The article presents the results of studies of melon culture in the conditions of the Volgograd Zavolzhye. The purpose of scientific research was to determine the dependence of melon culture on the moisture content of crops for their further use in the  development of  the  necessary agricultural practices to increase the yield of melon without reducing the quality of the fruit. Evaluation of the research results showed that the level of water availability of melon crops has a significant impact on the growth and development  of plants. With an increase in total water consumption during the growing season by 18%, plants that are more powerful were obtained. During the formation and maturation of fruits, the length of the lashes is 17.2% more, the leaf area is 20.1% more with an increase in the total weight of the plant by 12.5%. The positive effect of the increased level of water availability of crops on the root system of melon plants was  revealed. With  the  total  water consumption of  2300 m3/ha, the root mass is 6.6% more than the moisture content of 1795 m3 /ha. The depth of the main mass of the roots is 1-3 cm deeper with an increased level of moisture, which contributes to a better use of available moisture by plants with the drying of the upper soil layer. Comparative  evaluation  of the yield of melon with different values of the total water in the vegetative period. The best results were obtained in the cultivation of melon with a moisture  level of 2300 m3  / ha, where the total yield of 31.7% more than the level of moisture 1975 m3  / ha, with larger fruits, the average fruit weight of  1.1  kg  more. Studies have determined the dependence of the biochemical parameters  of melon fruits on the moisture content of crops. Despite the rather high quality of  melon fruit, there was a decrease in dry matter and total sugar and an increase in vitamin "C"with an increased  level of moisture.

The results of vegetable production in recent years in the world and the Russian Federation are shown. The countries in which there was a significant change in the indicators of vegetable production are listed. The global indicators of the most important types of vegetable crops are given. The shares of the countries – the main leading vegetable producers – in the world gross harvest of vegetable products are allocated. Indicators of the size of the acreage, gross harvest and productivity in administrative districts are analyzed. The leading subjects of the Federation on these indicators are named. The collection of commercial vegetables in General and in the categories of vegetable producers. Given the share of Russia in world production of vegetables according to cultivated area, gross yield and basic types of vegetable production. It is established that the capacity of the domestic market is high and options for increasing production in the vegetable sector are proposed. The most important reasons constraining production of qualitative competitive vegetable production are designated, and also recommendations for their decision are given. The generalized results of longterm experiments allowing to pass to a new level of productivity of production of vegetables are shown. The level of influence of degradation of arable land on productivity and efficiency of vegetable growing is specified. The analysis of differentiation of districts and subjects of the Federation on the per capita consumption of vegetables, based on their own production and interregional exchange of vegetable products, taking into account imports from other countries. Consumption of vegetable production in districts and subjects of the Federation is presented. The shares of imports in the interregional exchange and to the volume of own production of vegetable products are calculated. The volume of imports is shown in real and value terms (in us dollars).

One of the urgent tasks at the present time is to obtain and widely use functional foods that have antioxidant  and anticarcinogenic effects, which serve not only to meet human needs  in   proteins,  fats,  carbohydrates, micro  -   and macronutrients,  but also contribute to the immune system, improve the heart and other human organs. For food plants, rich in antioxidant protection components, include perennial onions, from the variety of wild species which are in demand by modern medicine are only very few. The Republic of Komi is classified as the most uncomfortable  territories for human habitation.  In the flora of the Komi Republic there are three types of perennial bows – Allium angulosum  L., A. schoenoprasum L. and A. strictum Schrad.   The collection of the Botanical garden of the Institute of biology, Komi scientific center includes more than 150 species. Comparison of the chemical composition of  four  types  of  onions  from  the Botanical gardens of the Komi scientific center and Moscow state University (MSU) showed that  the  total  content  of flavonoids in  onions, Komi scientific center of  the  BS  is much higher, and the content of selenium is lower than in the same types of BS, Moscow state University. In samples of onions sticking out in the Republic of Tuva, the Republic of Buryatia,  in the Altai Mountains, the Se content is also much higher than in regional species. The soils of the Komi Republic are  depleted  Se,  however, as  shown  by  our research, wild and cultivated species of the genus Allium, are batteries of this trace element. According to our calculations, the use of 100 g of fresh herbs of chives may meet up to 60% of the daily needs of the human body in ascorbic acid, up to 94% manganese, 20% copper, 12% zinc.

