The article presents the technology of development of the variety of spring soft wheat ‘Tulaykovskaya 108’. In the selection process we have managed realizing the tasks appeared in the selection of parental forms. We have managed combining productivity, drought tolerance of the variety ‘Lyutestsens 1222’ with productivity, resistance to lodging and good baking properties of the variety ‘Tulaykovskaya Belozernaya’. Besides, we have realized the planned transgressions in tolerance to brown rust and powdery mildew. The variety ‘Tulaykovskaya 108’ is characterized with high and stable productivity. In the years 2012-2014 the average yields of ‘Tulaykovskaya 108’on five plots of the Samara region was 2.17 t/ha, that is on 0.37 t/ha more than the yields of ‘Kinelskaya Niva’ and on 0.29 t/ha more than the yields of ‘Tulaykovskaya 10’. The variety surpassed the standard varieties on the plots of the Penza, Orenburg regions, of the Republics of Bashkortostan, Mordoviya and Tatarstan. The largest yields were obtained in 2012 on the Buinsk SVP of the Republic of Tatarstan (5.5 t/ha or 0.6 t/ha more than of ‘Simbirtsit’).

Nowadays the problem of production of high qualitative and natural plant protein is of great importance. Leguminous plants are one of the main sources of protein, in Russia it is peas. Peas have a great economic value due to its variety of application and its unique biochemical composition. Thus the improvement of its breeding is of great and urgent importance. The Altay Area with its large territory, well defined zoning and changeable climate needs a great range of different, complementary and stress tolerant varieties. FSBSI ‘Altay RIA’ has been conducting a purposeful breeding work with leguminous plants since 1970. During the period the institute developed seven varieties of peas. In 2014 a new leafy variety of peas ‘Altaysky Universalny’ was listed into the State List (Register) of Breeding Achievements, approved for use in the West-Siberian region (24.01.2012. B№174. RU №6453 of 04.05.2012). The variety of peas ‘Altaysky Universalny’ is a middle maturing variety. The resistance to lodging, seed cracking and fall is the same as of the standard variety. The drought tolerance is above average. The resistance to diseases and pests is the same as of the standard variety. The variety combines forage and grain productivity. Grain productivity during the years of Variety Testing (2009-2011) was 1.99 t/ha, that is on 0.25 t/ha more than that of the standard variety. 1000-seed weight is 230 g, that is on 25 g more than that of the standard variety. The content of raw protein in absolutely dry matter is 21.5-23.6%. It’s necessary to note, the new variety of peas ‘Altaysky Universalny’ possesses a number of valuable economic and biological traits and properties, which can be used in the breeding process. Its wide application on the farms of the West-Siberian region will improve food and forage background as well as solve a key problem of biological agriculture.

The article presents the study results of soybean in the Ryazan district of the Ryazan region in 2013-2015. The paper considers the effect of biologically active preparations based on nanoparticles of iron, cobalt and copper on such physiological, biochemical and productive indexes of soybean as field germination, plant and root height, plant and root weight, leaf area, elements of yield structure, productivity and chemical composition. The study showed that the bio-preparation based on nanoparticles of copper increased the plant height on 9.7% in the branching phase and the weight of vegetative part of the plants on 26.4%. The application of the bio-preparation based on nanoparticles of cobalt gave the best result. The root weight of the plants during a vegetation period increased on 17.7%, productivity of soybean grain increased on 20% and content of protein in grain increased on 4.9% compared with the control variety. The field trials of efficiency of preparations based on nanoparticles of iron, cobalt and copper in the cultivation technology of the soybean in the Central Non-Black earth part of RF showed that nanoparticles of cobalt possess the best efficiency that promotes the further study and introduction of growth regulator into production.

