April 12 is Cosmonautics Day, International Day of Human Space Flight. This is a memorable date dedicated to the flight of the first cosmonaut of the planet, Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin, who became a symbol of the earthlings' dream come true. The All-Russian Research Institute of Vegetable Breeding and Seed Production (Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Federal Scientific Vegetable Center (FSBSI FSVC)), like a number of other academic institutions, from the beginning of space exploration, got involved in the work to solve the problem of developing food for astronauts and continues research to this day. In the embodiment of the ideas of K.E. Tsiolkovsky and S.P. Korolev on the creation of space greenhouses received a number of significant achievements in the Federal Scientific Vegetable Center, Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, Institute of Biochemical Physics N.M. Emanuel, SSC RF IBMP RAS and others. Varieties of vegetable crops have been created, tested and recommended for weightlessness conditions: radish, Chinese cabbage, dill, lettuce and other rapidly maturing plants. The variety of Chinese Vesnyanka cabbage has successfully passed biotechnical tests on the ground model of the Phytocycle-SD space conveyor greenhouse, during which good production and biochemical parameters were obtained. Russian scientists are conducting research on developing a technology for cultivating various vegetable plants under space flight conditions – in closed ecosystems (synergotrons), which can serve as the basis of life support systems during space flights, at space stations or in space habitats, where some conditions specific for ISS. Studies have been carried out to study tomato plants grown from seeds that have been under space flight conditions for a long time. As a result of the study, a statistically significant increase in the levels of ascorbic acid, polyphenols and carotenoids, the total antioxidant activity of tomato fruits compared to plants grown from control seeds (ground control) was found.

In recent years, in the agricultural sector there is a tendency to increase the production of crop products. However, its quality is still not high enough. To improve the situation in the vegetable growing industry, an important place is given to improving breeding and seed production, since the variety and high-quality seeds are the main elements of modern crop cultivation zonal technologies. At the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Federal Scientific Vegetable Center” (FSBSI FSVC), vegetable crop breeding has been put on the innovative path of development, where modern methods are used along with classical ones: molecular markers on the main of economical important plant determinants, accelerated creation of homogeneous lines using the methods of doubled haploids and biotechnology of functional products for healthy nutrition. As a result of purposeful selection work, domestic varieties and hybrids of vegetable crops with fundamentally new qualities were created. The geographical location of the branches of the Center allows you to create breeding achievements for all potential regions of vegetable growing. In 2019, 36 varieties and hybrids of vegetables and melon crops were created, including cabbage, carrot, tomato, onion, onion Shallot, perennial onion, garlic, peas, bean, cowpea, pumpkin, cucumber, sugar corn, green vegetables culture, spicy-flavouring plant and floral crops. In order to provide the industry with pure-grade quality seed material and increase the productivity of crops due to the full use of the potential of the variety in the FSBSI FSVC, constant work is carried out in primary seed production. Zonal cultivation technologies have been developed that will allow growing domestic products in different soil and climatic conditions of the country. Wide introduction of achievements of the Russian vegetable growing science in agricultural production is capable to provide the population of the Russian Federation with high-quality, domestic production.

Three varieties of onions have been created and included in the State Register of the Russian Federation for the first time in the Far East at Primorskaya Vegetable experimental station – Branch of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Federal Scientific Vegetable Center” (PVES - Branch of the FSBSI FSVC). Dmitrich: Medium. The bulb is cross-elliptical, weighing 55-70 g. Dry scales are brown, their number is 2-3, juicy scales are white with a greenish tinge. The neck of a medium-sized, two- or threepart. It have semi-acute taste. Trading yields 162-177 kg/ha. Maximum yield of 270 kg/ha (Khabarovsk region). Ivashka: Medium. The bulb is round, weighing 50-60 g, dry scales are pink, their number is 2-3, juicy scales with a pinkish tinge. It have semi-acute taste. Rocket: Medium. The bulb is wide elliptical, weighing 50-60 g. Dry brown scales, their number 2-3, juicy scales are white. It have semi-acute taste. The method of hybridization created a promising variety Antey, which is transferred to the state variety testing: early (vegetation period when sowing seeds in the soil 105-115 days). The bulb is round (index 0.9-1.1), the color of juicy scales is white. Aging before cleaning – up to 95%, keeping the storage 180 days – up to 92%. It have semi-acute taste, the dry matter content of 9.5-11.0%. Relatively resistant to bacterial rots of the bulb. For today the basic line of grades, optimally suitable for agroclimatic conditions of region which will be used for further selection with use of modern molecular-genetic methods together with scientists of Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy and Japanese Partners in the RNF project.