Preservation of tomatoes takes place by appropriate preparation of raw materials, packing in a container and sealing it with subsequent heat treatment. In the course of our studies on the suitability  of new varieties  for canning, we noted that all varieties  reacted differently  to heat treatment. For example, the forward variety, which has high taste qualities, had a sugar-acid index of 8,44,  compared to 7,04-7,51  in other varieties,  the tasting commission was estimated at 3,1-4,6 points, which is lower than other varieties, due to cracking of the skin of the fetus. After a year of storage, the sugar and acid index, depending on the variant, was 9,18-9,93, which indicates high taste qualities of the fruit. It was noted that the higher flavor qualities, regardless of the storage time, were in option 2.  For the varieties  Festive, Carat and Forward, the best was option 3. By the end of storage, it was 11,82 for the Festive variety, 10,51  for the variety Karat and 11,98  from Forward. According to the sugar-acid index of all the varieties studied, we distinguished Forward. We found that the sugar-acid index was higher than the taste, both before and after canning, in all varieties,  indicating  their high taste qualities. A higher score was given to variants 1 (control), 3 and 4. In variant 5, a sharper smell of garlic was noted.

The technique of creation and the characteristic  of two draft lines of a tomato with functional male sterility (ps-2) are given. The results of the five-year  (2014-2018) test of two medium early determinant  F1  hybrids for open ground (F1   Orlik and F1 Ogonjok), based on draft sterile line 1324, are presented. New hybrids in  total yield and yield of standard fruits are not inferior to the Dutch hybrids F1   Yaqui («Seminis»)  and F1   Asterix («Syngenta»)  zoned in Transnistria and Moldova. The fruits of the new hybrids are plum-shaped (index 1,3 units), medium size (weight 50-70 g), bright red, with a shiny surface without a green spot. Сhemical composition and the physico-mechanical properties of fresh fruit meet the requirements. The content of solids in the fruit-more than 5%, total sugars - more than 3%, acidity is medium, sugar-acid index-about 7 unit. The strength of the fruit is high: the crushing force is more than 7 kg, the specific resistance to crushing is more than 120 and 140 g / g of mass, the force to puncture the skin is more than 260 and 280 g / mm2 .

The paper presents the stages of creating bulbous forms between A. cepa L. and A. Vavilovii Pop. et Vved. through hybridization, in vitro embryo culture, backrossing, inbreeding and cross-breeding. As object of research were considered inbred progeny I1-5   from BC1-2F5  combinations of crossing of A. cepa x A. Vavilovii.  The parent species A. cepa L. of the onion variety Odintsovets was the standard. In plants of the first year of vegetation studied signs: the color of dry scales of the bulb, the weight of the bulb, the index of the bulb shape and the number of leaves. Phytopathological assessment of onion plants for resistance to downy mildew (peronosporosis) was carried out. In the progeny of  interspecies hybrids plants were aligned on the color of the bulb (yellow and brownish). The average weight of the bulb varied from 33.5 to 92.3 g in generations I1-5  from ВС1, and in generations I1-5  from ВС2 it varied from 22.1 to 93.6 g. plants of bulbous forms had a flat bulb (I=0.6-0.7). Only plants from the progeny I3   and I5   from BC2 formed rounded-flat bulbs (I=0,8-0,9). The number of leaves in bulbous plants in the progeny varied on average from 5.3 to 7.1 PCs. The score of peronosporosis was low and medium (0.5-1.0). Was selected form of inbred progenies of I1-5   from BC1-2  with a dense bulb is flat and round-flat shape, which combined a relatively high resistance to downy mildew with a mature bulb is capable of storing.

