Relevance. Solanum tuberosum L. – it is one of the main food crops, therefore, the study of the influence of innovative growth regulators on physiological and biochemical parameters and plant yield is very important for the agro-industrial complex.Material and methods. The research was carried out on the gray forest soil of the Orel region in the conditions of a vegetation house on the basis of the farm Stebakov V.I. in the period 2020-2021. Potato of the Nevsky variety was used as the object of the study. Treatment with growth regulators was carried out by soaking Solanum tuberosum tubers in aqueous solutions of melafene (10-6%), Energy-M (10-3%) for 8 hours. When laying the experiments, the optimal amount of nitrogen (2.3 g), phosphorus (0.7 g) and potassium (3.1 g) was introduced into the soil for potato. Was determined catalase, peroxidase activity. The amount of hydroperoxides, an intermediate product of POL, was estimated by reaction with ammonium rhodanide, the content of malonic dialdehyde by reaction with thiobarbituric acid. The experiment was carried out three times. Statistical processing of the results was carried out by the method of one-factor analysis of variance using the computer program "MS Exel".Results. Studies have shown that there is an increase in the activity of catalase and peroxidase in all variants of the experiment compared with the control in leaves, in tubers – the activity of enzymes decreases. There was a decrease in the content of malondialdehyde in all variants of the experiment compared with the control. The analysis of the final productivity revealed that the total number of tubers on one bush of the potato in the variants with growth regulators changes slightly, while the mass of tubers increases, so the variant with the growth regulator melafen increased this indicator by 37% compared to the control.

This article shows the influence of growth regulators and methods of their application on the passage of the main interphase periods and growth processes during melon cultivation. The use of growth regulators is one of the promising directions in the cultivation of melons. In the acutely arid areas of the Volgograd Volga region, the use of mineral fertilizers for melon crops, in bagar conditions, was not effective, since there was an acute shortage of moisture in the soil. Therefore, the most effective and promising for creating favorable conditions for the growth and development of melon plants, with the possibility of leveling negative environmental factors, is the use of foliar treatments in the cultivation technology with growth regulators. The studied drugs of the new generation have a wide range of physiological activity. They are designed to influence the parameters of growth and development of plants as a whole in various phases, as well as their organs, as well as the parameters of plant response to environmental factors.Results. Studies have revealed the dependence of the growth processes of melon plants on the methods of using growth regulators, the length of the lashes in the variants of using growth regulators for processing plants during vegetation is longer compared to soaking seeds, with their maximum length in the Phytozont variant (plant treatment) is 12.7-51.3% longer compared to other studied preparations.

Relevance. Breeding for resistance to diseases is one of the current trends in melon growing. The work of the Bykovskaya melon selection experimental station includes breeding pumpkin varieties that are not inferior to zoned varieties in terms of economically valuable traits, disease resistance and taste.Materials and methods. The object of the study was hybrid combinations of large-fruited pumpkin and nutmeg pumpkin, obtained as a result of intervarietal hybridization. The research was carried out in the Bykovsky district of the Volgograd region.Results As a result of the work carried out, the characteristics of the obtained hybrid combinations of pumpkin were given according to the main economically valuable traits: the duration of the growing season, the average weight of the fruit, the thickness of the pulp, the dry matter content, the yield, as well as the resistance to anthracnose and powdery mildew. An assessment was made in comparison with the standards and parental forms. As a result of the research, it was revealed that the shortest duration of the growing season, 115-117 days, is in combinations of large-fruited pumpkin Paradise - Vi x Graceful, Graceful x Paradise - Vi, Marina di Ch x Dawn. Among the nutmeg pumpkin, all samples along the length of the growing season are at the same level of 119-120 days. Average fruit weight and pulp thickness are inherited intermediately. In terms of yield, among the hybrid combinations of large-fruited pumpkin, samples of Marina di Chioggia x Zorka and Paradise - Vi x Graceful stood out. All hybrid combinations of nutmeg pumpkin exceeded parental forms in terms of yield, their yield ranged from 17.0 to 22.0 t/ha. In terms of resistance to powdery mildew and anthracnose, the combinations "Elia x Spaniard" (Uzbekistan) and "Muscat Provence x Vitamin" stood out.Conclusions. Thus, as a result of hybridization, two new hybrid combinations of large-fruited pumpkin and Muscat pumpkin were obtained, which have a complex of economically valuable traits and resistance to powdery mildew and anthracnose.

Relevance. In onion breeding, quickly obtain aligned material is an urgent target for create parent forms of heterosis hybrids. Using classical methods with helping of backcrosses, this is achieved in 10-12 years. Using the technology of doubled haploids, it is possible to reduce these terms several times, and also to avoid the manifestation of inbred depression when obtaining lines by self-pollination. At the same time, the most effective in the production of haploids is the use of whole flower buds as an explant, unlike ovules and ovaries, the production of which is more time-consuming and labor-intensive.Methods. The doubled onion haploids were obtained by the method of ovule culture on the basis of the biotechnology laboratory of the Gavrish Breeding Center using the technology that based on the methodological recommendations of Monakhos S.G. et al., 2014. DH–onion plants with a developed root system and leaf apparatus were planted in the open ground and grown according to the technology generally accepted for the zone at the sites of the Gavrish breeding center, Krymsk, Krasnodar Territory. The obtained commercial bulbs were evaluated according to the RTG/46/2 method.Results. It was obtain doubled haploids, which were tested for ploidness by flow cytometry. 40 digaploid onion plants have been created. As a result of further development after transplantation into the open ground, storage, springization and selection, 3 uterine bulbs were obtained for further reproduction and inclusion in the breeding process.

