In recent years, the transition to the digital economy (platform, gig-economy, it-economy) has been actively developing all over the world. The article analyzes the effectiveness of the use of digitalization by foreign countries, shows the contribution of the digital economy to the GDP of countries, as well as provides an overview of changes in the legal field and in the manufacturing sector, aimed at digitalization of the industry. For the transition to the digital economy, regulatory documents have been prepared, and each state program plans to create a separate section on the development of the digital economy. According to analysts, digital transformation is one of the main factors of global economic growth, and the digitalization of the economy in the Russian Federation will increase GDP by a third by 2025. Digitalization of agriculture will increase production, improve the quality and safety of food products. Blockchain technology will track the entire history of each product, and smart contracts will simplify access to the international market for small and medium-sized agricultural producers. Due to the absence (maximum reduction) of the number of intermediaries, consumer prices for products will decrease, and the price of producers, on the contrary, will increase. By 2024, it is planned to increase productivity growth by 2 times in the "digital" agricultural enterprises. All this will be achieved due to lower production costs, higher yields, increased gross margin, expansion of the market, attracting highly qualified specialists and investors in the agricultural sector. As a result of the project, a significant multiplier effect is expected in other areas, which will improve the economic performance of the country as a whole.

The aim of the research is to study the characteristics of growth, development and biochemical composition of the introduced varieties of eastern persimmon in the conditions of Southern Dagestan. Long-term studies for 2015-2018 were carried out with the use of generally accepted programs and classical methods of sorting and selection studies. As a result, the biological features of the passage of phenological phases of development of introduced varieties of persimmon eastern specific territory were studied to optimize plantings in industrial plantations and peasant farms, persimmon varieties were proposed that are characterized by valuable economic and biological characteristics and properties with the aim of increasing yields, where the fruit harvest from 1 tree and the yield from 1 ha is allocated the East Hiakume persimmon variety (317.2 g; 58.6 kg and 293.0 c/ha). According to the peculiarities of growth and development in cultivation in the conditions of Southern Dagestan, it was found that the highest height of the tree is the Hachia variety (4.74), the crown diameter the Giro variety (4.26), and the trunk circle the Hachia variety (31.7 cm). A biochemical analysis of the fruits of the main assortment of Eastern persimmon fruits was performed, which showed that the Hachia variety was distinguished by the dry matter content, the amount of sugars and vitamin C (19.3%, 13.6% and 46.5 mg%, respectively).

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.

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.

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.

Implementation of cell technologies has essentially improved the plant breeding process in agricultural crops in the world. The production of pure lines in cultivated crops, particularly among cross-pollinated species such as cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) requires much time, labor and expense. Thus, the use of DH-plants for production of fully homozygous lines for one year becomes a very promising method for near cucumber breeding program. The major factor limiting the wide use of DH is a lack of effective protocol for large-scale plant production. In this review the historical facts with description of three main methods of DH-plant production were presented. By now these three methods have been such as parthenogenesis in situ induced by pollination with irradiated or chemically treated pollen; androgenesis in vitro including anther and isolated microspore cultivation in vitro; gynogenesis through ovule cultivation in vitro. Comparative analysis of published data with regard to the efficiency of the technology for DH-plant production was shown as well as advantages and limitations of each technology were described.

Domesticated crops are characterized by narrow genetic base reflecting one or more bottlenecks during millennia-long selection. As a result, current breeding programs are limited in available germplasm and are forced to deal with incremental improvements of yield, resistance, nutritional value, etc. Since the establishment of modern genetics and biotechnology, several new approaches have emerged to extend the genetic base and germplasm improvement. Among these methods, induced mutagenesis appeared as most useful conventional breeding tool. Although, its successful application currently requires good knowledge of modern molecular tools. In this paper we will make an attempt to overview SSR, ISSR and ISAP techniques as well as to offer examples of their application in tomato breeding programs.

Relevance Among vegetable crops, tomato is one of the leading places. In Siberia, tomato production is currently concentrated mainly in small farms and the individual sector. The problem of expanding the assortment of this culture in connection with constantly increasing market requirements remains always relevant. Material and methods The purpose of the work is the development of tomato seed production methods of varieties of selection of SibNIIRS. The studies were carried out in 2014-2018 at the experimental vegetable section of SibNIIRS - a branch of the ICG SB RAS. Results The results of many years of work on the study of seed and marketable productivity of zoned varieties and prospective tomato samples from the Urals andSiberia are presented. It has been established that in the conditions of a short growing season, high productivity is shown by varieties from early and mid-season groups. The highest sowing qualities are formed when sowing in time, optimal for the zone – the third decade of April. Early seeding shifts the phenological phases towards their rapid passage, but this creates unfavorable conditions for setting – stress during transplants, unfavorable weather. During late sowing, seeds are formed with low sowing qualities due to insufficient heat supply, especially for varieties from late ripeness groups. Germination energy and germination are higher in seeds obtained from fruits taken in the phase of full biological ripeness in all varieties. With long-term ripening (eat fruit in the phase of technical ripeness) there is a high risk of seed germination inside the fruit on the one hand and lack of nutrients, which invariably affects sowing qualities.

The main direction of breeding in melon farming is the creation of varieties with high potential for productivity. The research was conducted at the Bykovskaya experimental station in the Volgograd region. The aim of the research was to create a new competitive watermelon variety malachite, which has a complex of useful and economic characteristics, resistant to biotic and abiotic environmental factors. The characteristic of the initial forms used for hybridization is given. The data of evaluation of the hybrid combination in all stages of the breeding process. According to the results of the 3-year competitive variety testing, the excess of the yield of watermelon malachite over the Sinchevsky standard averaged 1.5 t/ha. The dry matter content for all years of research was at the level of the standard and ranged from 11.4 to 12.4%. The final result of breeding work is the creation of mediumgrade watermelon malachite, which is in the state variety testing.