The object of research was samples and hybrid combinations of watermelon  (Citrullus lanatus) of domestic and foreign selection, as well as samples from the collection of VIR. The aim of the work was to study and identify the source material of watermelon for use in the breeding process to create new varieties and hybrids of melons with a complex of economic and valuable characteristics and resistance to biotic and abiotic environmental factors. The essence of the experiments was reduced to the evaluation of the source material on the main features that meet the requirements for the performance of the breeding task. As a result of researches samples of a watermelon which are sources of economically valuable signs were allocated. The selection was carried out according to the yield, length of the growing season, taste and technological qualities of the fruit. Among the samples of watermelon yield was allocated 6 samples with a yield of 19.5 to 24.3 t / ha (standard 14.5 t/ha). Samples with dry matter content from 11.2 to 14.0% (standard 11.0-12.6%) were selected by taste. The length of the vegetation period in the isolated samples ranged from 68 to 72 days (standard 73 days). On the technological qualities of fruit stood out 5 samples, selected samples with an original shape and different color of fruit, bright color of the  flesh. Conducted  with  stand-out  samples of  crossing allowed to select the best hybrid combinations, characterized by valuable economic characteristics. Thus, as a result of the study and selection of samples of watermelon in the collection nursery formed a working genetic collection for further use in the breeding process in the nursery hybridization obtained hybrid combinations that have the necessary features to create new varieties.

The cultivation of perennial onions may increase the availability of green leaves in the early spring period and reduce the problem of vitamin deficiency.  Welsh onion (Allium fistulosum) is one of the most demanded crops of the perennial  onion group both in commercial and household vegetable growing. This is quite low maintenance crop with a number of positive qualities and properties. The factor that constrains the spread of this crop and its most intensive introduction  in commercial growing is the lack of varieties adapted to the growing conditions. The plant breeders of the Altai Region have made major efforts for  collecting the  source material of  Welsh onion, studying it further and conducting the selection. As a result, the clones with economically valuable characters were selected from the candidate varieties. In 2016, the candidate variety No. 44 was submitted to the State Variety Testing, it went through the trials successfully,  and was included in the State Register of Selection  Achievements as Premyera  variety. The variety is middle-ripening, the period from the mass regrowth of leaves to the beginning of economic life is 20-28 days. One of its main practical advantages is late formation of flower shoots (4-14 June), which makes it possible to extend the period of  economic validity of  landings. According to  the results of tests, on average for three years, the new variety in marketable yield exceeds the standard Nezhnost with a onetime cleaning per year of sowing by 32.2% and with cuttings in perennial crops by 39.7%.

The area of greenhouses in Dagestan currently  exceeds 220 hectares, most of which were built over the past 5 years and are high-tech facilities. The aim of our research was to identify highly productive tomato hybrids for growing in winter green-houses and to study the characteristics  of their growth and development in transitional turnover; determination  of the optimal time for sowing seeds and planting tomato seedlings  for transitional turnover; determination  of the level of accumulation of nitrates in the fruits of tomato, depending on the varietal characteristics and growing conditions. Experimental work was carried out in the greenhouse farm LLC Agro-AS, located in the Novolaksky district, p.  Novokuli (Novostroy)  is  a  suburb of Makhachkala.   It  has been established that when growing a tomato under conditions of a transitional culture under specific light conditions, the most expedient are the dates: sowing seeds in the first half of August, planting plants in the green-house in the first and second decade of September. Growing tomato plants during this period allows the plants to enter into the fruiting phase earlier and thereby form a larger number of fruits of greater mass as compared with the later sowing and planting dates. The highest yields were distinguished hybrids: Tomimaru  Mucho F1, Kyoto F1 (19.0 and 18.1 kg /  m2 ). The profitability of the production of hybrids was 70-100%.

Relevance. The introduction of plant protection systems with minimal use of pesticides is one of the main conditions for improving the environment. Phytosanitary construction of agrocenoses is the basis of plant-free plant protection. The creation of agrocenoses with a balanced predatorprey system by stimulating self-regulation mechanisms that create favorable conditions for the accumulation of natural predatory entomophages is a very promising direction in the biologization of plant protection.Methods. For 10 years, the author conducted faunistic studies, identified predatory entomoacarifagi, and showed their regulatory role in the fight against spider mites on grapes. It is established that in addition to the destruction of the spider mite on grapes, predatory mites are able to suppress the number of thrips and whiteflies. The article describes the relationship in the predatorprey system for the predatory tick Amblyseius longispinosus, which is a specialized monophage.Results. Based on many years of research, the regulatory role of the predatory tick Amblyseius longispinosus has been shown. Its high efficiency against spider mites has been proved. 12-15 days with a predator:prey ratio of 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4. Based on sketches and biometric measurements, the morphological description of Amblyseius longispinosus is supplemented. Based on the obtained research results, methods have been developed to create reproducible reserves of the number of predatory ticks in agrocenoses of Dagestan.