Relevance. In modern vegetable growing in the southern and central regions of Russia, new scientific developments are widely used, including the use of new varieties and hybrids, a drip irrigation system, fertigation with soluble fertilizers with microelements. All these agricultural practices make it possible to increase the yield of vegetable crops by several times, as well as to significantly increase the efficiency of applied fertilizers. The purpose of our work was to establish the effectiveness of the use of calculated doses of mineral fertilizers for tomato with the main application and top dressing under drip irrigation.Methodology. Research in 2019-2021 on ordinary heavy loamy chernozem of the experimental field of the Birutchecutskaya Vegetable Experimental Station – branch of FSBSI Federal Scientific Vegetable Center (Rostov Region, Novocherkassk) with a new variety of tomato Krasny banker.Results. It was revealed that without fertilization, the yield of tomatoes was at the level of 32-35 t/ha; the use of the recommended dose of N120P120K120 in the main application increased the yield to 64- 72 t/ha; the use of the estimated dose of mineral fertilizers (for a yield of 100 t/ha) increased the yield of tomatoes to 95 t/ha. The use of three-fold root feeding of plants with drip irrigation increased the yield by 21%, and with foliar feeding – by 2-8%. As a root top dressing for drip irrigation, a solution of microcrystalline water-soluble fertilizer "Master" with a different ratio of nutrients was used, and for foliar top dressing, an organomineral nanofertilizer with growth-stimulating activity "Arksoil KKR" was used. In general, a set of agrochemical practices made it possible to increase the tomato yield under drip irrigation from 33.7 to 102.8 t/ha, more than 3 times, without reducing the dry matter content in fruits and without nitrate contamination of products.

Relevance. Image analysis is an accessible method that can convert qualitative variables to quantitative variables. Computer imaging has been used in seed biology in a variety of ways, including testing emergence rate and identifying them. The paper examines the development in the field of computer image analysis that contribute to a better understanding of seed morphology in terms of their radial heterogeneity parameters: size, shape and color range. The size and shape of the seeds depends on the location of them in the inflorescence. The aim of the work was measuring geometric indicators and analyzing the color characteristics of Allium cristophii seeds in the RGB system, due to the multi-tiered arrangement in the inflorescence.Methods. TThe heterogeneous seeds A. cristophii Trautv were analyzed. From AllRussian Scientific Research Institute of Vegetable Growing biocollection – branch of Federal Scientific Vegetable Center. The morphometric and optical parameters of the seeds were measured by analyzing their images using the VideoTesT-Morphology software.Results. Analysis of Christoph onion seeds heterogeneity showed that the length and width of the seeds from the lower tier were 3.301 and 2.681 mm, from the average – 3.295 and 2.605 mm and from the upper tier – 3.265 and 2.58 mm respectively. The average seed size from the lower tier was 2.99 mm, the average size was 2.95 mm and the lower tier was 2.92 mm. Statistically significant decrease of indicators over all color channels (according to RGB color model) from the lower tier - to the upper tierwas revealed. The tiered arrangement of flowers on the inflorescence is the cause of non-time maturation of Allium seeds. Operational ease, low cost commercial computer technology, and non- destructive seed analysis and sorting highlight the potential of this method for application in a seed laboratory.

Relevance. The yield of watermelon fruits and seeds depends on many factors, one of which is the phytosanitary condition of the crops. Weather conditions during the growing season at the beginning of flowering contributed to the infection of plants with bacteriosis and Alternaria.Methodology. The experiments were carried out in the central zone of the Krasnodar Territory in the department of vegetable and potato growing of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Federal Research Center of Rice" at the seed-growing site of the watermelon variety Nitsa. The work was carried out in accordance with generally accepted guidelines. Results were obtained on the use of fungicides Metabacterin and Plantare on seed crops of the Nitsa watermelon variety.Results and discussion. Double treatment with drugs significantly limited the spread and damage of plants by bacteriosis and alternaria. The phytotoxicity of Plantarel for harmful pathogens was higher than that of Metabacterin, which was reflected in an increase in fruit yield – by 7.8 t/ha, fruit marketability – by 8% and seed yield – by 57 kg/ha more, in comparison with the control option. The effect of treating watermelon plants with Metabacterin on yield indicators is less significant in comparison with Plantarel but higher than in the control variant. 4.2 t/ha more fruits were collected, with a 5% higher yield of marketable fruits and a 5 kg/ha higher seed yield than from watermelon plants without protective measures. The use of drugs contributed to the preservation of a larger number of plants in the variants (compared to the control), and ensured a high accumulation of dry soluble substances in the fruit pulp. Bacteriological and mycological analyzes showed that there are no pathogenic microflora on seeds from fruits from plants treated with Plantarel and Metabacterin. Both drugs have a growth-stimulating effect. Soaking the seeds before sowing in a solution of preparations contributed to the emergence of vigorous shoots three days earlier than when soaking in water.

