The result of the study was an establishment of dependence of winter wheat productivity on a method of a primary tillage. There has been identified an advantage of deep chiseling on 0.35–0.37 m over moldboard plowing on 0.20–0.22 m, over disk tillage on 0.12–0.14 m and direct sowing. Plots with deep chiseling showed the best performance compared with other methods of primary tillage in density, porosity, humidity and, consequently, winter wheat productivity.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important food crops in the world. The development of rice varieties for the conditions of Russia and especially the Rostov region requires a thorough study and introduction of the polymorphic gene pool for breeding work. The purpose of this study was to study comprehensively 45 collection Vietnamese rice samples (AGI), to estimate some of the key traits, and to select the best forms for breeding stress-resistant rice crops. These samples show a wide range of resistance to blast disease, bacteriosis, pests, lodging, salinization and flooding. The study was carried out in the Proletarsky district of the Rostov region. The standard varieties were the varieties “Boyarin” and “Yuzhanin” of ARC “Donskoy”. The study of the collection tropical rice gene pool according to a number of important economic and biological quantitative traits identified significant polymorphism. The vegetation period “sproutsflowering” varied from 85 to 142 days. All samples had a modern low-growing habit of plants with vertical rigid leaves and long drooping panicles (17.3–24.3 cm). Plant height ranged from 61.7 cm to 90 cm. Grains are long (9–10 mm), narrow (2–3 mm), with a weight to 29 mg, often with aroma. There was established a positive correlation between plant height and such traits as “kernel weight per panicle”, “1000 kernel weight”, “number of heavy kernels per panicle” and “fertility”. Kernel weight per panicle also correlated with the above-listed traits. Nine rice forms resistant to stress factors and well adapted to the region conditions have been selected for the breeding process. There has been carried out hybridization of the samples “OM 1401”, “OM 6106”, “OM 6561” with the local early ripening variety “Kontrakt”.

In the arid central zone of the Republic of Kalmykia, one of the limiting factors that affects spring barley productivity is the soil moisture content during a vegetation period. The paper discusses the results of a long-term research of zoned spring barley varieties of various breeding institutions in the experimental field of the KRIA named after M. B. Narmaeva, a branch of the FSBSI “PAFRC RAS” to study the effect of instability of soil moisture in a vegetation period on their productivity and especially in the period of grain filling. Field trials were carried out according to the Methods of State Variety Testing of agricultural crops and Methodology of a field trial. In the course of the studies it was found that in arid years the variety “Shchedry” formed a larger yield than that of other zoned varieties. Moreover, in the wet years of 2016 and 2017 the variety “Shchedry” productivity was inferior to the varieties “Prerii” and “Strannik” on average. It has been revealed that in conditions with uneven precipitation in different years, June precipitation has a decisive effect on spring barley productivity in the central zone of the Republic of Kalmykia.

In the regions of insufficient and unstable moisture, hydrothermal conditions are the main natural factors that determine the level of crop productivity. The purpose of our study was to identify the role of the main meteorological factors in the formation of winter durum wheat productivity at different periods of its growth and development. The study was carried out in the southern part of the Rostov region in the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” in 2003–2014. The objects of the study were winter durum wheat varieties and breeding lines of competitive variety testing, sown in black fallow, in four replications, with a plot area of 25 m². The current paper presents the analysis results of the average daily temperature, precipitation, hydrothermal index (HTI) by the periods of winter durum wheat growth and development through the years of study, average varietal productivity for each year. It has been established that the characteristic features of the studied years are a temperature rise, especially in the pre-sowing and sowing periods, during the wintering period and the resumption of spring vegetation, and irregular precipitation, their shift in the fall from November to October, in the winter from February to January, in the spring from April to March, and its decrease or absence during the active growing season. The conducted correlation analysis between main meteorological factors and productivity showed a decisive role of the temperature regime in winter durum wheat productivity formation. It turned out to be less significant in relation to precipitation. This indicates that winter durum wheat productivity does not depend on the total amount of precipitation, but on its distribution, moisture presence in soil, and temperature. According to the analysis of the main meteorological factors, their connection with productivity, there have been identified positive and negative points in the ontogenesis of winter durum wheat associated with climate change, which must be taken into account in breeding and growing technology. There have been determined the main objectives for winter durum wheat breeding, aimed at improving such adaptive properties as drought resistance, heat resistance, especially at the initial stages of growth and development, winter tolerance, disease and pest resistance occurred due to climate change (septorisis, pyrenophorosis, bacteriosis and fusarium of heads and kernels).

