The study of the natural potential of density regulators of pests – such as entomophages and predators is interesting from both an environmental and an economic aspect. Fauna of most species and the degree of their effectiveness in the regional level have been little studied to date. Development of integrated plant protection involves the gradual replacement of highly toxic pesticides by biological means of plant protection, which is based on parasitoids and predators. The results of the study on faunal parasitoids of phytophagous in southern Dagestan are presented in the article, where their efficacies and survival under pesticide treatments have been also shown. As a result of research, the most resistant to the toxic chemicals was phase of Dibrachys cavus Walk. For the first time the information on the ratio among species (phytophage to entomophage) was given in the conditions of Dagestan, where regulatory function of the species in agrobiocenosis and their morphological descriptions were given as well. Species composition of the insect fauna and the dynamic of number of most spread ones were determined on the basis of systematic records in stationary areas according to the methods developed by G.E. Osmolovsky (1964), Paly V.F. (1966, 1970) and Fasulati S.R., (1971) et al. Identification of the species was performed according to identification guide by O.L. Kryzhanovsky (1974). The results are interesting to optimize the methods that can be used to protect the grapes from the most dangerous herbivores.

Winter garlic as a source of vitally necessary macro and microelements is very important in human's diet. Therefore, correlation links among accumulation the basic chemical elements in bulbs of winter garlic were estimated. It was shown that positive reliable relationship (r=0.71-0.85) was discovered between average potassium accumulation and elements, such as magnesium, aluminum and boron, and also between magnesium and boron accumulation, and between aluminum and magnesium. The correlation analysis showed negative relationship between cadmium accumulation with copper (r=-0.71) and silicon (r=- 0.66) accumulations. There is no significant relationship between lead accumulation and other element accumulation. The significant positive correlation was revealed between accumulation of radionuclides 90Sr, 137Cs in garlic bulbs and accumulations of aluminum, calcium, boron and magnesium with coefficients 0.74 and 0.85; 0.70 and 0.78; 0.65 and 0.77; 0.57 and 0.72, respectively. It was shown that accessions more resistant to diseases accumulated less cadmium (r=-0.47), but more lead (r=0.49). Moreover, it was noticed that accessions with high accumulation of potassium had the low percent of well-wintered bulbs (r=-0.57), but more accumulation of Zn and Fe caused the improved hardiness (r=0.80, 0.75, respectively).

The most part of tomatoes cultivated in Astrakhan oblast are transported in industrial centers of Russian Federation. Introduction of new cultivars suitable for mechanized harvesting and transportation has a considerable significance for tomato production in Nizhniye Povolzhye, and consequently, increases the profitability of vegetable production. At All-Russian Research Institute of Vegetable, Melon and Ground Growing several new-bred tomato cultivars passed the trial test, and thus, were shown to meet all requirements for upto-date agricultural technology.Two tomato cultivars 'Bokserskiy' and 'Klasicheskiy' were bred on the base of experimental data. These cultivars exceeded the standard 'Moriyana' in yield capacity, fruit weight, and had nearly equal biochemical composition. According to results obtained, it was shown that the fruits of cultivars 'Bokserskiy' and 'Klassicheskiy' were suitable for mechanized harvesting and long distance transportation.

Diverse technological methods are widely used in horticulture to improve the energy of seed germination, as well as growth and development of plants and their productivity. Ecologically safe methods to accelerate the plant growth processes are known as a presowing treatment of seeds and foliar feeding by plant growth-stimulating agents of natural origin. Pre-sowing seed treatment is necessary when plants grow and maturate not simultaneously, as noticed in amaranth. The action of growth-stimulating agents is an influence in slight concentration not only on biometrical plant parameters, but also on photosynthetic reactions and whole plant physiology. The seed treatment by preparations containing biologically active substances is not only ecologically safe methods but also an economically profitable. Consequently, improvement of quality in vegetable crops by high content of biologically active substances in them, such as polyphenols can be reached with technologies based on the use of preparations, containing biologically active substances and biogenic chemical elements. It was shown that distinctive feature of red leaf plants of amaranth cultivar ‘Valentina’ was a very variable concentration of phenolic compounds such as flavonoids (quercetin, apigenin and their glycosides), hydroxycinnamic acids, simple phenols, polymeric and condensed polyphenols in different aged leaves at the time of vegetation. Moreover, the metabolite variation, antioxidant in fractions of phenolic compounds, obtained from different aged leaves, was increased by biopreparations of natural origin. It is supposed that those preparations had an effect on stress-action system as in protective plant reaction, increasing the antioxidants content. The data obtained has shown that the plants of amaranth, as a promising source of antioxidants, can be used to develop functional food products and phytopreparations.

Standard for organization for candied pumpkin has been developed. Industrial raw material. The following ‘Technical Specifications’ included: definitions, terms, abbreviations, technical requirements, orders of reception, trial methods, transportation and storage, labor protection, fire security and reference list. The product is pumpkin pulp cut to pieces of different shapes and sizes boiled in sugar syrup, dried and coated with granulated sugar. Fruits of pumpkin that need for production are obliged to be in the phase of biologically freshness and maturity, healthy, without soiling. The cultivars for table use with smooth peel, thick and dense, not fibrous pulp with thickness over 3 cm. and deepyellow or bright-orange color are taken. The finished products are packed according to GOST. The candied pumpkin is well preserved up to six month for retail sale and up to 12 month for further industrial processing. The candied pumpkin is stored in dried and well ventilated room with relative air humidity below 75% and temperature from 0° to 20°C.