The article presents the results of research on the production in vitro of regenerated plants from the seeds of cultivars of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Emerald, Bouquet, Chameleon (FSBSI Federal Scientific Vegetable Center), susceptible of aspermia tomato (Tomato aspermy cucumovirus) – AsTV. Seeds of strongly susceptible to AsTV varieties of salad Chameleon and Bouquet were subjected to thermotherapy at different temperatures (37°C, 38°C, 40°C) for a different time interval (1, 3, 5, 7, 10 days) in dry form and when moistened. Marked varietal specificity during germination of seeds after thermotherapy. Thus, the greatest number of seedlings in the emerald variety was obtained after 5 days of thermotherapy (10.0±0), while the Bouquet variety had the best results after 3 days of thermotherapy (9.3±1.2) with moisture. After thermotherapy of dry seeds by 40°C plant material of cultivar Emerald was planted on solid and liquid culture media. The conditions of step sterilization of lettuce seeds for introduction into the culture in vitro were chosen: washing in 96% ethanol, then in 50% aqueous solution of "Whiteness" with the addition of Twin-20, after in sterile distilled water. The nutrient medium for germination of lettuce seeds was used: Gamborg B5 (2% sucrose, 7.0 g/l agar), and the liquid nutrient medium was of that composition. The obtained seedlings were cutted and transferred to medium MS (2% sucrose, 0.1 mg/l ha and 1 mg/l BAP, 3.0 g/l phytogel). The formed shoots for rooting were transferred to the MS medium (2% sucrose, 3.0 g/l phytogel). In the future, lettuce plants will be adapted in vivo and tested for the presence of tomato aspermia virus in the planting material.

The vegetable production is one of the main factors for food security, as vegetables play an important role in the structure of nutrition. The Federal Scientific Vegetable Center creates competitive varieties and hybrids of vegetable crops that meet market requirements to meet the needs of domestic producers and thereby contributes to food security. As a result of national breeding program, the varieties and hybrids adapted to different growing conditions, with resistance to local races of pathogens, temperature stresses, and ground frosts were developed to provide the sustainable production of vegetables with high nutritional and medicinal qualities. The varieties and hybrids F1 of white head cabbage that have been created for the last 5 years are distinguished from foreign ones by taste qualities, appropriate pickling characteristics with increased sugar, and decreased cellulose contents. The local onion varieties combine long shelf life, early maturing, well bulb formation, high dry matter content (18-20%) and ability to form the bulb for one year. Breeders have developed bee-pollinated and parthenocarpic hybrids of cucumber well adapted to local growing conditions and suitable for open field cultivation in different regions of Russia. Parthenocarpic heterotic hybrids of the multi-propose use, corresponding to the modern variety model with high productivity, early-ripening, bunch ovary disposition, resistance to abiotic stresses, and most harmful diseases. The carrot and red beet varieties with high nutritional qualities, long shelf-life, ecological plasticity that are widely used for seed production have been created. The varieties of Solanaceae crops have been developed to cultivate in Non Chernozem zone, Far East, Western Siberia, the Middle Belt of Russia and the south of Russia, are also suitable for different greenhouse complexes located in different light zones of the Russia. Wide application of varieties produced through national vegetable breeding programs can provide the population with our own products of high quality.

