The results of pre-sowing treatment of radish seeds aimed at increasing of seed production, yield and its productivity in protected area are presented. The density fractionation of radish seeds by gravity separator is recommended for improvement of planting material quality and increasing of utilization efficiency of frame area.

The purpose of the standard is the valuation of the indicators of quality of candied fruit watermelon, cooked in sugar syrup, dried and coated in granulated sugar intended for industrial processing and nutrition. This standard is developed for the first time in the Russian Federation.

One of the way of increasing of genetic variability of onion (Allium cepa L.) is the interspecific hybridization. Development of onion interspecific hybrids consists of the study of initial breeding forms, its heterogeneity, ways of crossing and pollination, overcoming of outbreeding problem, sterility and weak fertility of the hybrids of first and next generations, specifics of hybrid’s seeds development, identification and selection of recombinant forms with breeding valuable traits. The stages of development of the bulbous forms of interspecific hybrids of onion are presented in the article. The study was conducted in the “All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of vegetable breeding and seed production” of the Moscow region. The plants of inbreed progenies I1-5 from BC1-2F5 of bulb forms of interspecific hybrids A. cepa х A. Fistulosum as well as the parental forms were analyzed. The breeding and phytopathological assessment of recombinant forms of onion interspecific hybrids was done for qualitative and quantitative traits and for resistance to downy mildew. Using the individual selection for quality and quantity traits, it was found that the forms, whose traits were not undergo the inbreeding depression because of the higher homozygosity can be used for development of linear initial material for breeding for heterosis. The forms with the inbreeding depression have to be used for crossbreeding. Along with increasing of homozygosity, the new modified genotypes appear because of potential variability and genes recombination. It allows to make the purposive selection of recombinant forms for valuable traits. The selected onion forms from inbreed progenies of I1-5 from BC1-2F5 which have bulbs of flat and well-rounded-flat shape are characterized by high resistance to downy mildew and bulbs with good storage ability. The selection process of the recombinant forms from progenies of onion interspecific hybrids obtained based on repeated inbreeding is shown. Using such techniques as stage-by-stage crossing of A. Cepa L. and A. fistulosum L., embryo culture, polyploidization, backcrossing, inbreeding, selection of recombinant forms, etc., the technology of creation of new initial breeding material of onion was developed.

The article presents the results of breeding of new variety of winter garlic “Strelets” developed as a result of clonal selection from local sample acquired in the Altai Territory. The variety trial revealed high seed production of this cultivar. The cultivar is characterized by the big air bulbils and other valuable features.

The nucleotide sequences of two strains of CMV isolated from cucumber and ageratum in the Primorsk region and one strain from pepper isolated in the North Korea have been studied. The phylogenetic linkages among isolated strains and strains of CMV from Genbank were revealed. The intragroup position of the isolated strains of CMV widespread in the Far East was specified.

The influence of the pre-sowing soaking of seeds into the solution of Indian “Mykonet” (Mn) and Russian “Micefit” (Mc) on the different phases of development, morphometric and biochemical indices of cucumber has been studied. The both preparations stimulated seed germination, growth, and development of plants. The Mn contents a mushrooms’ spores, which improve the content of soil beneficial microflora. It can explain the prolong stimulation of this preparation and its efficiency. The Mc contents only mushrooms’ metabolites, which made it less effective in the stimulation of growth and development of the plants. The both preparations improved the development of all phenological phases, increased yield because of earlier and prolonged fruiting. The seed productivity and seed weight were also increased. During two-years investigations, application of the Mn has increased the yield and seed productivity up to 15-18%, while the Mc has increased the yield and seed productivity up to 12-16%. The biochemical characteristics (dry matters, sugars) were also improved.

For a number of years, the study of large-rooted chicory of different ecological-geographic origin has been conducted in the “Rostov experimental station for horticulture of chicory. The genotypes with valuable traits for breeding for high yield, suitability for mechanized harvest owing to short roots were selected. The description of largerooted chicory varieties of Russian and foreign breeding is provided.

The application of phytogenous mulching materials based on local processed raw materials at potato cultivation in irrigated conditions of the Astrakhan region has allowed optimization of temperature and moisture regime of the soil. It was found that in case of the spring term of planting, the mulching has increased the soil temperature up to 0,6-0,9°C on April-May at a depth of 0,10 m as compared to the control. During heat period, mulching materials have decreased the soil temperature. Antecedent soil water under mulching materials in the phase of tubers formation was on 1,15-1,19 times higher than in the control variant without mulching. The most effective materials for the soils of different grain-size distribution were determined: for the heavy-loamy soil the best mulching material was straw, for the sandy loam soil the more efficient mulching was saw-dust.

The knowledge of the biology and ecology of the dominant species of phytophages is necessary for optimization of crop protection. The turnip moth (Agrotis segetum) is one of these phytophages. It allows optimizing the existing approaches to limit the number of phytophages.

Knowledge of the specificity of accumulation of 137Cs and 90Sr by plants and limits of accumulation by plant fruits plays a key role at breeding of vegetable crops, which make demand for ecological safety of the product. The article is concerned with the study of varietal sources of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) aimed at development of ecological safety product on the territory polluted by radionuclides.The specificity of accumulation of radionuclides 137Cs and 90Sr was studied in 54 varieties of spinach at industrial contaminated and polluted lands. Experimental tests were conducted in the Moscow and Bryansk regions in 2012 and 2014. The absolute value of radionuclide 90Sr was higher than absolute value of radionuclide 137Cs in all studied zones. It was found that the hazard rate of 90Sr is higher because the level of pollution of product reaches up to 76% from maximum permissible concentration (MPC), while the level of product pollution by 137Cs is 26,4% from MPC. The spinach genotype differentiation for 90Sr in the most environments is lower than differentiation for 137Cs. The histograms of distribution 90Sr and 137Cs showed that samples amount in the groups of accumulation for both radionuclides are equal. Statistically significant data for radionuclides 137Cs and 90Sr in spinach were not obtained. The evaluation of spinach for low content of radionuclides should be conducted separately for each radionuclide on various backgrounds.