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.

When cultivating pumpkin crops in most agricultural regions of the world, one of the most aggressive diseases is real powdery mildew, the damage of plants in which, under optimal soil and climatic conditions for the pathogen, reaches 100%. In the open and protected ground, among the cultivated representatives of the Cucurbitaceae family, the most widespread and harmful are the species Sphaerotheca fuliginea (Schlecht ex Fr.) Poll and Erysiphe cichoracearum f. sp. cucurbitacearum (DC ex Merat). In regions where both phytopathogens are present, mixed infections may occur, making identification difficult, and, accordingly, further plant protection measures. The pathogens of this powdery mildew of pumpkin crops have different requirements for temperature and humidity. During the growing season, there may be a change in species composition when conditions change, for example, when a new season begins. Symptoms of the disease in the form of a white or yellowish powdery plaque in the form of rounded spots (mainly on the leaves) can manifest themselves at all stages of plant development, the susceptibility of which increases by the beginning of fruiting. According to biological characteristics, S. fuliginea and E. cichoracearum are obligate biotrophic pathogens, unable to exist independently without living photosynthetic tissue, except for the wintering (sexual) stage of teleomorphs in the form of globular kleistothecia. At this stage, it is not difficult to differentiate pathogens by the morphology of kleistothecium. When analyzing the plant material of melons with the naked eye, S. fuliginea and E. cichoracearum cause similar symptoms of damage, but by microscopy these organisms can be distinguished by a complex of morphological characteristics. Taxonomically significant features are: the location of the mycelium, the formation of conidia (single or chain), the presence or absence of noticeable fibrosin bodies, the features of the appressoria, the size and shape of the conidia, as well as the position and type of their sprout tubes. The works of Russian and foreign scientists have shown the possibility of determining the types and physiological races of pathogens using an indirect method: reactions to differentiator plants. To date, about 30 physiological races of the pathogen Podosphaera xanthii (Sphaerotheca fuliginea) and 2 races of E. cichoracearum are known. However, this method does not always correlate with the methods of molecular analysis. Determination of the species composition of powdery mildew pathogens is a starting point for the development of a further strategy for the cultivation of pumpkin crops and in breeding work for resistance to this disease.

Relevance. Basil is one of the most popular aromatic plants grown in the world. Various species and forms of Ocimum spp. differ in the nature of growth, color and aromatic composition. The VIR basil collection is represented by 452 accessions of six species from 55 countries. The expansion of the assortment of basil, as well as the identification of competitive adaptive cultivars with high economically valuable traits, determines the need to study and identify promising species and forms of Ocimum spp. The purpose of our work was to study accessions of basil (Ocimum basilicum) from the VIR collection by morphological and phenological traits and to identify accessions that have a complex of economically valuable traits for further use in the breeding.Materials and methods. The studies were carried out at the Federal Research Center N. I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) at the VIR Pushkin and Pavlovsk Laboratories in 2019-2021 in open ground conditions. The material of the study was 66 accessions of the VIR basil collection of various agrobiological status and ecological and geographical origin. When analyzing the material, phenological observations, biometric measurements and morphological description of plants were carried out. These measurements were carried out in the phase of mass flowering.Results. As a result of the study, the degree of variability of the main phenological and morphological features was revealed. Accessions of basil were selected according to such traits as early maturity, plant height, weight of one plant and cold resistance, which can be used as starting material for breeding. The studied accessions are grouped into 7 varieties of two subspecies (subsp. basilicum and subsp. minimum): var. basilicum, var. glabratum, var. purpurescens, var. majus, var. diforme, var. minimum and var. chamaeleonicum, and their characteristics are given.

Relevance. Consumer demand development of exotic colors presence in modern tomato hybrids requires a timely response from domestic breeders for creating highly effective hybrids. With regard to cherry tomatoes, special attention of breeders is aimed at achieving excellent taste in new hybrids. One of the indicators is the "content of dry soluble substances in fruits". However, there is no information in the literature about the variation of this trait within different color groups of cherry tomatoes. The aim of our work was the creation of initial material for the selection of F1 cherry tomato hybrids with a high content of dry soluble substances.Materials and methods. All measurements were obtained by the refractometric method and presented in the oBrix scale. The study examined 46 F2 splitting cherry tomato populations, including 17 red, 12 yellow, 7 pink, 8 brown, and 2 purple. Analyzing the obtained data, the following statistical indicators were made: the frequency of occurrence of the variant; arithmetic mean; dispersion; the coefficient of variation; sample mean error. Relative error was used to test the sample results obtained.Results. The coefficients of variation of the trait «content of dry soluble substances in fruits» were calculated in each of the five color groups of cherry tomatoes (from 17.43% for brown-fruited to 25.13% for red-fruited). The boundaries of variability and average values of the content of dry soluble substances were determined both within the groups (from 7.2 oBr in pink-fruited to 8.8 oBr in yellow-fruited ones), and for each studied breeding sample. The practical result of the work was selection of the most promising breeding material within different color groups of cherry tomato, combining high values of dry matter with a complex of economically valuable traits.