Relevance. In recent years, physiologists are very interested in studying the characteristics of the growth and development of seedlings under conditions of etiolation. Etiolated seedlings, as a model object, are interesting in studying the responses of a plant organism to the effects of various biotic environmental factors. In this regard, a comprehensive study of the characteristics of the influence of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Хсс) on growth processes in the early stages of development of white cabbage plants, depending on the racial composition of the pathogen, is very important.Material and method. The study was carried out on the basis of the immunity and plant protection laboratory of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution of the Federal Scientific Vegetable Center (FSVC). The material of research were seeds of two varieties of white cabbage with different resistance to vascular bacteriosis and four races of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Хсс1, Хсс3, Хсс4 и Хсс6). Sterile seeds of each variety were laid out in Petri cups. Infection with different races of Xcc was carried out by introducing into each Petri cup 1 ml of a bacterial suspension of a two-day culture at a concentration of 106 cells/ml. Half of the Petri cups were placed in a thermostat without illumination, the other was exposed to light under a 16- hour regime of illumination with diffused light. The magnitude and orientation of biological effects of studied factors on biometric parameters of seedlings were evaluated by the relative deviation of the difference between parameters of the experimental and control variants.Results. A different degree of influence of the resistance of the variety and the aggressiveness of the pathogen race on the growth of individual parts of the seedling has been established, and the response of etiolated and photosynthetic seedlings to infection is often the opposite. In the susceptible cultivar Slava 1305, acceleration of root and hypocotyl growth in the dark (Хсс3, Хсс4 and Хсс1) and inhibition of these processes in the light (Хсс1, Хсс4 and Хсс6) were noted. Relatively stable SB-3 F1 hybrid has more pronounced raspecificity of the effect of Xcc on root growth and stimulation of hypocotyl growth in all variants, which was 2-8 times lower in etiolated seedlings when infected with Xcc6 and Xcc1 races than in light ones, and when infected by the races Xcc1 and Xcc4, the effect was comparable.

Clubroot disease (causative organism Plasmodiophora brassicae Wor.) is among the most economically important and harmful diseases of the cole crops, and the damage due to this disease may reach up to 50-75% of the yield and even 100% in epiphytotics years. Even resistant varieties become susceptible over the years, because of appearance of the new pathogen races and change of climatic conditions in the main growing areas of the crop. In this context the Laboratory of Plant Immunity and Protection, of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Federal Scientific Vegetable Center” implements continuous phytoimmunological evaluation of collection and selection specimens and also directional material rather than just annual monitoring of causative organism dissemination in order to find new resistance sources. For this purpose an artificial infection background is used: compost obtained from decomposed nodules on the cabbage roots affected by clubroot disease (infection load 105-106 spores/cm3). The resistance of white cabbage varieties was evaluated during the harvesting period using five-point score of the root system damage, which formed the basis for categorization into resistance groups. For the analysis of artificial background intensity and specimen ranking the individual plants of the white cabbage variety Slava 1305, which is a susceptibility standard, were randomly planted in the entire area of the infection background. The impact of atmospheric conditions in the study year on the results of phytopathological evaluation of cabbage selection specimens against the infection background is demonstrated. Under unfavorable conditions for pathogen development (2014) the most specimens (74%) were categorized as relatively resistant, while in favourable for pathogen year 2015 relatively resistant specimens comprised only 5% of the total number of studied specimens. Since the same specimen may show different level of resistance depending on the year conditions, the stability of character manifestation is the important criterion for identification of the resistance resources. Phytopathological evaluation aimed on selection of clubroot-resistant forms in the Moscow region should last for at least three years even with the use of infection background. Long-lasting evaluation showed that the strains No 234/15,140/14,216/17 exhibiting high resistance to clubroot against artificial infection background regardless of the year conditions are the most valuable for selection. The resistance of white cabbage selection varieties to clubroot disease was studied against the infection background.