There have been presented study results of the spring durum wheat varieties grown in the southern forest-steppe area of the Omsk region on kernel hardness. The objects of research were the varieties of ecological variety testing conducted by various Russian and Ukrainian scientific institutions. The study was conducted in the period from 2003–2015. Experimental plots of 10 m2 were placed in 4 sequences. The varieties were sown in weedfree fallow. The soil of the experimental plot was weakly leached blackearth (chernozem), medium humus (6.2%), and loamy. The sowing date is 14–15 of May, the sowing rate is 4.5 million of germinated kernels per ha. The average hardness index in 2003–2015 was 70.1%. The varieties varied from 66.0 (the variety “Svetlana”) to 74.6% (the variety “Saratovskaya zolotistaya”). The differences between maximum and minimum were 8.6%. The variation through the years was from 51% to 92%, from 21% (the varieties “Angel”, “Omsky korund”) to 34% (the variety “Saratovskaya zolotistaya”). The calculated coefficient of variation showed that the variability degree ranged from little to medium. Coefficients of variation varied from 9.3% (the variety “Angel”) to 14.3% (the variety “Bezenchukskaya 182”). According to S. A. Eberhart, W. A. Russel the stability index indicates a lower variability of the varieties “Angel”, “Omsky korund”, “Altayskaya niva”, “Nik”, “Kharkovskaya 23”, “Tavolga”. The value of the regression coefficient (bi) for kernel hardness ranged from 0.77 to 1.23. The varieties “Voronezhskaya 9”, “Elizavetinskaya”, “Altayskaya niva”, “Omskaya stepnaya” and “Bezenchukskaya stepnaya” turned to be most responsive to the conditions (according to the Eberhart – Russell test). The varieties “Angel”, “Aleyskaya”, “Zarnitsa Altaya” had a weak reaction to the environmental conditions. There has been identified phenotypic correlation between the trait and productivity, 1000-kernel weight, nature weight, gluten quality, pasta color. The correlation between these traits is positive, on average r = 0.30–0.440.

For the Russian Federation, pea is a traditional cultivated agricultural crop, demanded both in the food industry for its excellent taste and in livestock for a high content of forage units and balanced protein (up to 90% of the protein are of easily soluble albumin and globulins), which contribute to lower costs for animal feeding. The current paper has presented the working results of the laboratory of row crop cultivation technology (FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”) for 2015–2016, which studied the impact of growth stimulants (“Etikhol”, “Gumistim”), bioorganic fertilizers “Intermag Profi”, and biological product “Rizotorfin” on the productivity of the middle-ripening pea variety “Aksaysky usaty 7”. The soil of the experimental plot is favorable for peas growing, as the humus content in the arable layer is 3.36%, pH is 7.0, P2 O5 is 24.4; K2 O is 360 mg per one kg of soil. The studied preparations had an impact on the elements of the yield structure and grain productivity. Productivity has significantly improved due to application of most fertilizers. The largest productivity increase on 0.57 t/ha or 26.4% to the control was observed with the use of “Intermag Profi”. This experiment had also better energetic and economic indicators compared to other variants. The increase of net energy income compared to control was 9.48 GJ/ha, the decrease in energy intensity was on 1.14 GJ/t, the increase of energetic efficiency was on 0.59 units. The increase of net income was on 6507 rubles/ha, the cost of production reduced on 1232 rubles/ton and profitability increased on 27%.

The study was conducted in 2016–2018. The objects were three commercial varieties developed by the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”, one of which was the standard variety “Donchanka” in the SVT system in the Rostov Region. The purpose of the research was to comprehensively estimate winter durum wheat seeds yielded in the years with various weather conditions due to their resistance to moisture deficit and heat. According to the results of laboratory study, the current paper has presented indicators of relative drought tolerance and heat resistance. The germinating ability of the studied varieties of winter durum wheat “Lazurit” and “Oniks” was better than that of the standard variety “Donchanka” in all concentrations of the solution. Using an osmotic solution with a concentration of 12 and 14 atm all varieties possessed great germinating ability and belonged to the first resistance group. At a critical concentration of osmotic pressure (16 atm), the number of germinated seeds ranged from 69.4% (“Lazurit”) to 63% (“Donchanka”). It has been established that the seeds of the studied winter durum wheat varieties were characterized by little germinating ability under an increasing water stress, while the seeds of different years of reproduction had a different response to water stress. It has been identified that the seeds of the studied varieties significantly varied in their germinating ability after heating. The variety “Oniks” was the most resistant to temperature stress with a germination rate of 86.7% (1-st resistance group) that is on 14% higher than the control variety “Donchanka”. The variety “Lazurit” with a germination rate of 80.2% also belonged to the first resistance group and exceeded the control variety by only 8%. According to the degree of depression in the accumulation of dry sprouts mass under the high temperature impact (thermal testing at +54 °С), the variety “Oniks” was the best with the depression degree of 8.2%. In 2016 the variety “Lazurit” was the most stable, in 2017 and 2018 it was the variety “Oniks”.