Relevance. Although there is notable success in breeding vegetable crops to obtain heterotic F1 hybrids, traditional selection methods have been gaining in popularity as a means of improving the economically important traits of local traditional varieties in Russia today. These varieties suffered the reduction in their valuable starting parameters (yield, the uniformity of marketable produce and biochemical composition) over the many years of reproduction. The Department of Potato Breeding and Horticulture (FSBSI “FSC of Agricultural Biotechnology of the Far East named after A. K. Chaiki”) have been working on the creation of new squash variety-populations with large fruits using the variety-population Banannaya 42, bred by V. Ya. Smolei at the Far Eastern experimental station of the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Plant Breeding in the 1940s, as the starting material. We carried out a multi-year research on the selection of promising families belonging to this variety to increase yield, improve the uniformity of fruits and the main biochemical parameters.   Results. The breeding work conducted on the families of variety-population 945 in 2011-2022 resulted in the improvement of some economically important traits (the uniformity of fruit shape, yield, and biochemical parameters) compared to the started form. The eleven years of research allowed us to achieve high uniformity of fruit shape in the selection of the ninth year (PIP 2) – 90.0-90.7 % (increased by 34.9-36.0 %). The yield increased from 28.4 t/ha to 38.2-45.3 t/ha or by 34.5-59.5 %. The following biochemical parameters were improved through selection: the content of dry mater from 8.5 to 12.9 % or by 51.8 % on average, the content of sugars from 6.1 to 9.1 or by 49.2 %, the content of carotene from 1.7 to 3.8 or by 123.5 %, and the content of vitamin C from 9.6 to 21.1 or by 119.8 %. We selected the families of the same type from variety-population 945 (variety-population Banata) with improved and uniform economically important traits for submission to the State variety testing. The yield was 38.2-45.3 t/ha, fruits were heart-shaped, skin was greyish green, pulp was orange, and the content of sugars was 9.0-13.2 %. Large-fruited variety population Banata was included in the State register of breeding achievements admitted to use in the Russian Federation in 2024.

Relevance. False powdery mildew (peronosporosis) (the causative agent is Pseudoperonospora cubensis (Berk. et Curt.) Rostow.) – the most harmful disease on cucumber in the open ground, spring film and winter greenhouses in the autumn crop turnover. In the laboratory of breeding and seed production of pumpkin crops of All-Russian Research Institute of Vegetable Breeding and Seed Production, currently FSBSI FSVC, continuous work is underway to create varieties and hybrids of cucumber resistant to this disease. To create new competitive hybrids of cucumber of the parthenocarpic type, a lot of work was done on the selection of parental forms that differ in a complex of economically useful signs, including tolerance to false powdery mildew.Results. During 2 years of research, in the open ground conditions of the Moscow region, on a natural infectious background, the lines of parthenocarpic cucumber most resistant to false powdery mildew were selected: Pr. F6 1, 24-905 RZ F4-5, Excel. F5 b/w 1, (Hac. x Hub.) F4. During the second (30.08.) and third (08.09) counts, in both years of research, according to the lesion score, they were at the level of a stable standard - the Surazhevsky variety. In 2022, in the conditions of unheated spring greenhouses of Primorsky region, two hybrid combinations of 24-905RZ F4 x Pr. F11 and Kar. F6 x Pr. F11 were distinguished for resistance to peronospore. At the end of August, they were struck by 0.5 and 0.8 points, respectively, less than the standard hybrid German F1. The resulting hybrid combinations were obtained with the participation of cucumber lines of the parthenocarpic type, the most tolerant to false powdery mildew in the open ground conditions of the Moscow region in 2022 and 2023. This indicates that the isolated samples can serve as gene sources of resistance to false powdery mildew.

. Heterotic selection is now widely used in crop production. The superiority of heterotic hybrids over varieties in many respects has long been known. However, the widespread use of heterosis in melon growing is hampered by the high cost of seed material, due to the lack of lines with male sterility. The aim of this work was to evaluate heterotic hybrids of watermelon obtained on the basis of a line with male sterility isolated at the Bykovskaya Experimental Station.Materials and methods. The studies were carried out in 2020 and 2021. at the Bykovskaya melon breeding experimental station - a branch of the FGBNU FNTSO. The object of research is heterosis hybrids of watermelon. The heterosis hybrid of watermelon Barkhan was used as a standard. Classical breeding methods were used in the work: incubation and hybridization.Research results. The assessment of watermelon hybrids according to the main economic characteristics revealed the best combinations in comparison with the standard. According to the content of dry matter, four hybrids of watermelon stood out, the excess over the standard ranged from 0.6 to 1.9%. The indicator of the average weight of the fetus in one LIR hybrid was at the level of the standard and amounted to 6.5 kg. The remaining hybrids exceeded the Barkhan standard by 1.2-4.0 kg. The average yield of the studied hybrids ranged from 19.0 to 22.5 t/ha. The calculation of such indicators as the degree of dominance, the effects of true and hypothetical heterosis made it possible to identify three combinations with high rates.Conclusion. Thus, it was found that the yield in heterotic hybrids of watermelon is inherited according to the principle of overdominance. Inheritance of traits dry matter content and average fruit weight ranges from minus overdominance to overdominance in various combinations. According to the complex of economically valuable traits, three combinations of table watermelon were distinguished: LKn, LMr and LFT.