One of the most efficient and economically effective methods to stabilize the yields of grain crops is to develop ecologically adapted high-qualitative varieties and hybrids tolerant to a complex of abiotic, biotic and anthropogenic factors. The work has been to develop a new variety with parameters of a perfect type of spring soft wheat for various agroecological conditions of the Middle Povolzhye. The variety of spring soft wheat ‘Tulaykovskaya Nadezhda’ has been obtained due to an individual selection from the hybrid F6 1234ae Weibulls 11717 (CI-12633/6*Svenno)/Belyanka. The new variety is drought tolerant with stable grain productivity due to an optimal combination of all elements of productivity in agro-ecosystem, large number of kernels per head and large 1000-kernel weight. The average productivity of ‘Tulaykovskaya Nadezhda’ during 2012-2014 was 2.46 t/ha, that is on 0.54 t/ha more than the productivity of the standard variety ‘Kinelskaya Niva’. The new variety is characterized with resistance to brown rust and powdery mildew. The variety has been listed into the List of Breeding Achievements of RF in 2017. FSBSI ‘Samarsky RIA’ is a patent owner (patentee).

The article presents a characteristic of the new variety of spring durum wheat ‘Luch 25’, which was listed into the State List of Breeding Achievements approved to use in 2017. The climate of the Povolzhye region is extremely unstable. The amount of precipitations during vegetation of grain crops range from 46 to 236 mm and their distribution is extremely uneven. Thus the main efforts are aimed at developing highly productive varieties adapted to heavily changeable conditions. Besides, the variety is to meet the requirements of grain quality, tolerance to diseases, lodging and grain germination on the vine. These were the tasks in the development of the new variety of spring durum wheat ‘Luch 25’. The variety has been hybridized from ‘Saratovskaya zolotistaya’ with the largest amount of carotenoids, ‘Valentina’ with large kernels and high quantitative gluten, ‘Saratovskaya 59’ with its tolerance to lodging and the studied line ‘PD-45’ with resistance to pre-harvesting germination. The new variety ‘Luch 25’ produces permanent increase of the yields in climatically favorable and unfavorable years. Besides, the variety is characterized with grain of high quality, stability to pre-harvesting germination and tolerance to many dangerous diseases.

The article gives the description of winter soft wheat variety ‘Darina’. The variety has been developed by intraspecific hybridization with the further individual selection from the hybrid population, i.e. winter variety ‘Omskaya’/’Kazanskaya 560’/‘Kazanskaya 285’. The variety of wheat is erythrospermum. The cultivar is of high productivity with the average yield of 4.89 t/ha during the years of testing, that is on 0.95 t/ha more than the productivity of the standard variety. The cultivar produces stable yields, if it is sown in black or seed fallow land with the use of conventional agro technology. Fertilizing of 1 kg of active nitrogen increases grain productivity of the cultivar on 10-12kg, that proves its high responsiveness on mineral fertilizing. The variety is middle maturing, resistant to snow mold and seeding blight (fusarium). The variety has been listed into the List of valuable grain wheat. It has been recommended for the Middle Volga region of the Russian Federation.

The peas (Pisumsativum L.) is one of the most ancient and important plants in the world. It is a main leguminous crop with high content of protein in the Republic of Bashkortostan. It’s of urgent importance to develop new, more tolerant to diseases and pests, highly productive varieties to improve productivity of peas. The article gives the study results of the new highly productive variety of peas ‘Uldash’ and its parental forms (the varieties ‘Usach’ and ‘Kormovoy 5’) conducted in the laboratory for breeding and seed-growing of leguminous crops and in the laboratory for molecular-genetic expertise of the Baskirsky Research Institute of Agriculture. The developed variety ‘Uldash’ is characterized with drought tolerance, early maturity, resistance to lodging and seed fall. The variety was sent to variety testing in 2015. The article presents the estimation of the studied varieties on morpho-biological and economically valuable traits (length of stem, number of beans per plant, number of seeds per bean, 1000-seed weight, seed weight per plant). The molecular-genetic analysis of three microsatellite loci AA255, AA200, AB28 has been conducted. The SSR-markers have been used for estimation of genetic polymorphism of peas and they have shown high efficiency. The uniform distribution along the whole genome, co-dominant inheritance and a high level of polymorphism allow using them as a perfect system for the development of genetic markers. The data, obtained during the study, showed a possibility to apply microsatellite markers for the analysis of hybrid forms and genetic identification of the studied varietal samples.

