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. In the transition to highly productive and environmentally friendly, in particular, organic agriculture and production of safe and high-quality products, which is a priority direction of strategies of scientific and technological development of the Russian Federation, one of the necessary links is the creation and control of optimal conditions of plant nutrition, i.e. provision of plants with nutrients in the right combination throughout the vegetation. Achievement of such conditions is possible through soil and plant nutrition diagnostics, which in turn allows to establish the ability of crops to assimilate nutrients from the soil and adjust the doses of mineral fertilisers as top dressings.Material and Methods. On alluvial meadow soil in the conditions of the non-Black Earth region of Russia, the effectiveness of root feeding with macronutrients (NPK) was studied according to the results of plant and soil diagnostics of table root crops nutrition when grown on organic and mineral fertiliser systems. Plant and soil diagnostics of mineral nutrition was carried out according to the methods of Zerling V.V. (1990) and Magnitsky K.P. (1972). Two crops were tested during the experiment: red beet variety Mulatka and garden carrot variety Losinoostrovskaya 13.Results and Discussion. Root fertilizers on the basis of nutrition diagnostics on the basis of soil and leaf petiole analysis made significant changes in the dynamics of basic nutrients in the soil, there was an increase in nitrate nitrogen and mobile potassium in comparison with the control variant, with natural soil supply of mobile phosphorus (more than 250 mg/kg), which had a positive effect on the root nutrition of plants. At the main application of mineral and organic (biocompost BIUD) fertilizers, root fertilizers according to nutrition diagnostics the carrot yield 51,2-63,9 t/ha with standard 87,4- 94,6%, red beet 41,7-54,2 t/ha with standard 80,7-92,3% were obtained. Root feeding of carrots by soil diagnostics N52K14 on the background of biocompost gave 24.9% increase to the control, by plant diagnostics N17 gave 16.6%; red beet by soil diagnostics N65K45 – 30% increase, by plant diagnostics N54K30 – 23.7%

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.

Relevance. Grain of vegetable pea varieties is processed at canning factories, frozen, dried, and consumed fresh. Industrial cultivation of peas can be made more environmentally friendly by using biological preparations that contain growth-stimulating bacteria, for example Rhizobium species. With additional inoculation with rhizobacteria, legumes have higher values of traits characterizing vegetative development, biochemical parameters and yield; their immunity and resistance to abiotic stress increases as well.Methodology. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of additional inoculation of Rhizobium leguminosarum strain 245a on biometric and physiological parameters and yield of vegetable pea varieties. The experiment was carried out at Krymsk Experiment Breeding Station – a branch of VIR (Krasnodar Region, Krymsk). We studied six commercial cultivar: Prima, Mayak, Alpha 2, Vesta, Parus (leafless morphotype) and Patriot. The seeds were treated the day before sowing with an aqueous solution of the biopreparation Rhizotorfin (produced by ECOS BIOPREPARATIONS, St.Petersburg) and with water in the control variant.Results. The use of the preparation had a growth-stimulating effect on vegetable pea plants. An increase in the length of plants, the height of attachment of the lower pod and the number of completed pods on the plant was found. An increase in the content of dry matter in the total biomass of plants, stems with leaves and pods was noted when using Rhizotorfin. Also, inoculation with rhizobacteria contributed to an increase in yield. The effectiveness of the biopreparation depended on the conditions of the year. The maximum difference between the values of the studied traits for the control and treatment variants was in 2023 - with a uniform distribution of precipitation and optimal temperatures during the growing season. A genotype-dependent reaction of vegetable pea plants to seed treatment with bacteria Rhizobium leguminosarum strain 245a was revealed. The most responsive to additional inoculation is the variety Parus of the leafless morphotype. The values of most biometric and physiological traits and yield in this genotype were significantly higher in the variant with the use of the Rhizotorfin biopreparation. Based on the results obtained, we recommend using the Rhizotorfin biopreparation when growing the variety Parus for commercial production.

