Currently spring barley breeding is aimed at breeding of adaptive varieties capable to produce stable yields even in the conditions of increasing climate aridity. To study this issue, there has been carried out an estimation of environmental plasticity and stability of spring barley varieties in the southern part of the Rostov region. The study was conducted in the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” in 2016-2018. There were studied 10 spring barley varieties of various geographical origin, including the 6 Russian, 2 Ukrainian and 2 German, sown in three replications. The area of the plot was 10 m², the variety “Ratnik” was given as a standard variety. There was used the method of S. A. Eberchart, W. A. Rassel (1966), amended by V. A. Zykina (2005). According to the results, there were identified such responsive varieties as “Priazovsky 9”, “Gris”, “Grays” and such stable varieties as “Ratnik”, “Shchedry”, “Novik”, “Vakula”, “Odessky 22”. The varieties “Gris”, “Grays” and “Thessa” showed the best results among the studied varieties. Their regression lines exceeded the line of average productivity and formed the largest average productivity in respect to other varieties. The “year” factor had the greatest effect on the yield (94.9%). The obtained data can be explained by the environmental conditions that significantly influenced on spring barley productivity over the years of research (2016-2018).

The low resistance of plants to weeds and the high potential contamination of the soil by the most harmful weeds is the most important reason for the shortage of the crop yield. The subject of research was the development of integrated weed control measures based on the analysis of the structure of the weed component in winter wheat. The study has shown that infestation with juvenile and offset weeds of is predominant in the studied area. Due to the occurrence of weeds, it was found that the largest proportion of juvenile weeds in winter wheat sowings is represented by penny cress (Thlaspi), and the perennial weeds are represented by Canadian thistle (Cirsium arvense). According to the study results of the agrophytocenosis, such weeds as Canadian thistle (Cirsium arvense) and goosefoot (frost blite) are the most harmful in the upper layer during winter wheat earing period. During this period in the middle and lower layers there were such weeds specific for winter as penny cress (Thlaspi), flixweed (herb-Sophia) and henbit dead-nettle (common henbit). There has been proposed a combination of preventive, phytocenotic, mechanical and chemical measures for weed control to protect winter wheat crops against weeds of various biological groups, including those specialized for the very crops. It has been established that with a mixed type of weed infestation and 32.2 pcs/m² of weeds in winter wheat crops, there is an economic threshold of harmfulness, which determines the necessity to apply integrated weed control measures. The introduction of the developed measures to control weeds provides an increase in profitability level of winter wheat cultivation on 15...20%.

Winter wheat is one of the most important food crops in the Rostov region. Grain value is determined by the high percentage of protein, oil, carbohydrates, etc. It has been established that in the reproduction of winter wheat varieties there is a gradual deterioration of the varietal and sowing traits of seeds as a result of mechanical, biological contamination, and an increase in the damage caused by the diseases transmitted through seeds. The purpose of research is to identify the changing dynamics in productive, varietal and sowing traits of winter wheat seeds of various reproductions. The material for the study was the original seeds (OS) of breeding nurseries of the first (BN-1) and the second (BN-2), super-basic (S/B), basic seeds (BS) and the first reproduction (BN-1) of the winter wheat variety “Lydia”. It was established that the largest yield and seed size was obtained in the first-year breeding nursery (BN-1), the smallest yield and seed size was produced by the reproduction seeds (BN-1). The study the sowing traits of seeds, depending on their categories, made it possible to reveal that during reproduction, germination energy reduced from 95 to 89%, laboratory germination decreased from 99-94% and growth forces reduced from 93 to 85%. It was found out that the percentage of protein and gluten in the seeds also decrease in the process of seed reproduction.

The development and introduction of a new variety in the State List of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation is a significant and effective means to improve yields and grain quality of all agricultural crops. The purpose of our research was to evaluate the new grain sorghum variety “Ataman”, approved for use since 2018 due to productivity and other economically valuable traits. The variety was developed by the method of individual selection of white-kerneled forms from the hybrid combination “A-006 x Zernogradskoe 204”. The article presents the study results obtained in 2013-2015 by the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”, located in the part of the Rostov region with insufficient and unstable humidity. The grain productivity in the competitive testing of the variety “Ataman” was 5.56 t/ha on average, which is significantly larger than that of the standard variety “Radiant” (4.73 t/ha). In addition, this variety has a white color of kernels and belongs to the early ripening group (the vegetation period “sprouts - full ripeness” is 89-95 days), which allows it to be grown without drying. Cultivation of a new variety contributes to grain productivity increase as well as it has a great influence on its quality improvement if agrotechnical methods are applied. The biochemical estimation established that the variety “Ataman” accumulates a very high starch percentage in the kernels (76.1%). In addition, it is characterized with average protein (11.6%) and low tannin percentage (0.06%).