The long period of time needed for production of homozygous ms-and mf-lines in biennial crop is a problem in development of heterotic hybrids in red beet. The use of steckling culture and protected cultivation technology are the  suitable methods  to  speed  up  the  development  of breeding lines. However, the relationship between exhibition of CMS trait in seed plants and horticulturally valuable traits of steckling is very important aim of the study to be considered. The study was performed in 2012-2014. The red  beet  inbreeding  lines (I2-I5), obtained  through steckling culture in low-volume technology under protected cultivation condition were used as a plant material for the study. The generations that were obtained were from cultivar population ‘Nezhnost’ and a hybrid population of foreign origin. As a result, it was shown that one of criterions of indirect selection of ms-form in inbreeding generation may be the fast-maturity of stecklings that determined their yield weight at harvesting. The average weight of steckling belonging to sterile plants in progenies of different inbreeding generations, not depending on the time of harvesting was higher than in fertile plants. Therefore, probability to select the valuable ms-forms among groups of fast-maturing  plants with  greater weight  of steckling was higher. The selection of stecklings from smaller size groups of middle maturing and late maturing inbreeding progenies is required to  develop valuable mf-lines with high ability for fertility maintaining.

In prolonged rotation in winter greenhouses the efficiency of tomato plant formation was studied in hybrid ‘Taganka F1’ with extra sprout retained. The yield capacity was estimated depending  on location  of extra stems and the number of plants with extra stems. Maximal yield was observed when sprout density was to 3.1-3.3 per square meter regardless of terms of their formation.

The protected cultivation technology, through which the various inbred generations with the combination of economic valuable traits and different level of sterility can be produced, is used in order to accelerate the breeding program. However, there is a negative effect of inbreeding depression and self-incompatibility can often occur and cause the loss of valuable breeding forms. The aim of the work was to study the influence of steroidal glycosides capsicoside (SGC) on exhibition of CMS, and morphobiological parameters of 13 inbred generations that were produced from fertile plant and partly sterile plants with level of sterility 10% and 50%. The seeds were soaked for 24 hours in water solution of SGC with concentration 10-3%, and in water control. Then the seeds were dried up and sown in the greenhouse. The stecklings and roots obtained were vernalized at 3-5Co. Mother plants were grown under 18 hour photoperiod in greenhouse with supplementary lighting. Inbreeding seeds were obtained in individual cloth isolators. It was shown that for all generations the treatment with SGC improved the seed germination (4-8% more), increased the root index and its length (12-24% more), decreased betanin content (22-48% less) in comparison with control. The action of SGC on the other morphological and biochemical traits such as height of leaf rosette, leaf number, plant and root weight, head size, number of generative buds, and nitrate content was defined by the level of sterility of mother plant. The most expressed effect for all traits mentioned was seen in inbreeding generations of sterile plants with high level of sterility. After action effect of seed treatment with SGC on development of seed plants from inbreeding generations, not depending on sterility level of mother plants, showed the positive influence on plant habitus of seed mother plants, decreasing the plant height, but increasing stem number and functional parameters of microgametophyte in fertile plants. This caused the improved seed formation 1.6-2.2 times higher during inbreeding process and increased the portion of plants with high productivity. The SGC had no effect on exhibition of CMS trait. Thus, the SGC is worth using in valuable highly inbreeding forms inclined to self-sterility, in order to enlarge the genetic variation and output of divers generations. However, it should be taken into consideration that the complicated effect on the plant traits can be noticed in inbreeding generation of red beet and may have an effect on the result of selection process at the root stage.

The development of cheap and rapid breeding methods to breed  the lines used for  hybrid  F1  production  is a very actual task. The study was carried out with a use of radish varieties originated at VNIISSOK and breeding lines obtained by crossing components of different origin with male  sterility  in  winter  glass  greenhouse.  The  mother plants were grown  on the trays Plantec 64, while seedplants were grown in plastic pots of 1 liter capacity. The some morphobiological features such as the small habitus of see-plant; smaller number of secondary branching and absence of following branches; and consequently, the low yield of seeds were revealed in seed-plants of radish being grown in plastic pots. The period of ontogenesis in radish at first winter-spring rotation with this cultivation approach was reduced to 92 days. At the second summer-autumn rotation with additional lighting the duration of period of ontogenesis was essentially shorter than in the first rotation.  The utilization of  small-volume capacities in winter glass greenhouse to grow the radish seed-plants has permitted to produce two generations a year.

Selenium deficiency is widespread among the human populations  of  different  countries  of  the world  and associating with cardiovascular diseases and cancer that determines the necessity to develop new technology needs to increase selenium accumulation levels by agricultural crops. Besides that, the utilization of selenium containing food supplements, soil and foliar application of selenium salts are the most popular approach to  resolve the selenium deficiency  problem.  At  the same time there is a certain drawback of selenium plant biofortification, which is a low accumulation of the element, and as a result, the possibility of environmental pollution caused the element. The review is devoted to a new direction in improving plant selenium accumulation via utilization of rhizobacteria; their participation in selenium cycle; mechanism of bacteria-selenium-plant interaction; the role of volatile compounds, released by rhizobacteria, on selenium accumulation. The questions that were separately considered were regarding rhizobacteria Microbacterium oxydans extracted from Cardamine hupingshanesis that had an exceptionally high resistance to selenium impact and ability to synthesize selenocystin.