The primary tillage in crop cultivation determines the conditions for their growth and development. This is especially important for winter durum wheat, which has an underdeveloped root system and it requires a better approach to creating favorable conditions through tillage. There have been studied three methods of tillage: moldboard plowing on 22–25 cm (PN is 5-35); beardless plowing on 22–25 cm (PCh is2.5); disk plowing on 0–12 cm (AG is 2.4). The study was carried out in the southern area of the Rostov region in the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” (2011–2015). The trial was carried out by generally accepted methods, which made it possible to establish the advantages of the moldboard and beardless plowing of black fallow on 22–25 cm compared to disk plowing on 10-12 cm when cultivating winter durum wheat. Tillage contributed to a lower density in the arable horizon (1.08 and 1.09 g/cm3 ), to a greater microbiological soil activity (up to 37%), and to better moisture supply during the growing season. Moldboard plowing contributed to an availability increase of such nutrients as potassium and nitrogen, and disk plowing contributed to accumulation of available phosphorus. The improved physical soil properties contributed to greater productivity. At disk plowing, winter durum wheat productivity was on average 4.93 t/ha through the years of study. At boardless and moldboard plowing wheat productivity was 5.38 and 5.55 t/ha for non-plow and dump plowing, respectively. Soil treatment did not affect the quality indicators.

The current paper has presented the homeostatic indicators of protein and oil content in kernels of 43 collection soybean samples from the south of the Rostov region, studied by the Khangildin method (1984). According to the 2016–2018 studies of homeostatic quality indicators of soybean grain, there were identified the samples “K-11305” and “Veselovskaya 3” with a high protein percentage and the samples “K-10943” and “MDT 2” with the highest homeostasis of the protein content in grain. The maximum oil percentage in soybean grain was identified in the varieties “Donskaya 9”, “Natalie”, “Alba”, “Chara” and “MDT 2”. The stress resistance and homeostatic parameters of oil content of these varieties were at an average level in the collection. A high stress resistance and homeostasis of oil content in grain were identified in the varieties “Don 21” (5330.6), “Sigalia” (3376.0) and “VNIIOZ – 1” (2528.6) with seed oil content at an average level in the collection.

To stimulate livestock production increase, it is necessary to improve the production of high-quality feed with high protein percentage. The purpose can be achieved by an increase of sown area for perennial leguminous herbs and, in particular, alfalfa. The varietal alfalfa composition is constantly being replenished with new, more productive and adapted varieties for different growing zones. The biological potential of this crop allows now conducting its successful breeding. Annually the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” lays the alfalfa collection nurseries including breeding samples from different countries with certain useful traits. According to the study results alfalfa plant height ranged from 75.7 cm (“K-20367”) to 122.5 cm (“G-4”). On average, through the study, the samples formed a low yield of green mass. 19 samples had yields from 1.70 kg/m2 to 2.46 kg/m2 , which is significantly lower than the standard indicator (3.29 kg/m2 ). The samples “K-51698”, “G-1”, “K-50512”, “G-3”, “G-4” produced a significant excess of green mass productivity in comparison with the variety “Rostovskaya 90” (4.13–4.86 kg/m2 ). On average during the years of 2016–2018, foliage amount of the samples varied from 41% to 53%. The samples “K-50512”, “G-1”, “G-3”, “G-4” showed a significant excess of absolutely dry matter (ADM) productivity (from 1.42 kg/m2 to 1.65 kg/m2 ). Among the samples seed productivity varied in the range of 15.2–94.9 g/m2 . Only 3 samples (“K-50511”, “K-51201”, “G-2”) showed a significant excess in the studied traits compared to the standard variety “Rostovskaya 90” (63.3 g/m2 ), their seed productivity was 85.7 g/m2 , 86.8 g/m2 and 94.9 g/m2 , respectively. The protein percentage of absolutely dry matter according to the study ranged from 17.79% to 21.47%. The samples “K-43260” (20.95%), “K-50512” (21.34%), “K-31800” (21.47%) showed the largest indicators. In the current study there have been analyzed correlations between the studied traits.