In recent years, Russia has returned to the number of world leaders in the production and export of wheat grain. However, a paradoxical situation has developed in the domestic wheat market. According to statistics, “almost no grain of the 1 and 2 grades (strong-valuable)” is produced in the country, and the various stores sell the top-grade flour which can be only produced (in accordance with GOST) from the grain of the 1-2 grades. The article tries to find out the reasons of the paradox. We have studied top-grade flour of three domestic producers, flour from France as well as flour and oilcake of seven varieties of domestic breeding listed in the State List as strong-valuable. For the comparative assessment we have used such efficient express-methods as electrophoresis of prolamins, SDS-sedimentation and estimation of protein content according to the Kjeldahl method. The study showed that the top-grade flour chosen for the analysis is soft (hexaploid) wheat and its gliadins do not possess alleles, which are negative for quality. SDS-sedimentation of the samples ‘Makfa’ and ‘Pudov’ corresponds to strong wheat; SDS-sedimentation of the samples ‘Petrovskie Nivy’ and ‘Ture 65’ corresponds to valuable wheat. The amount of protein in grain is on 1.6% more than in flour. The protein content in flour of domestic producers indicated on the packages does not correspond to the factual amount, and according to it the amount of protein in grain would be 13.7-15.2%, that corresponds to the grain of the 1-2 grades. GOST R 52189-2003 for wheat flour does not have any requirements to the protein content, and for grain such requirements are of great importance. For grain of the 1-2 grades, the requirements for the mass share of protein are overestimated in comparison with the scientifically justified restrictive norms on 0.5% (GOST 9353 "Wheat" (USSR) and DSTU 3768-98), and GOST R 52554-2006 itself does not give a right to maneuver in the procurement of grain, which takes place in the international requirements for some kinds of products from wheat. Such a situation is not normal. It discredits the selective achievements, misleads the state and agronomical services and requires amendments of GOST R 52554-2006 for grains of the 1-2 grades to reduce the protein content by 0.5%, and also to include in GOST R 5254-2006 “Wheat flour ...” the restrictive norms for the mass share of protein which come from the world experience (Fig. 2).

The article presents the results of three cycles of study of productivity and quality of sainfoin variety ‘Shuravi’. The purpose of the study is to establish the advantages of economic-biological characteristics of sainfoin ‘Shuravi’ over the standard variety ‘Zernogradsky 2’. The experiments were conducted by Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” in 2012-2016. The soil of the experimental fields is heavy loamy, carbonaceous black earth (chernozem) with a deep layer of humus (120 cm) and high content of carbon. The reaction of soil solution is nearly neutral (pH 7.0-7.1). The content of easily hydrolyzable nitrogen is of 60-110 mg/kg of soil; the content of movable phosphorus is 18.5 mg/kg of soil; the content of changeable potassium is of 342 mg/kg of soil. On average the productivity of sainfoin green mass during three cycles was 31.9 t/ha that is on 3.2 t/ha or 11.1% more than that of the standard variety. The productivity of dry matter of the variety ‘Shuravi’ was 8.06 t/ha on average during the studied period, that was on 1.16t/ha or 16.8% more than that of the variety ‘Zernogradsky 2’. The sainfoin variety ‘Shuravi’ showed a better productivity of kernels than the standard variety during all years of study. The grain productivity of ‘Shuravi’ was 0.84t/ha, that is on 0.22t/ha or 35.5% more than that of the variety ‘Zernogradsky 2’. The variety ‘Shuravi’ surpasses the standard variety in such traits as early maturity, fast and strong germination, tillering and leaf formation. The yield of forage units of the variety ‘Shuravi’ is on 11.2% more than that of the variety ‘Zernogradsky 2’. The amount of digestible protein in ‘Shuravi’ is on 12.5% more than that of ‘Zernogradsky 2’. The yield energy of ‘Shuravi’ was on 15.9% more than that of ‘Zernogradsky 2’ at a higher coefficient of energetic efficiency and a smaller index of energy capacity of product.

