Silicon is biologically important element that is necessary not only for plant, but for all living organisms. Silicon was discovered in all plant organs, where its much quantity accumulates in plan cell walls of leaf and root, giving them a mechanical durability and resistance against abiotic and biotic stresses. Earlier, it was supposed that the silicon was absorbed by plants in form of monosilicic acid and then being deposited as phytoliths or accumulated in epidermal plant cells. Moreover the silicon is not only a basic structural element, but it controls many biological and chemical processes. Water soluble monosilicic acid enters into reaction with metals, organic compounds, showing properties of weak acid. Gels of silicic acid can be a catalyst and a matrix, on which the inner cellular synthesis of organic compounds occurs. In the present study the method to determinate three forms of silicon in plants, such as free, easily hydrolyzed and tightly combined is given. Thus, the part of silicon, 0.5-0.7% was observed in protein preparation of leaves of amaranth. Protein was divided into two fractions, albumins and globulins by precipitation with ammonium sulfate. After that each protein fraction was divided into two by Sephadex, where one of which come out in inner volume of gel, and second one come out in outer volume of gel (G-75). The gel distribution into fractions was of the same type characteristics. The tightly combined silicon was absent in high molecular fraction of albumins and globulins. Most of the silicon was discovered in high molecular fraction of globulins, where 80% of the element was represented by an easily hydrolyzed form. The silicon combined with proteins apparently is in a form of orthosilicic ester of hydroxy-amino acids; however it cannot be excluded that there is the formation of SiN bonds with free amino groups. Biophile silicon is a part of plant silicon (organogenic), which is basically in the form of orthosilicic esters bonded with proteins, phospholipids and pectins that are the plant components being assimilated primarily by human’s organism. In our opinion, this fraction of silicon as a microelement should be taken into account in evaluation of nutritional, forage and pharmaceutical values of plant raw material.

The cabbage certainly is the major crop in Russia. Its spreading is caused by highly valuable horticultural characteristics. On the market the popular varieties of head cabbage originated at VNIISSOK, such as ‘Ijulskaya 3200’, ‘Nomer Perviy Gribovskiy 147’, ‘Slava 1305’, ‘Podarok’, ‘Moskovskaya pozdnaya 15’, ‘Gako 741’, ‘Vertu 1340’ are appreciated. Hybrids of cabbage are the most valuable for production, due to their high yield ability, uniformity and quality comparing with cultivars. Recently, early-late maturing heterotic hybrids of white head cabbage, originated at VNIISSOK have been developed. These hybrids can be used throughout a year by means of consecutive cultivation and suitable for fresh consumption, long-storage and processing.

In 1973 the crew of polar expedition, investigating the Middendorff Bay at the messdeck Zarya, discovered the depot of food products hidden in permafrost by head of Russian polar expedition E. Toll in 1900. There were oat flakes ‘Gerkules’ and croutons in the depot. Then the study carried out in Research Institute of Vegetable Drying and Can Industry had shown that all products discovered had preserved all their food qualities. That result leaded to launch up the experimental work on the possibility of preservation of food products and foodstuffs in permafrost till 2050. Quality of product found out in Taymyr Peninsula was analyzed. The results of study on qualities after long preservation in permafrost of such food products and foodstuffs as meat, milk, fish, confectionery, concentrated food, plant seeds were given. As a result of expedition in 2016, 20 samples were taken out and new samples of two types of products were placed into repository. Overall products placed consisted of 23 items, including foodstuffs and plant seeds with account of taking them out in 2025, 2035 and 2050. On the basis of research carried out, it is proved that most of modern and casual food products can be preserved without losing their quality values.

The analysis of the national seed market state really showed the high dependence of Russian food security on imported seeds. The government means for supporting the national seed production program undertaken in 2015 by Ministry of Agriculture of RF were very effective and took action as showed the data from ‘Roselkhozcentre’. Thus, the total land area used for seed production in vegetables, melons and gourds was increased by 48% that amounted to 2104.3 ha in 2016, and that was more than in 2015. Moreover, the vegetable and melon seed producers and breeders are worried about the facts of falsification and low quality. The main reason of occurrence of such seeds that are not meeting the variety requirements in the market is an insufficient legislative system and its lack of correspondence to the current seed production, conditions and up-to-date requirements. It is necessary to take urgent measures to revise the current state of legislative system in national seed production program.

Multi-year results of collaboration diverse practical and research work between VNIISSOK and Belarusian Agricultural Academy are presented in the article. Over 25 years of collaboration work has resulted in 15 cultivars have been released and included into in State Register of Breeding Achievements of Russian Federation and Republic of Belarus. Joint cooperation research keeps on going to perform study of ecological cultivar trials and to realize breeding program for crop improvement and to show the latest achievement in the frame of annual practical and research day-long field forum. The outcomes of the last forum are also presented.