One of the main environmental factors occurring if the integrity of the ozone layer is violated, is natural ultraviolet radiation, which affects plant organisms in the natural environment. In plant breeding in order to stimulate seed germination, mercury-quartz lamps, such as BNPO 2-30-001U3.5 can be used as artificial sources. The article shows that UV treatment of seeds causes changes in the growth and morphogenesis of plants. Ultraviolet radiation, as any stress factor, causes adaptation, including changes in physiological and biochemical processes, as well as an increase of enzymes activity. Stimulation during seed germination, which accelerates seed growth and foliage development, includes electrophysical methods, in particular, seed treatment with ultraviolet radiation. The environmental safety of such technologies makes them relevant and in great demand in agricultural production. The use of a BNPO 2-30-001U3.5 mercury-quartz lamp to stimulate physiological and biochemical processes in germinating seeds made it possible to identify the morphological differences of sprouts, various enzyme activity depending on the exposure time during irradiation. After the seeds had been irradiated with a BNPO 2-30-001U3.5 mercury-quartz lamp, they were soaked in distilled water, and amylase and scavenger enzyme activity was determined during swelling and sprouting. During the experiment, there were identified optimal modes of seed UV irradiation. Laboratory germination of seeds treated with UV radiation for 3-5 minutes ranged from 4 to 11%.

Salt tolerance of rice is of great importance in agricultural production, since productivity of grain grown on saline lands largely depends on it. The paper deals with determining the presence of salt tolerance gene “Saltol” in rice hybrids obtained from crossing contrasting samples. To analyze salt tolerance, there were used seeds germinated in cups with distilled water and 1.5% NaCl solution, after which 10-day-old seedlings were weighed and their ratio to the control was determined. As a result of studies, there have been identified salt tolerant lines carrying the gene “Saltol” in a homozygous state. In the control nursery there were studied the best samples on productivity and elements of its structure. Two lines “7328” and “7322” were selected from the hybrid IR 52713-2B-8-2B-1-2 x Novator which significantly exceeded the standard variety “Yuzhanin” on 0.57-1.28 t/ha. On average for 2 years, they produced 6.82-7.53 t/ha (6.25 t/ha of the standard variety).

The article presents the results of a long-term study of the bastard saffron variety samples (Carthamus tinctorius L.) in the FSBSI RRPtISM “Rossorgo”. In the Saratov region there are significant microzones with extremely dry conditions, but suitable for the cultivation of bastard saffron. The range of varieties is of great importance to improve the crop yields and quality. The research conducted at the institute, allowed forming a valuable source material for the bastard saffron breeding using traditional cultivation technology. The study included varieties of domestic breeding (“Ershovsky 4”, “Kamyshinsky 73”, “GAS 2014”, “Borets”, “Totem”), as well as lines selected from the variety samples of bastard saffron obtained from the VIR collection (“L-25”, “L-26”, “L-27”, “L-28”, “L-29”, “L-30”, “L-31”). The advantage of the varieties described in the work is the fact that when conducting state testings, as well as in the production recommendations for newly developed varieties, financially costly changes in the cultivation technology are not proposed. The variation of structure elements identified in the experiment, is determined by the interaction of “genotype-environment”. The experiment established that the variation amplitude of the mean values of morphological traits for the period 2013-2016 is significantly lower than the total range of variability in the experiment, and it is caused by gene expression that are normal in the reaction of the saffron variety samples. The biochemical composition of the seeds varied within the following limits: 15.13-20.38% of protein, 30.36-38.40% of oil, 11.63-31.98% of fiber, 3.02-4.01% of ash, 20.40-34.08% of BEV. The high oil percentage in the saffron seeds (“Borets”, “L-27”, “GAS 2014”, “L-30”) indicates the prospects to include variety samples in the breeding process. In the description of the bastard saffron varieties developed by the FSBSI RRPtISM “Rossorgo” (“Borets”, “GAS 2014”, “Khameleon”), there are the parameters of the most important economically valuable traits, as well as some agrotechnical instructions that must be followed in the cultivation in the Nizhne-Volga region.

