In 2017, an expedition was conducted in the Republic of Armenia. Its purpose was to collect local samples of vegetable crops, cucurbits and leguminous crops. The mission of the expedition was to study the seed assortment in markets, agricultural stores, farm fields, and a territorial survey of a number of districts in the Republic in accordance with the developed route. It was found out that common bean, tomato, onion, sweet pepper and hot pepper, spicy-flavored crops and cucurbits are widely used by the local population. Farmers were observed to have a wide diversity of crop varieties derived from their own seeds. As a result, 415 samples were collected and delivered to VIR, including 280 samples of vegetable crops (tomato, onion, coriander, dill, basil, radish, cucumber, sweet pepper, etc.), 70 of leguminous crops (common bean, etc.), 37 of cucurbits, 14 of oil and fiber crops, 12 of wild species, and 2 of alfalfa (one of them wild). Among fruit-bearing vegetable crops and cucurbits there are sources of valuable traits, such as ornamentality, productivity, resistance to abiotic and biotic stressors in the challenging climate conditions of the Republic of Armenia.

A collecting mission was carried out over the territory of Primorsky and Khabarovsk Regions in 2017. The goal of this mission was searching for wild species of the genus Lactuca L., and collecting samples of those species. Also, collecting of vegetable crops and cucurbits as well as wild relatives of such crops was important. Finally, 453 wild samples belonging to 8 species of Lactuca L., were collected in their native habitats. In the explored area, Lactuca spp. were found growing almost everywhere, but each species had its own preferable ecotype. The dataset of all collecting spots of the gathered Lactuca species including geographical coordinates of each point was developed. Besides, 243 samples of vegetable crops and cucurbits were purchased at the local markets, and 94 samples of crops wild relatives were collected in wild nature.

The article presents the data of a long-term research on the effect of air temperature and sunshine duration on the increase in anthocyanin content in the fruits of cherry plum varieties with different maturation periods and on their coloration degree. It is shown that the duration of sunshine is inversely associated with anthocyanin accumulation, which indicates the possibility of biosynthesis of these pigments under reduced illumination. Correlations between the accumulation of anthocyanins and daytime, night, and total air temperatures were absent.

Results of studying the oat collection of the N. I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources are presented. Field and Nine tetraploid oat lines of Avena magna Murph. et Terr. were assessed for their technological performance. Physicochemical analyses were performed, including moisture, ash, proteins, fibre fractions, lipids, carbohydrates, and minerals. Statistical analysis revealed noteworthy differences in the chemical composition between the cultivars.

Anatomic, morphological and physiological characteristics of the genus Zinnia L. have been studied in the climatic environments of the foothill zone of the Crimea. Xeromorphic features have been identified in the anatomical structure of the stem and leaf in the species Zinnia рeruviana L., Z. violacea Cav., and Z. haageana Regel. Comparative analysis of the genus Zinnia L. has shown that its species differ in the degree of lignification of their tissues and the intensity of pubescence. As for water scarcity, the most drought-resistant species has been found: Z. violacea Cav. (4.6%).

Baking properties of flour made from triticale grain were studied employing the improved triticale lines L-30 and MH Alamo bred at the Leningrad Research Institute of Agriculture "Belogorka" and the cultivars ‘Quasar’ and ‘Mamuchar’ with a predominance of rye and wheat genotypes developed at the North Caucasian Federal Agricultural Research Center. Grain, flour of single-grade grinding, and test baking products were compared using two methods. Laboratory baking was carried out according to the standard method GOST 27669-88 for wheat flour and by the method of St. Petersburg Branch of the Baking Industry Research Institute with the leaven developed for rye flour. The method of test baking with leaven is preferred for evaluation of triticale with weak gluten.

Since 2001, the East Kazakhstan Research Institute of Agriculture has been conducting the work aimed at the development and study of the collection of ultra-early and early soybean accessions in order to obtain new early-maturing and high-yielding cultivars adapted to the soil and climate environment of East Kazakhstan Region. As a result of breeding efforts embracing the whole scheme from hybridization and individual selection to routine and competitive trials, the new soybean cultivars ‘Birlik KV’ (2014) and ‘Vostochnaya Krasavitsa’ (2016), with earlier maturity and higher yield than the references, were submitted for State Variety Trials of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In 2017, the cultivar ‘Birlik KV’ was approved for cultivation in East Kazakhstan Region.

In his publications, N. I. Vavilov used to emphasize the need to use local source material in cereal crop breeding, marking out the value of East Siberian varieties with their long evolutionary background in extreme climate environments. This idea of N. I. Vavilov was proven by the development of barley cultivars in Siberia. In the northern subtaiga and taiga regions of Siberia, six-row barley cultivars are preferred. Crosses between the cultivar ‘Chervonets’ and barley varieties developed in North America resulted in releasing 10 cultivars. In the forest-steppe zone, preference is given to two-row barleys. ‘Viner’ and ‘Omsky 13709’ cultivars participated in the development of 21 new barley cultivars. A breeding program has been worked out and launched to release varieties resistant to a complex of extreme environments.

A nomenclature for the unified description of inflorescences in cultivated legumes is proposed. The given terms may be applied for characterization of inflorescence morphology both in normal and mutant plants. We give a simplified classification of synflorescence types in legume crops of Russia and bordering countries basing on the features of a floral unit.

Characteristics of the new malting spring barley cultivar ‘Omsky 100’ are presented. This cultivar, bred at the Siberian Research As a result of studying the Krasnodar Schizaphis graminum population, a high level of the insect’s overall and seasonal variability in its virulence to sorghum resistance genes was detected. The greenbug population feeding on sorghum was shown to be labile in virulence to barley accessions as well. The selection of S. graminum genotypes specifically adapted to host plant species was observed. During the reproduction of the insect on barley plants, the individuals without “redundant” genes of virulence to sorghum had an advantage in competition. Replacement of the host led to rapid accumulation of clones virulent to the sorghum resistance genes Sgr1 - Sgr4 and Sgr12.

Presented here is the information about the life and scientific activities of K.I. Pangalo, a scientist famous for his research on cucurbitaceous crops, a friend and companion of N.I. Vavilov.