Relevance. During the formation of cabbage heads, under certain conditions, white cabbage is damaged by a burn of the top of the inner leaves of the head, which abroad received the stable name “tip burn”. This disorder is interpreted as a physiological or non-infectious disease, the cause of which is a violation of calcium intake. The disease manifests itself inside the cabbage head, resulting from the interaction of environmental stress factors and the predisposed genotype. The most effective way to combat this disorder is to develop highly tolerant hybrids. This is especially true for the south of Russia, where the stress load on plants is maximum.Purpose of the study – to develop a principle for selecting parental pairs for developing hybrids that are resistant to the tip burn of the inner leaves of a cabbage head, and to identify promising hybrids. Materials and methods. In 2021-2022 in FSBSI "Federal Scientific Rice Centre", in the department of vegetable growing, 45 hybrid combinations obtained on the basis of 10 inbred lines were assessed under field conditions for the trait "burn damage to the inner leaves of the cabbage head." An analysis of the combining ability of lines according to Griffin, and an analysis of the inheritance of the trait according to Heiman were carried out. In 2023, a competitive test of promising hybrids was carried out.Results. In both years of research, 5 lines had negatively stable TCA for burn damage: Ten4270, Yas25p, Bs1f, Agr 82, 270Hn111. SCA of lines is more subject to changes from year to year. The effects of SCA in hybrids due to dominance, epistasis and overdominance in individual combinations significantly influence the manifestation of the trait in the direction of decrease or increase. The principle of selecting parental pairs to develop stable hybrids is based on a combination of lines with a negative SCA value; in some cases, it is permissible to include one line with an average SCA and low SCA. Analysis of genetic parameters according to Heiman confirms the prevalence of non-additive inheritance of the lesion; in unstable forms, the disorder is controlled by dominant polygenes and is highly heritable.

Vegetable chips are extremely popular due to high content of antioxidants, valuable biological activity and long-term storage. During the investigation optimal methods of drying and chips storage from celery (Egor and Dobrynya cvs), parsnip (Krugly, Bely aist and Zhemchug) and parsley (Zolushka cv) roots were developed using the criteria parameters of taste, aroma, color and antioxidant content. The highest organoleptic properties were recorded for celery chips of Dobrynya cv, parsnip chips of Krugly cv and root parsleyThe highest differences in chips organoleptic parameters between convectional and freeze-drying methods reached 1.5 times for parsnip Bely aist cv. while the lowest differences were recorded for root parsley (1.05 times). Decrease in antioxidant activity during freeze-drying was the lowest in root parsley and celery Dobrynya cv. Convectional drying did not affect chips total antioxidant activity and demonstrated the highest preservation effect after 8 months storage. On the contrary, vitamin C losses were the highest during convectional drying though during storage vitamin C content in such chips decreased much less than in freezedried products. Aluminum foil provided 1.2-1.8 times higher content of antioxidants than paper and polyethylene package. Significant inter species and varietal differences in antioxidant stability during various methods of drying and storage were revealed.

This article describes the history of the industrial development of the essential oil industry and the prospects for cultivating such essential oil crops as dill and coriander, including in the territory of Transbaikalia. Data are provided on the volume of essential oil production in Russia in different years. The noted morphobiological features of dill and coriander suggest the possibility of obtaining a high yield of fruits when they are cultivated by agricultural producers in the dry steppe zone of Transbaikalia. For the first time, in the conditions of the dry steppe zone of Transbaikalia, field research was carried out to study the effectiveness of some agricultural practices for cultivating zoned varieties of dill and coriander. The results of three years of research (2021-2023) on the formation of fruit yield of plants of the Umbrella family with a one-year development cycle - dill (Gribovsky, Lesnogorodsky varieties) and coriander (Karibe variety) in the driest soil-climatic zone of Transbaikalia are summarized. It was revealed that the heat supply of the growing season affects the formation of the fruit yield of the studied crops. The highest fruit yield was obtained from the Gribovsky dill variety at an average sowing time, and from the Lesnogorodsky variety when sowing early. At the same time, the Gribovsky variety is superior in yield to the Lesnogorodsky variety. The coriander variety Caribe provided the maximum fruit yield at a late sowing time in all years of research. In general, the soil and climatic conditions of the dry steppe zone of Transbaikalia make it possible to obtain a harvest of aromatic dill and coriander at the level of other regions of Russia, which determines the future development of essential oil crop production in our region.