The expansion of winter wheat sowing areas is one of the reserves to increase grain production in the Siberian region. The winter wheat varieties “Omskaya ozimaya”, “Omskaya 4” and “Omskaya 5”, developed in the Omsk Agricultural Research Center (ARC), have become popular here. The winter wheat varieties “Siberskaya Niva”, “Severnaya Zarya”, “Omskaya 6” and “Yubileynaya 180”, which were used to develop a new hybrid material, made a definite contribution to the development of winter wheat breeding. The new variety of the Omsk Agricultural Research Center (ARC) is characterized with high yields, winter tolerance and resistance to lodging. The grain of this variety meets the requirements applied to valuable wheat. In 2018 the variety “Priirtyshskaya” was introduced in the State List of Breeding Achievements in the East Siberian Region. The purpose of our research is to identify forms of winter soft wheat with high yields and grain quality, adapted to local conditions. The study was conducted in 2015-2017. The object of study were winter wheat samples from competitive varietal testing. In this breeding nursery, there have been identified the promising lines “KSI 34/17”, “KSI 35/17” and “KSI 38/17”. They are characterized with higher yields, exceeding the standard variety “Omskaya 4” on 0.86-1.12 t/ha. The advantages of these lines are high winter tolerance, resistance to lodging and high grain quality. Due to some indicators of grain quality, you can select the variety line “KSI 35/17”. The line has larger percentage of protein in kernels, good rheological properties of dough, bread volume and general baking estimation compared with the standard variety “Omskaya 4”. The lines “KSI 34/17”, “KSI 38/17” possess good technological and baking indicators of grain quality.

In the conditions of the Ryazan region the Institute of Seed-growing and Agrotechnologies (Branch of the Federal Budgetary Scientific Institution “Federal Research Agro-Engineering Center VIM”) carried out a comprehensive estimation of winter, spring wheat and breeding material obtained on the basis of crossing with the winter component in 2011-2017. Over the years of research, the winter wheat varieties “Lgovskaya 4” (6.90 t/ha), “Viola” (6.82 t/ha), “Nemchinovskaya 24” (6.68 t/ha) and the spring wheat varieties “Dariya” (3.93 t/ha), “Krestiaynka” (3.84 t/ha), “Kollektivnaya 1” (3.60 t/ha) produced high yields. The winter wheat varieties “Volz-hskaya 15”, “Nemchinovskaya 24”, “Mironovskaya 29”, “Mironovskaya semi-intensive” were found to have the largest kernel weight per head (1.93-2.10 g). The best winter forms used in the hybridization of spring wheat allowed us to create a number of promising lines with high productivity potential and a complex of valuable traits. Over three years (2015-2017), in the control breeding nursery there were identified 4 spring wheat lines with high productivity, where the winter form was taken as one of the parental forms for hybridization. The highest average value of this indicator (5.91 and 5.15 t/ha) was established in the lines “(Priokskaya x Moskovskaya 39 (oz.))F10”, “(Moskovskaya 39 (oz.) x Fora)F10” respectively. The line “(Priokskaya x Moskovskaya 39 (oz.))F10” produced the maximum yield of 6.89 t/ha, the line “(Voronezhskaya 10 х Moskovskaya 39 (оз.))П0” produced the minimum yield of 4.18 t/ha. The lines “(Priokskaya x Moskovskaya 39 (oz.))F10” and “(Kollektivnaya 1 х Nemchinovskaya 24 (оз.))П0” possess good grain weight of 757 and 793 g/l respectively, high technological properties of grain, namely 32.8 and 27.0% of raw gluten in flour, the 1-st group IDK, 340 and 278 a. u. of flour power, falling number of 296 and 377 c, bread volume of 1113 and 1330 cm³.

