Relevance. It is known that peppermint (Mentha х piperita L.) is characterized by significant polymorphism, due to both genetic factors and growing conditions. Cultivated varieties and populations are distinguished by their economically significant characteristics, such as yield, winter hardiness, resistance to diseases, the content and composition of essential oil. Identification of new highly productive varieties and populations of Mentha x piperita L., distinguished by high productivity of essential oil in the Non-chernozem zone of the Russian Federation, as well as identification of morphological features characteristic of highly productive varieties, remains relevant.Methods. The object of the study was plants of 8 varieties of 2 year old plants and samples of Mentha x piperita L. from the collection of the SI Botanical Garden Rostovtsev RGAU-Moscow Agricultural Academy named after K.A. Timiryazev and from the collection of the Botanical Garden of All-Russian Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (VILAR), were used as the object of the study. Peppermint leaves (FS.2.5.0029.15 Peppermint leaves) and essential oil (GOST R 53593-2009) are used as herbal medicinal products. Microscopy used Primo Star Carl Zeiss light microscopes and LOMO MIKMED-1. Quantitative determination of the essential oil was carried out by distillation with water vapor, followed by measuring the volume of the resulting oil (GF RF XIV). The oil content was expressed in volumetric-weight percent in terms of dry raw materials.Results. As a result of a comparative study of the epidermal structures of the leaves of plants of 8 varieties of Mentha х piperita L., the density of stomata, the type of stomatal apparatus, density of location and length of multicellular trichomes, density and diameter of essential oil glands, and content of essential oil were determined. The variety specificity and variation of these indices are noted over a wide range, which is explained by the significant intraspecific variability characteristic of the genus Mint (Mentha L.). The most promising varieties of essential oil content were identified.

Relevance. In recent years, interest in the edible honeysuckle culture has increased in Russia, the wide distribution of which is hampered by the lack of quality planting material. The technology of clonal micropropagation allows for a short time to obtain a large amount of honeysuckle planting material, more than a thousand regenerated plants per year from one meristematic apex introduced into an in vitro culture. It is hundreds of times more than in traditional methods of vegetative propagation. Adaptation to non-sterile conditions is the final and most crucial stage of clonal micropropagation, the loss of which can be from 50 to 90%. It should be noted that there is practically no research on how the further development of adapted honeysuckle plants takes place during subsequent growing.Methods. Researching of growth regulators of the new generation Superstim 1 and Superstim 2 effect in low and ultra-low doses on the survival rates and development of honeysuckle plants at the stages of adaptation subsequent growing.Results. Superstim 1 is more effective at physiological concentrations – 1 x 10-7 and in the field of ultra-low doses – 1 x 10-14, 1 x 10-15%. At the stage of subsequent growing, a positive after-effect of physiological concentrations – 1x10-3 and 1x10-7 was observed, and an ultra-low dose – 1x10-17%. The growth regulator Superstim 2 at the stages of adaptation and subsequent growing is effectively used only in one concentration – 1x10-16%. The additional foliar treatments at the stage of subsequent growing are not necessary.

Few vegetable plants are a source of necessary biologically active substances. Special significance is given to spicy cultures, the most common among which is basil gardening (Ocimum basilicum L.). Its plants, possessing a rich and diverse chemical composition, are used in the medical and food industry, fresh and as components of spice mixtures to improve the quality of food. However, the basil culture is not widely spread and its use is limited. To increase the demand and consumption of this vegetable crop, the creation of promising varieties that meet modern market requirements is relevant. At the same time, it is necessary to search for sources of economically valuable traits - productivity, precocity and yield. The aim of the study was to study the collection variety samples of basil and the selection of sources of valuable features for use in breeding work. The initial material served as 72 samples of this culture of various ecological and geographical origin from the VIR collection. In the phase of mass flowering, they differ as early flowering, medium flowering and late flowering. In the phase of ripening seeds – early ripening, mid-ripening and late ripening. Selected sources of valuable features are recommended as a starting material for the selection of garden basil (Ocimum basilicum L.).