Relevance. Vegetable soybean is a special variety with high added value, consumed fresh and harvested at the stage technical ripeness (R6). Accession-A is one of the promising vegetable soybean materials, studied and identified as a result of work that was carried out jointly with the Federal Scientific Vegetable Center in the Moscow Region (FSVC) and the Agrobiotechnology Department of the Agricultural Technological Institute (ATI) of the RUDN University named after Patrice Lumumba. The use of microorganisms to promote atmospheric nitrogen fixation is a common practice in soybean production.Methodology. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of two microbiological preparations based on Sinorhizobium fredii and Bradyrhizobium jaроniсum in order to identify which microbiological preparation gives the best results in terms of morphological indicators and vegetable soybean yield under the conditions region of the Non-Chernozem zone of the Russian Federation. The object of the study was accession-A of vegetable soybean. Two types of treatment were carried out: B1 – treatment with a preparation with Bradyrhizobium jaronicum (1 l/t of seeds), B2 – treatment with a preparation with Sinorhizobium fredii (1 l/t of seeds). Control without treatment (K).Results. According to statistical analysis of biometric indicators, it was found that treatment with S. fredii (B2) had the highest average values for indicators of stem diameter (11.50 mm), lower pod attachment height (11.19 cm), number of branches (3.40 pcs.) and the number of productive nodes (27.48 pcs.). Preparation B2 improved the structure of the crop, influencing the obtainment of the highest indicators of plant weight (30.47 g), seed weight per plant (15.33 g), weight of 1000 seeds (171.25 g), number of seeds per plant (98.50 pcs.), number of seeds in a bean (2.89 pcs.) and seed yield (3.11 t/ha). The use of microbiological preparations based on B. japonicum and S. fredii gave better results compared to the control treatment.

The article presents a literature review on fasciation in pumpkin crops. In almost all pumpkin crops, you can find such a phenomenon as fasciation. However, it is more common in cucumbers and pumpkins than in melons and watermelons. Fasciation (or crystallization) is a change that can occur in the morphology of plant organs and usually includes expansion of the apical meristem of the shoot, flattening of the stem and changes in the arrangement of leaves. In pumpkin crops, the fasciated organs are often whips, flowers and fruits. A number of authors divide fasciations into inherited and non-inherited. The first are caused by internal reasons. The second is the effect of external factors, such as insect damage, injury, weather conditions. According to literature data, fasciation is caused by 1-2 recessive genes with incomplete manifestation and variable expression, which depends on a number of factors, including environmental conditions. The opp gene may have a pleiotropic effect on fasciation and leaf arrangement. In Federal Scientific Vegetable Center in spring film greenhouses, among the selection and collection samples of cucumber, fasciated plants ranged from 0 to 1.9%, depending on the genotype of the studied samples and the year of research (growing conditions). According to literature data, fasciation is more often observed in short-fruited, but it can also be detected in long-fruited forms of cucumber. Fused fruits are more likely to appear on cucumber hybrids with a large number of ovaries in the node. It should be noted, that highly fasciated plants are usually less productive, and most fasciated fruits are often classified as non-standard and rejected. Regular culling by breeders of fasciated samples and plants, within individual samples, will allow to create varieties less prone to fasciation. And compliance with the recommended varietal agrotechnics, improvement of the ecological situation will help to significantly reduce the number of fasciated plants and fruits and improve the marketability of products.

Relevance. Cercospora leaf spot (Сercospora beticola) is a widespread disease of table beet that reduces the yield of root crops in many beet-growing regions. Annual losses from cercosporosis amount to 30-40%, and in the years of epiphytotic diseases – 50% or more. The fungus has a complex intraspecific structure, includes many pathotypes and races, which should be taken into account when breeding for resistance. The main method of creating resistant forms of table beet to C. beticola is the selection of cercospore-resistant lines in the natural manifestation of the disease and on artificial backgrounds. In open ground conditions, it is not always possible to assess the resistance of table beet to cercosporosis, since cercosporosis is weak in some hot and dry years. Therefore, laboratory assessment methods are important to accelerate the breeding process. The purpose of the research is to carry out an immunological analysis of beet lines in the field and laboratory conditions for the selection of sustainable material.Materials and methods. The assessment of beet variety samples for resistance to cercospora blight was carried out in open ground conditions on the basis of the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Vegetable Growing – branch of the FSBSI Federal Scientific Vegetable Center (Moscow region). In laboratory conditions, artificial infection of separated red beet leaves was carried out. The objects of the study were inbred lines of red beets of the 1st-6th generation.Results and discussion. As a result of evaluation and selection, red beet lines No. 713 and 790 with increased resistance to cercospora blight were identified. It has been established that for practical breeding it is necessary to constantly and strictly select for resistance to cercospora blight. In laboratory conditions, a method of artificial infection of separated leaves has been developed, which allows for a short period of time to carry out a preliminary assessment of a large number of beetroot samples for resistance to cercospora blight.