Relevance. Selection and analysis of the source material for crossing varieties with an individual ability to transmit economically valuable traits to offspring is an important breeding task. Breeders conducted research aimed at obtaining highly productive varieties and hybrids of table watermelon of various ripeness groups, resistant to adverse environmental conditions and having high taste qualities in comparison with standards. When studying the varieties and varietals of table watermelon, samples were selected according to the following characteristics: the growing season, yield, bright color of the pulp, excellent taste, dry matter content.Materials and methods. Scientific research was carried out in 2019-2020 in the breeding nursery and breeding nursery in the fields of the Bykovskaya melon breeding experimental station located in the Bykovsky district of the Volgograd region. 2 varieties of Malachite, Timosha and 3 cultivars 697, 728, 750 having an advantage in valuable economic characteristics over the best zoned varieties in the middle–ripening group – Sinchevsky, and in the late-ripening group – Kholodok were studied.Results. Studies have shown that in the middle–ripening group, the new Timosha variety is the most productive (27.3 t/ha), and the variety also stood out with a high dry matter content (13.4 - 14.8%). In the late-maturing group, a variety of 750 (27.5 t/ha) was distinguished by yield. Indicators of dry matter, the percentage of dry matter higher in the cultivar 728 ranged from 13.8 to 14.8%, The tests proved the relevance of further study in the breeding nursery of selected cultivars isolated by a complex of economically valuable traits to create new promising varieties of watermelon. Work in this direction will contribute to an increase in the volume and quality of manufactured products, contribute to the further development of the melon industry.

Relevance. The modern marrow seed market shows the prospect of creating F1 hybrids that have the maximum return on a high-quality crop. For their successful selection, parental forms with a complex of economically valuable traits and a high combinational ability are required. The most important role is played by the female zucchini maternal lines of flowering type, which allow for hybrid seed production with free pollination and obtain high quality F1 hybrid seeds.Materials and methods. The studies were carried out at of the Krymsk EBS VIR Branch (Russia, Krasnodar Region, Krymsk) in 2019-2021. Variety testing of lines and hybrids was carried out in the open field in the fields of selective crop rotation. The plot area was 5 m2, the experiment was repeated three times.Results. The general combinative ability of parental squash lines was studied, maternal forms with a positive GCA effect on early yield (F5 409-1, F5 409-2) and on total yield (F5 409-1) were identified. A preliminary variety testing of hybrid combinations was carried out in comparison with the standards F1 Belogor and F1 Pascal. The main economically valuable traits have been studied: early maturity, early and general yield, marketability, product attractiveness. F1 hybrids of zucchini were identified, obtained on the basis of maternal forms of the female type of flowering F5 409-1, F5 409-2 in terms of yield (early above 17,7 t/ha and total above 46,7 t/ha), and marketability, more than 83,2%.Conclusions. The high productivity of F1 zucchini hybrids obtained on the basis of maternal forms of the female flowering type F5 409-1, F5 409-2 proves the promising nature of their use in breeding. As a result of two years of study, a hybrid F1 (409-1×305) was isolated, with a complex of economically valuable traits: early yield 19,6 t/ha, total yield 52,6 t/ha, marketability 84,3%, attractive appearance of fruits.

Relevance. Modern agricultural production requires the creation of varieties that combine high productivity, quality, and adaptability. Taking into account the development trends of modern agriculture towards multiplicity, it is necessary to improve and expand the assortment, helping to meet the needs of both large and small producers of agricultural products. Due to the lack of material and human resources in the agricultural sector, there is a clear need for varieties and hybrids adapted to industrial cultivation and storage technologies. Existing zoned varieties of root chicory have a root crop length of 40 cm or more, and the soils of the area of cycoroseeding are mainly heavy in mechanical composition, where the use of digging devices to such a depth is impossible. Production requires varieties with a short root crop, which has the main mass concentrated in the upper part.Methods. The purpose of this work is to identify valuable genotypes in the soil and climate conditions of the non-Chernozem zone of the Russian Federation among the variety of varieties of chicory root of different ecological and geographical origin for use in the creation of the source material of selection by inter-port crosses.Results. When creating the source material for the selection of root chicory by the method of intervarietal crosses, one of the parents should choose local intrazonal varieties adapted to the soil and climatic conditions of the zone (Yaroslavsky, Gavrilov-Yamsky), and the second – off-zonal varieties with economically valuable qualities (short root crop, high yields and chemical-technological indicators, resistance to root rot) and donors of these traits (Kharpachi, Sleszka, BilogorkaOS-2, BilogorkaOS-3, Rexor, Wixor, Luxor).

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.