Rice productivity in this country is insufficient for the needs of population that shows the importance of the studied problem. Thus, it’s necessary to develop new highly productive varieties. The hybrids of the first generation often reveal heterosis which is a reason for significant transgressions in the further generations. It gives an opportunity to select more productive forms. The purpose of the work is to analyze quantitative traits of the hybrids F₁ among the Turkish and Russian varieties and their effect on productivity of kernels per panicle. The method of the analysis is a statistic and genetic analysis, which allow establishing a degree of phenotypic domination of the trait and an effect of true heterosis. The field trials have been carried out to study such traits as ‘plant height’, ‘length of panicle’, ‘number of spikelets per panicle’ number of kernels per panicle’, ‘fertility of spikelets’, ‘length, width and weight of kernels’; to find any combinations with high grain productivity; to analyze correlation of ‘kernels weight per panicle’ with some economically valuable traits. The average heterosis of ‘plant height’(4.2%), ‘length of panicle’(2.1%), ‘number of spikelets (35.3%), ‘number of kernels’(27.3%) and ‘kernels weight per panicle’(27.5%) was positive. The heterosis of ‘fertility of spikelets’, ‘length, width and weight of kernels’ was negative (from -5.3% till -8.6%). Among the components of productivity the increase of ‘number of spikelets and kernels per panicle’ significantly increased ‘kernels weight per panicle’ of the hybrids. There is a definite positive correlation between ‘number of kernels per panicle’ and ‘fertility of spikelets and an average negative correlation between ‘plant height’ and ‘length of panicle’. The hybrids F₁ produced larger ‘number of kernels per panicle’ due to the increased ‘number of spikelets per panicle’ and high ‘fertility of spikelets’. The materials of the article can be useful for the improvement of rice productivity.

Eight rice varieties of the Far East breeding have been studied by the method of DNA-typing to establish the presence of rice blast resistance genes. Six varieties possess one gene each: the varieties ‘Khankaysky 429’ and ‘Khankaysky 52’ possess the gene Pi -2, the varieties ‘Rassvet’, ‘Lugovoy’ and ‘Dolinny’ possess the gene Pi -ta, the variety ‘Almaz’ possesses the gene Pi -z. The genes Pi- 1 и Pi- b have not been found in the studied varieties. The scheme of crossing among the varieties and collection samples has been suggested for pyramiding resistance genes in the hybrids.

The last years have seen a wide application of grain crop stripping technology. All harvesting combines are now equipped with stripper heads. Due to the decrease of number of stems in the stripped grain mass the load on the threshing unit also decreases on 75-80%. It increases productivity of grain harvester in 1.5-1.7 times. Because of a small share of the lands under sorghum, participating in crop rotations, the implementation of sorghum harvesting by stripping technology is paid little attention. At the same time when sorghum is harvested by the traditional method of threshing, plant stems are compressed and rubbed. As a result moisture of the stems falls on grain, it is absorbed by grain and it increases grain humidity. The stripping harvesting does no deform the stems that allow harvesting grain with the same moisture as before stripping. Thus the article considers the possibility to adapt harvesting stripping technology for sorghum, though it has been predominantly designed for grain crops. The experiments showed that the share of non-grain part after stripping of the grain sorghum variety ‘Zernogradskoe 53’ was 17.3%, that was similar to the stripped grain mass of grain crops and in 1.77 times less than after stripping of sweet sorghum. The data about losses of grain obtained during the study greatly vary. The grain losses after stripping of sweet sorghum were 7.6%, that was in 2.64 times more than after stripping of grain sorghum variety ‘Zernogradskoe 53’. Thus, the grain sorghum variety ‘Zernogradskoe 53’ and other varieties of the similar morphology can be harvested with crop stripping technology, using constantly manufactured stripper headers. But the present stripper headers are not suitable for harvesting of sweet sorghum and other varieties of similar morphology and they require large modernization.

