The article is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the head institution of the Federal Scientific Vegetable Center - the oldest and leading breeding organization for vegetable crops, better known in the scientific and socio-economic spheres of the Russian Federation by its historical name - VNIISSOK. The center's activity dates back to the creation in 1920 of the Gribovskaya Vegetable Breeding Experimental Station, where, under the leadership of Professor Sergei Ivanovich Zhegalov, a theoretical and practical basis for the development of domestic breeding was laid. In 1970, the experimental station was transformed into the AllUnion Research Institute of Selection and Seed Production of Vegetable Crops, and in 1992 into the All-Russian Research Institute of Selection and Seed Production of Vegetable Crops. Over the years, breeding methods have been developed and improved, including modern biotechnological methods, using molecular marking and interspecies hybridization. The results obtained during this period reflect the traditions of scientific schools and approaches laid down by scientists-breeders, seed growers, vegetable growers, flower growers, both in the field of basic research, and in the creation of varieties and hybrids of vegetable crops. The organizational and structural reform of breeding institutions carried out in 2017 contributed to the formation of the Federal scientific vegetable center (FSBSI FSVC), which includes VNIISSOK as the parent organization and 8 branches located in various ecological and geographical zones. At a new stage of development, the FSBSI FSVC continues its glorious traditions. Scientists have obtained world-class results in basic research and competitive selection achievements in priority applied research. The scientific results and structural changes that have occurred over the hundred-year period of the breeding establishment are the foundation for the further development of the vegetable science in the country.

Relevance. The state of Russia's agro-industrial complex determines the country's national security, as it provides the population with quality agricultural products and raw materials, which affects state sovereignty. According to a number of analysts, in commercial vegetable growing, about 80 % of sown areas are annually sown with imported varieties and hybrids, and this is a vulnerability in ensuring the industry's independence and the country's competitiveness. Strengthening technological sovereignty in the field of vegetable production is one of the priorities of the state agrarian policy, as well as the main focus of scientific organisations and private companies.Results. Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution Federal Scientific Vegetable Center (FSBSI FSVC) is a major scientific center of the industry, which can compete with foreign companies with its breeding achievements. The article shows the leading position in the breeding of vegetable and melon crops FSBSI FSVC, which actively conducts research on private genetics, biotechnology, contributing to the acceleration of the breeding process; varieties and hybrids are created that combine consistently high productivity, early maturity, resistance to biotic and abiotic stressors, high quality products with an optimal content of biologically active substances to obtain potential raw materials and products of functional action; development of resource-saving, environmentally safe, high-precision technologies for cultivation of vegetable and melon crops, taking into account species and varietal characteristics, as well as scientific bases and practical recommendations for production of original seeds taking into account zonal specifics.However, there are problems hindering the introduction of breeding achievements: the increased cost of registration of breeding achievements in the State Register of Selection Achievements of the Russian Federation of the Russian Federation, bureaucratic difficulties in their approbation, which arose for breeders after the adoption of the new law "On Seed Production". In order to solve the problems of seed production, the Ministries in charge of vegetable production have launched a sub-programme "Development of breeding and seed production of vegetable crops", which aims to increase the production of domestic competitive seeds and brings together the state, science and business.

In recent years, in the agricultural sector there is a tendency to increase the production of crop products. However, its quality is still not high enough. To improve the situation in the vegetable growing industry, an important place is given to improving breeding and seed production, since the variety and high-quality seeds are the main elements of modern crop cultivation zonal technologies. At the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Federal Scientific Vegetable Center” (FSBSI FSVC), vegetable crop breeding has been put on the innovative path of development, where modern methods are used along with classical ones: molecular markers on the main of economical important plant determinants, accelerated creation of homogeneous lines using the methods of doubled haploids and biotechnology of functional products for healthy nutrition. As a result of purposeful selection work, domestic varieties and hybrids of vegetable crops with fundamentally new qualities were created. The geographical location of the branches of the Center allows you to create breeding achievements for all potential regions of vegetable growing. In 2019, 36 varieties and hybrids of vegetables and melon crops were created, including cabbage, carrot, tomato, onion, onion Shallot, perennial onion, garlic, peas, bean, cowpea, pumpkin, cucumber, sugar corn, green vegetables culture, spicy-flavouring plant and floral crops. In order to provide the industry with pure-grade quality seed material and increase the productivity of crops due to the full use of the potential of the variety in the FSBSI FSVC, constant work is carried out in primary seed production. Zonal cultivation technologies have been developed that will allow growing domestic products in different soil and climatic conditions of the country. Wide introduction of achievements of the Russian vegetable growing science in agricultural production is capable to provide the population of the Russian Federation with high-quality, domestic production.

