of VILAR on a new variety of Salvia Fioletovy aromat II year of vegetation by staging small-scale experiments were conducted to study the systematic application of organomineral fertilizer – EcoFus and growth regulators of different mechanism of action – Zircon, Epin-extra, retardant Hardy to increase seed productivity and seed quality. The area of the experimental plots was 12 m2. Treatment with EcoFus was carried out at the beginning of regrowth, and with bioregulators – during the budding phase. The consumption of the working solution is 300 l/ha. Control variants of medicinal crops were treated with water.Results. Application of EcoFus in the phase of regrowth contributed to the activation of the intensity of photosynthesis and increase in the accumulation of plastic substances, which allowed plants to enter the generative phase earlier, the budding phase came 2-3 days earlier than in the control. Subsequent treatment of budding plants with growth regulators led to earlier and more friendly flowering, the time of seed ripening was reduced by 3-4 days. The highest efficiency was observed in the variants of joint application of EcoFus with Zircon or Hardy, where the number of inflorescences on plants increased, seed setting and seed productivity increased by 37-42%, seed quality also improved – weight of 1000 seeds increased by 9-10% and germination by 6-7%.

Relevance. Opuntia distinguished by high adaptability is widespread in many countries of the world. Tolerance to water deficiency and high biological activity provide prospects of its cultivation for food and pharmaceutical industry. In Russia Opuntia is grown in the Crimea, Caucasus, Donbass, Astrakhan region and even in the Central Russia. Evaluation of the Opuntia cultivation efficiency in the Crimea for various utilization supposes the importance of its biochemical characteristics which variability greatly depends on the place of habitat. Materials and Methods. Total antioxidant activity and titratable acidity were determined using titration methods, polyphenol content –using spectrophotometric method, monosaccharide and total sugar concentrations were assessed via reaction with ferricyanide, mucilage levels were determined gravimetrically.Results. Investigation of cladode, inflorescence and fruit biochemical parameters of three Opuntia species: O. humifusa, O. phaeacantha, O. engelmannii, – gathered at the Southern and South-Eastern part of the Crimean peninsular revealed wide variability of fruit mucilage (4.3-16.56% d.w.), sugar and total antioxidant activity. Polyphenol content decreased according to: inflorescence (18.4-21.0) > fruit (11.7-18) > cladodes (10.2-20.0). Fruit monosaccharide content reached (6.2-31) % while in cladodes these values were in the range of 8.1-16.0%. Total sugar content was equal to 32.6-95% in fruit and 15.5-29.7% in cladodes. Concentration of selenium as a natural antioxidant was higher in the cladodes (102-176 µg/kg d.w.) than in fruit (46.8-72 µg/kg d.w.). The highest levels of the total antioxidant activity and titratable acidity were registered in O. engelmannii while the highest sugar, mucilage and taste index were typical for O. humifusa. Nevertheless, O. humifusa was characterized by the lowest fruit mass (6.0-6.3 g) contrary to O. engelmannii (36-40 g). The results suppose prospects of fruit, cladode and inflorescence utilization in food industry, cosmetics and pharmacology with the preference to O. humifusa.

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. 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.

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.

Globally, preferences for fruit trees have fluctuated over time. However, the most desirable attribute of cultivated fruit tree species has not been consistent across all species and locations. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine farmers' preferences for fruit tree species and the associated problems they face in four different study sites, categorized by gender and family size. Equal sampling techniques were used in each selected study site, resulting in a total of 120 household heads participating in structured interviews. The data collected was then analyzed using SPSS version 26 software, utilizing the Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Across the study sites, a total of fourteen fruit tree species from ten families were found to be preferred. The preference for fruit trees based on gender showed no significant difference among respondents between kebeles per woreda. However, the preference for fruit trees based on family size showed a significant difference between kebeles per woreda. The number of species preferred for their subsistence value was twice as large as those preferred for commercial reasons. The proportions of these preferred species and the percentage of observed problems with fruit trees varied significantly across the studied sites. Of all the interviewed household heads, 70% in Fenika, 36.6% in Kite, 66.6% in Shesheka, and 50% in Kometa kebeles encountered severe problems during fruit tree planting. The most common problems identified were disease or pest infestation, lack of expert support, land availability, knowledge, and access to seedlings. In order to address these issues, it is important to utilize indigenous knowledge and scientifically tested research approaches to alleviate the factors that influence farmers' preferences.