Chickpea is the most promising crop for dry parts of the Rostov region, as it is drought tolerant, resistant to lodging, diseases and pests. The purpose of the study is to find out the deviations of productivity and protein content in chickpea depending on meteorological conditions in the southern part of the Rostov region. The experiments were conducted in 2012-2016 at the fields of the All-Russian Research Institute of Grain Crops named after I.G. Kalinenko (laboratory of cultivation technology of row-crop), which are located in the southern soil-climatic part of the Rostov region with unstable and insufficient humidity. The soil on the fields is heavy loamy, carbonaceous black earth (chernozem). The object of the study was the chickpea variety ‘Volgogradsky 10’, approved to use in the Rostov region. The article presents the results of the correlation analysis of the effect of meteorological conditions of the southern part of the Rostov region on the duration of vegetation period of chickpea, its productivity and protein content. The correlation analysis showed a great dependence of the duration of vegetation period on the amount precipitations (r=0.92) and the sum of temperatures (r=-0.86). The meteorological conditions during the second half of vegetation period, i.e. sum of temperatures (r=0.90), amount of precipitations (r=0.87) and GTK (r=0.76), had a positive effect on protein content in chickpea kernels. The regressive analysis of the effect of precipitations and air temperature on productivity and protein content showed the change of its indexes due to climatic factors. The intervals between precipitations and sum of temperatures which increase productivity and protein content have been established. During the years of study precipitations and air temperatures influenced on productivity and protein content in kernels in different ways, as the largest yields were obtained at 200-220 mm of precipitations and 1750-1950⁰C during the vegetation period; the largest amount of protein in chickpea kernels were received at 100-120 mm of precipitations and 2100-2150⁰C.

Trailing bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) was the main weed on the fields sown with winter wheat variety ‘Povolzhskaya 86’. The article considers the effect of various degrees of weediness by trailing bindweed (sparsae, copiosae₁, copiosae₃) on the main elements of winter wheat productivity. The estimation of the weediness degree has been carried out by the Drude method. The largest losses of yields (15.0-28.0% depending on the year of study) occur with heavy weediness (copiosae₃). All three degrees of weediness reduce the main elements of productivity. But the indexes of such elements of productivity as ‘number of kernels per head’ and ‘kernels weight per head’ have increased from 2.6% till 18.0%. Such increase has happened due to the increase of area of nutrition of one plant. The weediness had the largest negative effect on ‘number of productive stems’ and ‘dry tops’ (17.0-28.0%). The weediness by trailing bindweed had an effect on density of winter wheat, on formation of the elements of productivity. Trailing bindweed had a smaller effect on the elements of productivity in the year with optimal stand than in the year with spaced sowings (sparsae). The correlation coefficient for each year of study has been estimated. The dispersion analysis which shows true difference between the control and the variants of the experiment has been conducted. The largest decrease of the indexes occurred in 2014, as the sowings were spaced because of bad wintering; it resulted in weak competitiveness of winter wheat to weeds. Weak competitiveness of winter wheat to trailing bindweed had a negative effect of the main elements of productivity.