The article presents the author's method for estimation of the level of food self-sufficiency for the main types of food products in the regions of Republic of Tatarstan. The proposed method is based on the use of analytical methods and mathematical comparative analysis to compose a final rating. The proposed method can be used in the system of regional management of agro-industrial complex on the federal and local level. Relevance. The relevance of this work is caused by on the one hand a hardening of foreign policy that may negatively impact on national food security, and on the other hand the state crisis of the domestic agricultural sector. All this requires the development of new approaches to regional agribusiness management. Goal. To develop a methodology is used to assess the level of food self-sufficiency. To rate the level of self-sufficiency in main types of foodstuff in regions of Republic of Tatarstan. Materials and Methods. Statistical data of the results of the AIC of the Republic of Tatarstan for 2016 was used for the study. Analytical methods, including mathematical analysis and comparison were used. Results. Based on the analysis of the present situation for ensuring of food security in Russia it was shown that now it is necessary to develop effective indicators identifying the level of self-sufficiency in basic food regions. It was also revealed that there are no such indicators in system of regional agrarian and industrial complex at present time. As a result of analysis existing approaches the author's method of rating the level of self-sufficiency of regions was offered. This method was adopted on the example of the Republic of Tatarstan. Conclusions. The proposed method of rating estimation of self-sufficiency for basic foodstuffs can be used in the regional agroindustrial complex management system at the federal and local level. It can be used to rank areas in terms of their self-sufficiency for basic foodstuffs. This allows focusing on the improvement of backward non-advanced areas in agroindustry and making appropriate management decisions. The final rating value was 0.88 that was obtained from the analysis of the situation in the Republic of Tatarstan showing that the situation in matters of self-sufficiency for basic foodstuffs in general was good. However, there are reserves, as the maximum possible value of the rating may be 1. In the application of the proposed methodology for the assessment of the situation in various regions of the country, now it is possible to compare and evaluate the situation to take appropriate decisions for the development of management.

The results of research work on carrot seed growing through wintering seedlings carried out at laboratory of seed studies and seed production of Transnistrian Research Institute of Agriculture, on the soil of the first terrace at the rive Dniester were presented in the article. Seed bearing plants of garden carrot ‘Krasavka’ were the object of the study. The seeds were sown to produce the seedlings on 15-16 August. In the first decade of December the plants were covered with white agrotextile with density 23g/m2 that was removed at the beginning of April. The proportion of plant that passed the winter depending on a year of cultivation was 95-100% under argotextile, and 50-80% in open plot. The plants under agrotextile reached 28 cm a high and had 5-7 well-developed leaves, while those on the open plot were at phase of active foliage growing about 10-13 cm. long. Thus, for early mechanized planting in optimal terms the wintering seedlings grown under agrotextile had the best biometrical characteristics. Moreover the outcome of carrot seedlings was 1.2-1.25 million per hectare. Such quantity of seedlings was sufficient to plant 9-10 ha of carrot plants, where the coefficient of multiplication reached 9-10, and only 3 when growing seeds through mother plant as biennial culture. Viability of seed plants grown through seedlings was 100%. Losses of plant with weight 120-150 grams from damage caused by diseases was 23%. The seed yield, when growing seedlings was 639 kg/ha, but growing through plants was 332 kg/ha. The seed outcome suitable for precise mechanized sowing through seedling growing was 77%, where seed germination was 90%, with seed fraction 1.51 and >2.0 mm. It was essentially improved their yielding characteristics. Seed outcome from this fraction obtained through planting method was 32%. The proportion of seeds in fraction 1-1.5 mm was 68%. For mechanized single-seed sowing, the seeds can be used only after mini-coating. The seed growing from wintering seedlings fully excluded the application of fungicides for plant protection and seedlings from diseases; there are no expenses for building the expensive storage facilities needed for mother plant storing.

The experiments were performed during the two successive seasons of 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 at the Kazakh Research Institute of Potato and Vegetable Growing, Almaty Region, Kazakhstan. The experiment was aimed to study the efficiency of 117 different beetroot accessions for productivity and storability. To study the storability, 20 beetroot roots without any external sings of diseases were taken in two replications from each variety accession and left to be stored. The wet fresh weight of beetroots placed into storage varied from 132 g to 320 g depending on the shape and the size of roots. Beetroots were stored in polypropylene bags, which were placed on barred shelves 30-35 cm high. The storing temperature in autumn and spring period of time fluctuated from 3-5o to 6-8°, but in winter period it was 1-2°. The observed results showed that the gross yield of beetroot accessions ranged from 25.0 to 105.4 t/ha, marketable yield – 16.7 to 74.9 t/ha, marketability – 33.8 to 97.2%. Storability of beet roots mostly depended on accession genotype with different natural decrease of weight and root rot diseases. Natural decrease of weight varied from 0.0 to 12.3%, total losses from root diseases were from 0.0 to 90.0%. The analysis carried out showed that the link between yield capacity and storage characteristics was weak, R= -0,042-0,144. The correlation between storability and root rot was R = -0,516-0,644, that was stronger than it was in natural decrease of weight, R = -0.115.

Nutritional properties, benefits, economic importance of parsnip varieties ‘Krugliy’ ‘Lutshiy iz Vsekh’, ‘Serdechko’ ‘Beliy Aist, ‘Zhemtchug’ bred at VNIISSOK are discribed in the article. The descriptions of the varieties, methods of their development and technology for variety supporting are also given.

The standard methods of analysis don’t meet all modern requirements to determine the seed a quality. These methods can’t unveil inner deficiencies that are very important to control seed viability. The capabilities of new instrumental method to analyze the seed quality of root vegetables were regarded in the article. The method of micro-focus radiography is distinguished from other existing methods by more sensitivity, rapidity and easiness to be performed. Based on practical importance the visualization of inner seed structure, it allows determining far before seed germination the degree of endosperm development and embryo; the presence of inner damages and infections, occupation and damage caused by pests. The use of micro-focus radiography enables to detect the degree of seed quality difference for some traits such as monogermity and self-fertilization that are economically valuable for breeding program in red beet. With the aid of the method the level of seed development, damage and inner deficiencies in carrot and parsnip can be revealed. In X-ray projection seeds of inbred lines of radish significantly differed from variety population ones for their underdevelopment in the inner structure. The advantage of the method is that seeds rest undamaged after quality analyzing and both can be used for further examination with the use of other methods or be sown; that is quite important for breeders, when handling with small quantity or collectable plant breeding material. The results radiography analyses can be saved and archived that enables to watch for seed qualities in dynamic; this data can be also used at possible arbitration cases.