Pre-breeding research on 20 accessions from collection of broad bean (Vicia faba L.) of All-Russian Research Institute of Vegetable Breeding and Seed Production has been performed. Four traits such as height of plan, height of stem from soil surface up to lowest bean (most important characteristics for mechanized harvesting), number of seeds in the bean, and the size of seeds were taken to be studied. Four promising accessions N 9, N 27, N 33, N 15d-vf18096 that have a set of three valuable characteristics, namely the high seed yield, large seeds, and great height of the stem from the soil surface up to lowest bean have been selected out at previous stage of breeding program.

The different varieties of cabbage were assessed to be suitable for processing technology. As result of assessment, the best cultivars and heterosis hybrids have been chosen for this proposes. The canned products were also trialed.

On 25th February, 2011 the jubilee international conference "The Role of Physiology and Biochemistry for Plant Introduction and Breeding of Vegetables, Fruit and Berries Crops and Medicinal Plants» was held in All-Russian Research Institute of Vegetable Breeding and Seed Production at laboratory of plant physiology and seed research and that was dedicated to 130th anniversary of Prof. Zhegalov's birth; and 80 years since the laboratory of plant physiology and seed research was organized. The major directions of plant physiology and biochemistry research in vegetables, fruit and berries crops that were presented by scientists from the former USSR republics and far abroad were reported in this article.

he results of research on features of propagation of new medicinal and aromatic plant crops, nontraditional and traditional cultures such as Lophantus anisatus Benth, Hyssopus officinalis L. are highlighted in the article. The results that were obtained describe the influence of chemicals for active growth on root formation onto grafts of Hyssopus officinalis L.

The actuality of research on vegetable seed production regarding requirements to seed quality depending on changes in ecological situation has been shown

Contributions of main factors and their interaction effects on development of the allelopathic activity of seeds have been shown. The specificity of distribution of factor influence portion has been revealed depending on extract concentration.

The results presented in the article concerns the variety productivity of annual and biennial peppermint rhizomes grown on sod-podzolic soils with successive and simultaneous addition of mineral, organic fertilizers and lime.

The mineral fertilizers affect positively on plant growth and development. It was shown that the positive dependence between increased doses of mineral noutrition (in the gap from 0 to 120 kg. per hectare) and the growth of generative and vegetative plant organs. Application of NPK fertilize (120-120-120) was optimal to produce the maximum yield of marketable bulb onion 43.1 tons/hectare, with additional increase 22.8 tons /hectare as compared with standard. Seed plants also produced 1065 kg/hectare of seeds; that was more than 100 % compared with standard.

On 15-17 February the General Annual Meeting of Russian Academy of Agricultural Science was held where the result of researches for 2006-2010 had been summarized up and new research plan for 2011 was drawn up.

The perspective of utilization of in vitro culture of unpollinated ovules for development of dihaploid lines of pumpkin is described in the article. The ovules of five hybrids were cultivated on CBM medium. The following combinations of growth regulators for gynogenesis induction were used: a) 0.2 mg/L of thidiazuron and 0,0001 мкМ of epibrassinolide; b) 2 mg/l of 2,4-D. The frequency of embryo development depended on cultivation medium and genotype. The maximum amount of embryos developed from unpollinated ovules of one ovary was 6-9 ones.