The article presents the study results of the improvement of the resource-saving technology of buckwheat cultivation, of the efficiency of various tillage methods in a field grain-fallow rotation, of finding the best seeding rates for the crop and of the efficiency of bio-preparations against diseases and pests in the northern forestry steppe of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The low-humus grey-brownish soil prevailing in this zone has an unstable water-resistant structure, a comparatively low moisture capacity and water permeability, and it is characterized with average viscosity. Specific resistance of soils is more than 0.6 kg/cm². The problem of tillage of such soils is to restore and maintain an arable layer in the structural condition together with the other agro technologies of the advanced farming system. The study results have showed the advantage of moldboard tillage together with the use of bio-preparations and growth regulators during the buckwheat vegetation period, if the seeding norm is 3.5 ml of seeds per hectare. The maximum productivity of 17.2 hwt/ha has been obtained in such a variant, that is on 4.7 hwt/ha more than that of the control variety. In the variant with a subsoil plowing the productivity was 15.8 and 10.9 hwt/ha respectively (on 4.9 hwt/ha more). The yield of groats was 78.6%, which is on 4.8% more than that of the control (73.8%); the content of protein was 16.1%, which is on 1.6% more than that of the control.

The analysis of the advantages of moldboard, subsoil and minimum tillage shows the necessity to study a combined tillage. The trials have been conducted in a research department of Bashkirsky RIA, located in the steppe Zauralie of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The climate of the area is dry; the amount of precipitations with the temperature of 10⁰ is about 150 mm. The soil is medium-humus, heavy loamy black earth (chernozem). The experiment included moldboard plowing on 20-22 cm for wheat, 25-27 cm for peas; subsoil plowing (chisel tillage) on 25-27 cm for wheat and 28-30 cm for peas; combined plowing (disk tillage) on 8-10 cm for wheat and chisel tillage on 28-30 cm for peas. The study of the results showed a positive effect of subsoil and combined tillage on the improvement of water-physical properties of soil and on grain productivity of grain-fallow rotation sequence. The variants of productivity of spring wheat and peas in dependence of the annual humidity and tillage technologies have been analyzed. The high efficiency of a combined tillage for both increase of grain productivity and decrease of tillage costs has been established.

Among the ten mostly spread weeds in the grain seedings of the Tambov region are creeping thistle, white pigweed, field milk thistle (Sonchus arvensis), trailing bindweed, cockspur (barnyard), bristle grass (foxtail), cleavers (goosegrass), red-root pigweed, wild radish and common hemp-nettles. The varietal composition of segetal vegetation in winter wheat seedings was estimated in 2013, with a predominance of such annual weeds as field pansy, common hemp-nettles, larkspur; in 2014 with a predominance of such weeds as white pigweed, scentless mayweed (chamomile), common fumitory. The article shows the excess of economic threshold of harmfulness due to annual and perennial weeds in 2-3 times. The initial weediness of the experimental plot has been estimated, where annual dicotyledonous weeds prevailed, which negatively affected on productivity and quality of the product. It’s necessary to notice that climatic-weather conditions had a significant effect on the formation of weed component of wheat agrocenosis. In the north-east part of the Central-Black earth region the moisture supply in 2013-2014 was at a minimum (GTK 0.9 and 0.82 respectively) level in the spring vegetation period, insufficient for favorable plant development. Herbicide effect on the general weediness of winter wheat seeding was unstable. The analysis of the results shows a dependence of weed processing by the herbicide ‘Serto Plus’ on precipitations. The created optimal weather conditions during two years of study promoted the growth and development of weeds with a strong root system and fast growth, which was efficiently inhibited by the herbicide ‘Serto Plus’ in the north-east part of the Central-Black earth region.

The article presents the analysis of the varietal structure of spring barley sowings. There are 30 varieties of spring barley cultivated in the Rostov region, among which there are five new varieties occupying 6.9% of the general sowing area. The varieties which have been grown for 11-15 years are the most spread and occupy 32% of the sowing area. There is a tendency to increase the sowing area of the varieties which have been grown for less than 5 years or for 16-20 years. The varieties grown for more than 20 years have a large proportion (29.1%) in the general sowing area of spring barley. It is due to conservatism of grain producers, who prefer old, proven varieties. The improvement of the varietal structure of the sowing areas can become a reserve of the grain production increase in the Rostov region.