Relevance. Melon is one of the most common cultures among melons. Bykovskaya for melon breeding research station scouting for new varieties of melon. When breeding melons, it is necessary to pay attention to such economic characteristics of melons as precocity, productivity, high quality products, resistance to disease, cold resistance.Methods. Studies were carried out in 2017-2018 at the Bikovskaya experimental station, in rainfed conditions. Object of study – varieties and hybrid populations of melon.Results. As a result of selection work the new variety sample of melon of Syngent x Dune is received. In 2017, this population was first included in the station variety testing. According to the research results, the new hybrid population Matures before The standard of the autumn variety for 6 days. The excess in yield over the standard is 6.6 t / ha. The taste of the new variety sample is at the level of standard varieties Osen. Thus, the variety sample of Syngent x Dune has a beautiful appearance, high yield of marketable products, good taste of the fruit, resistance to sunburn, good transportability, which will diversify the range of melon varieties grown in Russia.

Relevance. One of the most important factors which can influence on the growth and development of strawberries is the negative temperature in winter and especially in its snowless period. We were interested to study special aspects of the oxidative stress, accumulation of protector’s conjunctions, antioxidant and water status in autumn period of varieties strawberry garden different ecologicalgeographical origin in the conditions of the Orel region.Methods. The objects of the research were the leaves of Fragaria ananassa of different ecological and geographical origin in autumn period: Tsaritsa, Alba, Sara, Korona, Kokinskaya Rannya, Solovushka, Urozhainaya TsGL.Results. As the result was shown that in autumn period, when plants began preprocessing for winter, strawberry varieties Solovushka, Tsaritsa, Sara and Korona have been marked by increased antioxidant activity (for example, the enzymes SOD and catalase), little formation of reactive oxygen species and, in the end, low structural and functional damage to cell membranes. Also it was shown an increase in bound and a decrease in free water in the leaves of plants when the temperature decreased. At the same time, in the end of autumn, on the background of high content of free proline (19.38-29.73 mg/kg) and sucrose (2.65-6.46 mg/g), the varieties Solovushka, Tsaritsa, Sara and Korona had the highest ratio of bound/free water (4.10-8.10) in comparison with the with Urozhainaya TsGL and Alba. Thus, the varieties Solovushka, Tsaritsa, Sara and Korona are characterized by high adaptability to the winter conditions in the Orel region.

Relevance. Melon as melon culture is cultivated in many countries of the world and is highly valued for its nutritional and dietary qualities. However, exposure to fungal diseases dramatically reduces the yield and taste of melons. Melon is affected mainly by powdery mildew and Anthracnose. In the conditions of the Bykovskaya melon breeding experimental station, the predominant type of powdery mildew is Sphaerotheca fuliginea. Evaluation and selection of the starting material with the identification of samples with complex resistance to these diseases is an important direction in the selection process, allowing to solve the problem of improving production efficiency and product quality.Methods. The aim of this work is to obtain melon varieties and hybrids with complex resistance to powdery mildew and Anthracnose. Complex stability was determined by artificial infection of melon plants in the phase of 2-3 real leaves by conventional methods.Results. 8 varieties and 10 F 1 hybrids of melon were studied for complex resistance to artificial Anthracnose and powdery mildew infection. Standard grade melon autumn was amazed powdery mildew of 81.2% with score lesion of 1.8 by Anthracnose, respectively, 93.8 per cent if the score is 2.3. The resulting hybrids were superior in stability to the standard. Hybrid x Ethiopian Farmer was amazed powdery mildew on 44% with score of 1.4. The prevalence of hybrid Original x Autumn was 54.4% powdery mildew with a score of 1.4, Anthracnose – 75% with a score of 1.8 (average for three years). The hybrid is fulfilled on economically valuable signs, has stable productivity of 17.5 t/ha, the content of dry substances in fruit juice to 17.2%. The samples and promising hybrids obtained with complex stability will be used in further breeding work.

The most significant in the technology of growing potatoes are the timing of removal of the tops, as this factor directly affects the physiological state of the tubers and their quality. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the effect of the timing of removal of tops on yield, quantitative yield and quality of elite seed of early maturing potato varieties Snegir, Delphin, Udacha and Zhukovskij rannij. Experience, observations and accounting were carried out according to generally accepted methods. The study was conducted in a field experiment of the Smolensk Institute of agriculture (ex. Smolensk GOSHOS). As a result of phenological observations, it was found that the mass flowering did not occur simultaneously in all studied potato varieties. Before all the phase of mass flowering occurred in the Zhukovskij rannij variety. The percentage of plant viral diseases in all studied varieties in the variant with the term of removal of the tops 21 days after mass flowering was higher, compared with the options for removing the tops in earlier flowering periods. The maximum yield of seed fraction of potato tubers in varieties Delphin and Snegir (12.6 and 26.1 t/ha, respectively) was noted in the version with the second term of removal of the tops, in varieties Zhukovskij rannij and Udacha (23.2 and 23.4 t/ha, respectively) – in the version with the term of removal of the tops 21 days after mass flowering. The yield of tubers seed fraction and their mass were the highest varieties of Dеlphin and Zhukovskij rannij. According to the results of the tuberous analysis, an increase in the total number of tubers affected by fungal diseases was observed in variants with later dates of removal of the tops. The most affected disease of all the studied varieties was the grade of bullfinch (1.5-4%), the most resistant to disease – cv. Udacha.

Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus L.) is a spicy aromatic culture, perspective to use in the food and medical industry. In the collection of aromatic and medicinal plants of the Nikita Botanical Gardens, tarragon is represented by two varieties: Isumrud and Travnevy. The Isumrud variety is characterized by a high content of essential oil (0.6% of the wet weight) of the methylchavicol chemotype (the main component of the essential oil is methylchavicol, whose mass fraction is up to 91%) and is perspective to use not only as a spice, but also in medicine as a reducing facilities. The variety Travnevy contains only 0.1% of the essential oil from the wet mass of the sabineno-elemicin chemotype (the main components of the essential oil are sabinen (40.0%) and trans-from-iso-elemicin – 26.1%), characterized by high productivity of the aerial mass (12 kg/m2 ), the main direction of use in the food industry as a spice. Due to the lack of requirements for dry raw tarragon, we have developed a draft technical specifications for dry crushed tarragon raw materials TS 01.28.30-009-01579640-2018. Specifications apply to dried whole and crushed raw materials, intended for the manufacture of water and water-alcohol infusions, as a source of biologically active substances, as a component for seasonings to meat, fish dishes, for use in cooking, as well as in the production of alcohol and soft drinks. The main physicochemical indicators of whole and crushed tarragon raw materials (type, size, smell, taste, mass fraction of essential oil, impurities, moisture, ash) are presented.

Ocimum basilicum L. (common basil) is one of the promising spicy - aromatic and medicinal plants. It is used both in traditional and traditional medicine as an expectorant, anti-inflammatory agent, gastritis, colitis, nephritis, etc. Numerous scientific studies have established that O. basilicum L. essential oil in experimental practice has good antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytostatic activity. The modern spice market requires a growing variety of forms and varieties of basil for consumption as seasoning and green vegetables. An important place is occupied by raw materials (leaf and herb of basil), in recipes of medicinal and forest teas. Essential oil is used both in the food and in the perfumery – cosmetic industry and pharmaceuticals. Perspectivity in the spice market and its multiple medicinal properties were the reason for the continuation of work on the improvement and creation of new promising varieties of basil, of various uses. A working collection was created, consisting of 34 varieties, forms and nursery of crosses and breeding selections, numbering from 40 to 100 units, on average by year. Five varieties of basil of diverse directions were created and registered in the State Register, both for consumption as seasoning in fresh and dry form, for flavoring edible salt, vinegar and oil, and also as a medicinal raw material for teas. Brief results obtained over 17 years а presented in this paper.

The aim of the study is to develop a high–yielding variety of Dracocephalum moldavica L., suitable for cultivation in the Central region of the Russian Federation, and to study the seeding rates and sowing methods on its example. The experimental part of the work was performed in Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in 2016-2017 by field and laboratory experiments. New variety "Nezhnost" (selection № 14-99) is derived by the method of individual-family selection of the cultivated population, is significantly superior to the zoned variety Gorynych on the yield of dry herb (at LSD05=1,8 с/ha) and seed (at LSD05=0,61 с/ha), gross yield of essential oil to by 20%. The object of the study of varietal features of seeding rates and methods of sowing was a promising variety "Nezhnost", for which two-factor experiment was put: 6 variants of seeding rates and 3 variants of sowing methods. Sowing period: early spring. Harvesting: when browning 3/4 of stems. The biological potential of plants has been fully realized in wide-row crops with seeding rate of 2.0-2.5 million PCs/ha, contributing to the formation of productive architectonics, optimization of the production process and maximum realization of seed productivity. To obtain high yields of Dracocephalum moldavica L. when cultivated on seeds in the Central region, the rate of seeding (2,5 million pieces of germinating seeds per hectare) is reduced by 20% of the rate when sowing on green mass, a wide-row method of sowing is used.