The article is devoted to the problem of obtaining regenerative plant varieties of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Bouquet, Emerald, Chameleon (FSBSI Federal Scientific Vegetable Center). Salad culture is insensitive to in vitro conditions and requires the development of alternative regeneration conditions. Seeds were surface sterilized in 96% ethanol (30 s), then 15 minutes in 50% aqueous solution of "Whiteness" with the addition of Twin-20 (1 drop per 100 ml), washed three times in sterile distilled water. Then lettuce seeds were placed in Petri dishes on Gamborg B5 medium (2% sucrose, 3,0 g/l fitogeli). After 10 days, the obtained seedlings were cut, the leaf blades were cut into squares 1 cm in size and transferred to medium MS B5 (2% sucrose) with three variants of hormone concentrations: 0.1 mg/l NAA and 1 mg/l BAP, 1 mg/l NAA and 1 mg/l BAP, 1 mg/l NAA and 0.1 mg/l BAP. The formed shoots were rooted on MS medium (2% sucrose, 7,0 g/l agar). Cultivation was carried out on racks with fluorescent lamps at 25°C and a photoperiod of 14 hours, illumination of 2,5 thousand Lux. According to the results of studies, the concentration of hormones (0,1 mg/l NAA, 1 mg/l BAP) was selected, which allowed to obtain up to 10 shoots from one leaf explant. Moreover, the largest number of shoots was noted on leaf explants located closer to the veins of the sheet. The obtained data allowed to improve the system of regeneration of varieties of emerald lettuce, Bouquet and Chameleon.

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 growing industry in Russia is the main component of crop production, the development of which determines the basis of life and food security. Being the most important and indispensable products of plant origin in the human diet, for a Russian, vegetables are in third place in importance after bread and potatoes. However, according to Rosstat, the level of selfsufficiency in vegetables and food melons in the country is 86,3%, which implies the need to increase their production. To improve the situation in the vegetable growing industry, an important place is given to the issues of improving selection and seed production, since the variety and high-quality seeds are the main elements of modern zonal crop cultivation technologies. At the Federal Scientific Center for Vegetable Growing, selection and seed production of vegetable crops is moving to an innovative development path, where, along with classical methods, modern methods are used: molecular marking according to the main economic characteristics, accelerated creation of homozygous lines using doubled haploid methods, plant immunity. In recent years, various methods of pre-sowing preparation of seeds have been developed to increase their viability and germination friendliness, to obtain even seedlings without harming the ecosystem. Based on the fundamental and priority applied research of previous years, in 2022, the creation of 17 varieties and hybrids of vegetable, melon and flower crops for all potential vegetable growing zones was completed. In order to provide the industry with pure-grade high-quality seed and increase the productivity of crops through the full use of the potential of the variety, the Federal Research Center for Vegetable Growing is constantly working in primary seed production. The developed zonal cultivation technologies will allow growing domestic products in various soil and climatic conditions of the country.

On 2-4th of September, 2013 the International «XV EUCARPIA Meeting on Genetics and Breeding of Capsicum and Eggplant» was held in Torino (Italy). The problems of utilization of genetic resources, evaluation and release of breeding material were discussed. Achievements in the field of molecular genetics and biotechnology of pepper and eggplant are presented.