Relevance and methodology. The task of controlling the growth and development of sugar beet plants with the help of lighting devices is of interest from the point of view of identifying biological features of the culture and in breeding practice. The purpose of the research is to determine the response of plants to the effects of low–energy monochrome radiation at the initial stage of ontogenesis (germination of seeds (coplodia) sugar beet). In this regard, the seeds of the hybrid Smena were germinated in the dark (control) and under different variants of continuous illumination with wavelengths of 380 nm, 440 nm, 525 nm, 660 nm and 730 nm.Results. The reaction of sugar beet seeds and sprouts to illumination with monochromatic light depends on the wavelength Germination of seeds when irradiated with monochromatic far-red light leads to a decrease in germination energy by 23%, seed germination by 39%, the height of sprouts and aboveground biomass by 21.8% compared with the control (dark germination). Similar indicators were observed for the negative effect of red light. Exposure to UV-A light (380 nm) led to an increase in germination energy by 4%, but germination, on the contrary, decreased by 12%. The terrestrial biomass of sprouts also decreased (by 9.9%). Irradiation with green and blue light had a positive effect on growth: the terrestrial biomass of sprouts increased by 19.8% with a green spectrum and 7.3% blue. At the same time, there was no decrease in germination energy and germination compared to the control. The germination energy under the influence of blue light even increased by 12%. With dark germination, elongated etiolated plants were formed on the 10th day, whereas in the variants of green, blue and UV-A irradiation, harmoniously developed dark green shoots were formed.

Previously, surface soil acidity was amended by the application of lime, gypsum, and acidic soil-tolerant crop species. However, their effectiveness in subsurface soil acidity reduction is limited.   Thus, this review paper aimed to screen the tree species that easily overcome such problems.   Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar, African journals online, and Google search engine databases were used. A total of 60 acidic soil-tolerant tree species were identified. Acacia auriculiformis, Acacia crassicarpa, Arbutus unedo L., Casuarina junghuhniana, and Erythrina abyssinica were among the extremely acidic soil-tolerant tree species. Whereas Acacia cincinnata, Acacia mangium, Pinus patula, Albizia saman, Citrus x paradisi, and Cassia reticulata were belongs to some of the strong acidic soil tolerant tree species. Generally, the species' acidic tolerance capacity and planting site compatibility should be considered for the success of amendment works. Scaling out these species and large-scale plantations should be done in addition to estimating their relative percent of acidic soil amendment roles. Producing stable food in line with reclaiming acidic soil is achieved through the integration of stress tolerant fruit trees. Research on large-scale plantations, domestication, skilling up and comparative evaluation of their levels of acidic soil amendment capacity should be performed in the future.

Solanum tuberosum L. is susceptible to 40 different virus species and 2 viroids. To prevent plant viruses from spreading in field conditions, it is necessary to have reliable data on the species composition of plant reservoirs of viral infection, the total activity of insect vectors, and possible ways of virus transmission in a particular territory of seed material production. Attention should be paid to the factors that facilitate and hinder the disease development in crops and to disease symptoms in different potato varieties. Manifestations of viral infections were monitored on every plant from the sample at the stages of initial growth, bud formation, and flowering and before the removal of potato haulms. Insects were collected using standard entomological method. The total RNA was isolated employing commercial kits for the extraction of nucleic acids from plant material “PhytoSorb” (Syntol Llc) and the benchtop automated extraction instrument KingFisher Flex (ThermoScientific) with magnetic particles. Plant viral infection was observed to accumulate if potato planting material was not renewed. The tested potato plants contained mixed viral infection, which consisted of viruses from mosaic group: PVY, PVX, PVM, PVS PVA, as well as PSTVd and PLRV. Without the renewal of seed potatoes, the concentration of plant viruses in an agroecosystem rises and causes secondary infections in potato plants. The research identified the main insect-vectors in the agroecosystem of potato fields: insects from genera Cicadella, Henosepilachna vigintioctomaculata, Dolycoris baccarum, Mythimna separata, Lygus pratensis, and Rhopalosiphum padi. Many wild weeds serve as fodder plants for insect vectors facilitating the accumulation of plant viruses in agroecosystems. It was established that perennial weeds were the main plant reservoirs of dangerous viral infections, e.g. Sonchus arvensis and Taraxacum officinale. We determined that Trifolium pratense typus L., Chenopodium album L., Plantago major L., Barbarea vulgaris W.T. Aiton, and Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. were the reservoirs of PVY. All these factors can lead to an epiphytotic situation.