In the Russian Federation, barley is one of the most important food and forage grain crops. The wide spread of barley throughout the country is caused by its high ability to adapt to various environmental factors. In the Stavropol Area, where barley is mainly used as fodder, significant areas are occupied with winter barley as more productive crop, but spring barley is also given sufficient attention. Under the sharply continental climate, spring barley is the main insurance grain-forage crop in case of winter crops death. Every year, the growing need in feed requires to develop new highly adaptable varieties that are capable to produce high and stable yields with good grain quality. According to the positive results of the State Variety Testing in 2018, the new spring barley variety “Bulat”, developed by the FSEP “Prikumskaya Experimental Breeding Station”, was included into the State List of Breeding Achievements and recommended for cultivation in the North Caucasus and Nizhne-Volga regions. The variety was obtained as a result of intraspecific hybridization with the further individual selection from the hybrid population “Medikum g-68446” and “Vikont”. Due to the ripening time the variety can be referred to the group of middle-ripening varieties. The average growing season lasts 83 days. The variety is highly tolerant to drought and resistant to some diseases. The new variety produces large kernels with 53-56 g of 1000-kernel weight. The grain contains 9.8% of protein on average. During the 2015-2017 study in the Prikumskaya Experimental Breeding Station, the variety exceeded productivity of the standard variety “Strannik” on 044 t/ha. When tested at the State Variety Plots of the North Caucasus and Nizhne-Volga regions, the productivity of the variety “Bulat” reached 5.35-7.38 t/ha. The variety is intended for grain forage purposes.

From the literature, more than 1000 active rice genes are known, from which chromosomal and genetic maps are drawn. Some of them have specific localization in the gene linkage groups. Knowing the specific gene localization in the chromosome, their interaction, interrelations with other neighboring alleles, it is possible to select the parental pairs to hybridize the models of new genotypes and varieties with the necessary traits. The botanical concept of a rice cluster includes all the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the panicle. The scientific literature describes more than 20 signs that characterize a panicle. At the same time, panicle signs are divided into cluster and spikelet factors (grains). The article presents the characteristics of the parental individuals and the F₁ and F₃ hybrids of rice, the results of the hybridological analysis, the description of the genes and their manifestation in the hybrid combinations. We recommend using valuable genotypes in the selection of parental pairs for hybridization in the process of developing new varieties. In the genetic formulas of varieties and hybrids, each trait is represented by one symbol, as it is in the diploid state. The dominant genes are designated by uppercase (capital) symbols, the recessive one are written by lowercase letters. There have been determined the values of the dominance coefficients, which indicate the trait inheritance in F₁. The most traits show the effect of dominance and overdominance, which indicates the possibility of their use in the breeding process when developing the source material and new rice varieties. There was carried out a hybridological analysis, which showed the digenic type of inheritance.

Currently the research aimed to improve nutritional value and quality of rye bakery products to meet customers' needs is of great urgency. The baking traits of rye flour, the structural and mechanical characteristics of the dough (viscous and rheological) depend on the content of non-starch polysaccharides (pentosanes) namely, their water-soluble part. The purpose of our research is to assess correlation between water-soluble pentosanes in winter rye kernels and kernel weight and to establish the effect of this indicator on the baking parameters of rye flour, i. e. viscosity of water-flour suspension and bread yield. The objects of research were winter rye varieties and promising lines. The content of non-starch polysaccharides in winter rye grain throughout the years of research slightly varied depending on the variety and weather conditions. In 2016 and 2017 the winter rye variety “Roksana” and the line “GK-90” formed high rates of 2.74-2.90%, the variety “Prezent” showed a low value of this characteristic. Estimation of the variation coefficients showed that non-starch polysaccharides influence by genotypic and environmental factors are characterized by low variability C_Vf = 8.2%. The experiments confirm that when baking rye bread, water-soluble pentosanes perform the following functions: they absorb water, increase the viscosity of the dough, and improve the dimensional stability of bread. There was established a significant correlation between the content of water-soluble pentosanes and grain weight under the conditions of the years 2016 (r = -0.90*) and 2017 (r = -0.88**). It was found that for the years of research, this trait did not correlate with the viscosity of the water-flour suspension, but was significantly associated with bread yield (r = 0.46*). Low enzymatic activity in the studied rye varieties in 2016 and 2017 affected the baking advantages of winter rye. The maximum bread yield was 510-575 cm³, the minimum bread yield was 470-485 cm³. There was also the greatest number of non-starch polysaccharides in kernels during these years.