Seven accessions of vegetable fennel selection of the Federal Scientific Vegetable Center for Ecology were studied, in which significant differences were found in the degree of expression of the main morphological parameters (the length of the seed, endosperm and embryo). The length of each seed, endosperm (on a longitudinal section), and embryo (after isolation) were analyzed sequentially. The experiment was repeated four times, in each repetition at least 30 seeds. The indices IE/S, IZ/E, IZ/S were calculated as the corresponding ratios of the length of the seed, endosperm, and embryo.Results. A group of vegetable fennel samples showed significant differences in the length of the seed, endosperm and embryo and their ratios. The variety Udalets used as a standard had a seed length of 6.85±0.164 mm, an endosperm length of 5.30±0.118 mm, and an embryo length of 2.35±0.093 mm. Population No. 17 of the FSVC and variety Corvette of the VNIIO selection and collection sample vr. 161 local populations from India significantly (by 18.5 and 17.5%) exceeded the average value of the standard for seed length at a 1% significance level, and the minimum value of the parameter (5.65±0.109) was noted in population No. 10 of the FSVC. The minimum endosperm length was noted in samples No. 10 (4.16±0.094) and No. 11 (5.11±0.167), which is 21.5 and 4.5% lower than the standard. The largest endosperm was possessed by the seeds of the Korvet variety (6.18±0.169 mm) and sample No. 17 of the FSVC (6.09±0.158 mm), which exceeds the standard by 16.6 and 14.9%. The remaining samples exceeded the standard in this indicator, but to a lesser extent. The length of the embryo only in the Corvette variety (2.38±0.097 mm) was at the level of the standard, and even slightly exceeded it. For the rest of the specimens, this indicator varied from 1.44±0.065 mm for No. 10 to 2.25±0.165 mm for No. 10, which is significantly 4.2–38.7 below the standard. Depending on the sample, the coefficient of variation of indicators changed for the length of the embryo (17.7-32.8%), the length of the endosperm (9.6-12.2%) and the length of the seed (8.6-12.8%). A close relationship was noted only between the length of the seed and the length of the endosperm, the correlation coefficient varied from 0.595 (No. 11 FSVC) to 0.837 (Udalets St). All values of the correlation coefficient had a positive value. According to the value of the Ie/z index, the seeds of accessions No. 15 of the FSVC and vr. 161 India. Seeds of accessions No. 17, No. 10 and varieties Corvette with an index from 0.30 to 0.39 are assigned to the third class. The fourth class includes seeds of the variety Udalets (St) and selection sample No. 11 of the FSVC.

The article reflects the issues of the current state of scientific research in the FSBSI FSVC, directions and prospects for the development of selection and seed production of vegetable crops are shown. Varieties have been created that realize the bioclimatic potential of the cultivation zone, meet market requirements, and are capable of producing high yields under the influence of biotic and abiotic stressors. Selection is carried out in a combination of classical methods with innovative technologies.Biotechnologists have improved the basic protocol for in vitro microspore culture for the Brassicaceae, stages of technology for obtaining doubled haploids in microspore culture in vitro for the Apiaceae are being developed. For the first time, an effective protocol for obtaining double haploids of European radish has been developed. Doubled haploids of vegetable crops of the Cucurbitaceae, Amarantháceae, Amaryllidáceae were obtained in vitro in the culture of unpollinated ovules. The Center conducts research on the increased content of biologically active substances and antioxidants. An important place is occupied by immunological studies on the resistance of vegetable crops to harmful diseases. The institution develops systems of protective measures against pests, diseases and weeds for vegetable crops based on the use of new environmentally friendly preparations. On the basis of fundamental and priority applied research of previous years, the creation of 21 varieties and hybrids of cabbage, table beet, tomato, sweet pepper, onion, chives, leek, cucumber, melon, lettuce, chervil, potato, aster, lychnis has been completed. Along with the creation of new breeding achievements, technologies for their cultivation are being improved through the use of new agricultural practices, microfertilizers, biological products and humates on vegetable crops in various soil and climatic zones of Russia. New agricultural methods are being developed in the cultivation of mushrooms. In the field of seed production, methods are being developed to increase the germination of seeds, seed production, elements of the technology for the production of mother liquors and seeds of various vegetable and melon crops; zonal seed production technologies that increase their yield. In 2021, a team of scientists received an award from the Government of the Russian Federation for scientific work "Development and implementation of innovative technologies for growing vegetables and potatoes to provide the population with environmentally friendly food".