Coriander is a multi-purpose essential oil plant that has various growing purposes: to obtain essential and fatty oils, to use it as a spice and a green herb. Coriander is a leader in the production and consumption of essential oils. The largest cultivation region in Russia is the Central Blackearth Region. The current work has shown the possibility to grow coriander in the conditions of the Rostov region and has revealed the best genotypes adapted to insufficient humidity. There have been studied 124 coriander collection samples according to various economically valuable traits. There has been presented a range of their variation by the growing season duration from 84 to 106 days, by the plant height from 42 to 80 cm, by yields from 26.5 to 250 g m2, by essential oil percentage from 0.56 to 2.15%, by oil content from 18.9 to 25.4%, by oil yields from 21.4 to 56.5 g/m2, by 1000-kernel weight from 5.2 g to 7.4 g. The paper also shows the conditions to form their greatest values. There have been identified the samples “K-298”, “K-259”, “K-284”, “K-272”, “K-179” with the most valuable set of economic features that can be revealed under various conditions. There have been selected the coriander samples “K-428”, “K-298”, “K-284”, “K-272”, showing high seed yields under free flowering and under isolators. There has been established a fruit formation coefficient (0.16–0.45) taking into account free flowering and insulators, and there have been selected the samples showing a lesser degree of oppression under insulators (with a fruit formation coefficient of >0.3).

The current study gives the results of 2-year field trails which tested three protection systems for the spring barley variety “Yaromir” to improve the phytosanitary condition of sowings and to increase productivity. It has been established that the studied protection systems effectively protected spring barley from harmful organisms from sprouting to harvesting. With a total number of weeds of 80 pcs/m2 in 2017 the effectiveness of the herbicides was 91–94%; and with a total number of weeds of 72 pcs/m2 in 2018 the effectiveness of these preparations was 92–95%. There has been evaluated fungicides’ impact on the development of dark brown and net spots. The effectiveness of the preparations through study years ranged from 89 to 92% for dark brown spots and from 80 to 85% for net spots. As a result of the analysis of spring barley productivity, it has been revealed that under the effect of protection systems there has been obtained an additional grain yield of 1.42, 1.46, 1.44 t/ha in 2017 and 1.29, 1.33, 1.26 t/ha in 2018. The analysis of the economic efficiency of the studied protection systems has shown that in 2017 a conditionally net income ranged from 1,000 to 3,650 rubles/ha, in 2018 it ranged from 5,780 to 7,636 rubles/ha, when 1 ton of spring barley grain cost 5 thousand rubles in 2017, and 9 thousand rubles in 2018.

The current paper considers the identification of the Lr17a brown rust resistance gene in the selection and collection samples of winter soft wheat developed by the FSBSI “Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy”. It has been determined that 49 lines out of the 717 studied genotypes possess a functional gene allele. A non-functional allele has been identified in 30 lines. 206 samples were identified with atypical alleles of the Lr17a gene. During the study there were used a CTAB method (a DNA isolation), PCR method (identification of resistance genes to the main winter wheat diseases) and an electrophoresis method on agarose gel. The purpose of the study was to screen collection and breeding material of winter soft wheat on presence of brown rust resistance gene Lr17a. As a result of the study, the identified samples with a functional allele of the Lr17a gene have been proposed to be used in breeding programs for pyramidation with other genes.

One of the important tasks of agricultural production is an opportunity to predict changes in the pathogenic complex of grain crops. It is important not only to identify presence of certain pests, but also to estimate a degree of pathogen development, a role of the host varieties, their immunological potential. The species S. tritici occupies a leading position among the pathogenic complex of septorious spots. Most commonly the species S. tritici was identified on the winter varieties “Moskovskaya 39” and “Severodonetskaya Yubileynaya” with a frequency of occurrence of 90%. The same situation was identified among spring wheat varieties. The species S. nodorum occupies the second position in the distribution of septorious spots in the pathogenic complex. The species S. avenae was significantly inferior to the first two. For each variety being tested, the degree of damage made by a separate type of septoria was calculated according to the frequency of occurrence of each type of pathogen (a species composition) and the plant incidence of septoria. Among the spring soft wheat varieties, there can be identified “L 503”, “Favorit”, “Tulaykovskaya 10”. The septoria incidence degree of these varieties was 27.9%, 23.6%, and 29.3% respectively. Since the S. tritici occurrence in these varieties was more often compared to others (84%, 78%, and 83%, respectively), these varieties can be classified as poorly susceptible to the pathogen. The spring durum wheat varieties are more resistant to Septoriosis. The variety “Orenburgskaya 10” is found the best in this trait with only 17.1% incidence degree. The variety “Krasnokutka 10” showed the largest incidence degree (37.9%). Using the F-test (Fisher test) and the multiple comparisons (Bonferroni-Holm method), there has been shown a significant effect of the agroclimatic year conditions, a life form and the species on the formation of the species composition of Septoria spots. At the same time, the ratio of the species S. tritici, S. nodorum, S. avena throughout all years of study remains stable.