Timely and accurate phytosanitary monitoring is of great importance to organize plant protection from pests. Recently, in order to attract and trap (destroy) insects, the use of super bright light emitted diodes (LEDs) has attracted great interest. In this connection, the purpose of our research was to manufacture trap designs based on super bright LEDs for phytosanitary monitoring and to evaluate their efficiency. We have developed and manufactured three models of a conical trap, differing in the way of collecting insects. The first trap (KLP-1) used a cartridge with the entomological glue “Polifiks”. The second trap (KL-2) accumulated insects in a transparent elastic collector of the lower part of the cylinder. The third trap (AKL-2) used the cylinder in the upper part equipped with a low-power aspirator as an accumulator of insects similar to the second trap. Powerful single LEDs with 365 and 395 nm of wavelength were used as efficient sources to attract insects. The LEDs in the traps were arranged in a circle, which evenly provided luminescence with an angle of 360°. In May 2018, the traps were tested on meadow grass. The collection of trapped insects was carried out every day. Insects that were trapped at regular time intervals were calculated by the number of individuals larger than 5 mm and the total weight. As a result, it was established that the conical trap equipped with an aspirator (AKL-2) was the most efficient. The efficiency of this trap is almost two times higher than that of the trap KL-2 and 20-30% higher than the trap KLP-1. The developed traps showed a high trapping ability and can be used in the production of specific agricultural crops to identify insects inhabiting them.

The purpose of this work was to characterize the virulence of the P. triticina population on durum wheat in the Rostov region and to assess the leaf rust resistance in the promising winter durum wheat varieties selected by the “ARC “Donskoy”. The joint studies were conducted in the laboratories of FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” and FSBSI All-Russian Research Institute of Plant Protection. The samples of pathogen populations were collected on durum wheat varieties “Donchanka”, “Lazurit”, “Donskoy Yantar” and “Prikumskaya 142” and propagated on the susceptible soft and durum wheat varieties in the laboratory. There were studied 64 mono pustular isolate. The studied isolates were avirulent to the Thatcher lines with the genes Lr2a, Lr2b, Lr2c, Lr9, Lr15, Lr16, Lr19, Lr20 and Lr24 and were virulent to Lr3a, Lr3bg, Lr3ka, Lr10, Lr11, Lr14a, Lr14b, Lr18, Lr26, Lr30 и Lr44. All samples of populations propagated on durum wheat were characterized by avirulence to the TcLr17 line, and those propagated on soft wheat were mainly characterized by virulence. In general, the conducted analysis revealed significant differences in the composition of pathogen populations on durum and soft wheat. The isolates from durum wheat had a significantly smaller number of virulence alleles, compared with the isolates from soft wheat. In addition, there were observed differences in the latent period of isolates developing on soft and durum wheat (it was less on soft wheat). In 2015-2017 there were studied 17 varieties of winter durum wheat in the laboratory and field conditions. The variety “Arena” and line KS-586/13 were characterized with a high level of resistance in the field (0-5% of infestation) and laboratory conditions (score 0-2). There were identified the weakly susceptible varieties “Yubilyarka”, “Lazurit”, “Kurant”, “Aksinit”. A moderate infestation throughout all years of study was established on the varieties “Yakhont”, “Terra”, “Diona”, “Kristella”, “Agat Donskoy” (10-20%). The variety “Donchanka” (50-60% in 2015-2016; 40-50% in 2017) belongs to the susceptible group. The varieties “Donskoy Yantar”, “Gelios”, “Yantarina” and “Amazonka” were of medium susceptibility (20-40%).

The work determines the resistance of various strains of soybean nodule bacteria to the recommended chemical fungicides in the tank solution applied to the seed surface. As experimental rhizobia there were studied such soybean bacteria of the Bradyrhizobium japonicum of the following strains as 634b, 640, BR-648, BR-733. The fungicides “Maksim”, “Protekt”, “Protekt Forte” were used as disinfectants. In the tank solution there was determined compatibility by mixing the biopreparation and the disinfectant, keeping the mixture at room temperature in the dark, with further determining percentage of the survived rhizobia depending on the disinfectant type and the keeping time of the solution. It has been established that different soya rhizobia strains do not practically differ in resistance to disinfectants in the tank solution. However, the disinfectants possess different degrees of toxicity to the studied strains, which made it possible to arrange the disinfectants due to their increasing toxicity for rhizobia “Maksim”, “Protekt”, “Protekt Forte”. Since the strains taken for the study practically did not differ in their resistance to disinfectants in the tank solution, there was investigated only the strain B. japonicum 634b to determine the dynamics of rhizobia death on the treated seeds. Determination of the disinfectants' toxicity was carried out by placing the washes from treated seeds on the plates with nutrient medium. The treated seeds were kept at room temperature in the dark. The selection of the treated seeds was carried out after 2, 4 and 8 hours after treatment. The nature of the curves for rhizobia reduction on seeds showed that “Protekt Forte” was the most toxic to bacteria on the seed surface, and “Maksim” was the most “soft”. This study will allow optimizing the process of soybean seeds inoculation with their simultaneous treatment with chemical disinfectants.