Proceedings on Applied Botany, Genetics and Breeding: 110th years since the foundation of the journal

Background. Plant genetic resources (PGR) conservation is an indispensable condition for ensuring the country's economic and environmental security. The most important component of the PGR status assessment is the study of crop wild relatives in a particular region. This is especially important for the Chechen Republic due to its unique geographic, climatic, environmental and political conditions.

Materials and methods. The material for the present research was taken from the published data on the flora of the studied region and the own field studies conducted by the route exploration method. In order to select priority species for conservation, the items of the methodology for PGR conservation adapted for Russia were used. The map of species locations was built using MapInfo 8.5.

Results and conclusions. Within the framework of the work on inventoring crop wild relatives (CWR) in the regions of Russia, they were studied in the natural plant communities of the Chechen Republic. A list of 468 species belonging to 120 genera of 35 families has been compiled, which covers over 20% of the entire flora of the republic. Based on the analysis of the CWR species distribution in the studied area, assessment of their economically and biologically important traits, as well as according to the criteria of rarity and vulnerability, a preliminary list has been drawn up for the inclusion in the CWR Red List of the Russian Caucasus. For some species, a map of their location in the studied area was created. For effective CWR preservation, it is recommended to use two methods, that is, in situ and ex situ conservation. However, to date, a more realistic way to preserve valuable species from local populations is to include them in the VIR collection. The Specially Protected Natural Territories (SPNT) System that currently exists in the republic does not provide the necessary protection for natural complexes and individual plant species. The results of the performed study can serve as an additional reason for the establishment of a Chechen State Natural Complex Reserve in the republic.

The percentage of foreign material in the VIR collection of grain legumes varies from 42% (vetch) to 96-97% (cowpea, chickpea). For most crops, this indicator is between 75-86%. It depends either on the agroclimatic needs of the crops reflecting the areas of their cultivation and growth over the world or on their centers of origin as well as on the scale of their production and breeding in different countries. The main way of receiving new crop material from abroad is VIR's international cooperation which was initiated by N. I. Vavilov. Since then, interaction of the Institute with foreign partners has not lost its relevance and traditions. The sources of foreign material are international collecting expeditions, the exchange of scientists, requests for germplasm to international genebanks, national botanical gardens, breeding organizations, specialized research institutions and universities. The most important tool for obtaining foreign material was and still is the exchange of germplasm samples. This article provides an overview of the ways by which foreign material has entered the VIR collection of grain legumes over the last 20 years. During this period, the total of 7552 foreign accessions has been added to the collection, which makes 16% of its overall volume. The main sources of such material are international genebanks and national centers working with plant genetic resources. For the collections containing crop wild relatives (CWR), botanical gardens remain important suppliers of material. The main partner countries that have participated in mutually beneficial partnerships and germplasm exchange with VIR are Syria, China, the USA, Canada, Ukraine, Belarus, France, and Australia. International expeditions have been and remain a fruitful source of local varieties and CWR. Of undoubted interest, along with the modern and local varieties coming from abroad, are wild species of such crops as soybean, chickpea and lentil whose areas of distribution lie beyond the borders of this country. Such species are promising for introgressive breeding. The study of new foreign accessions within VIR's network made it possible to identify sources of economically valuable traits for the main trends of crop breeding.

Background. The Primorsky Region is the most floristically diverse region of the Russian Federation and the Russian Far East because of the richness of the local endemic vegetation. Representatives of many species can be used as medicinal, food, forage and ornamental plants. In order to conserve plant genetic resources (PGR) of the Primorsky Region, specific composition of crop wild relatives (CWR) was inventoried. A complete CWR inventory is the fundamental basis for the development of in situ conservation as an integral part of a system of science-based rational use of the genetic diversity. A taxonomic analysis of the list has revealed the native/adventive species ratio. The species were ranked according to their economic value and the criterion of rarity and vulnerability. CWR representation in the reserves of the Primorsky Region was studied and recommendations concerning priority CWR species identification and in situ conservation issued.

Materials and methods. The study was based both on literature data and on the authors' collecting mission materials obtained by means of the route exploration method. CWR taxonomic analysis employed the common floristic method. Aspects of CWR conservation in the Primorsky Region were developed using a unified methodology for CWR in situ conservation in Russia.

Results and conclusions. The analysis has resulted in the identification of 442 vascular plants species from 120 genera and 37 families representing CWR in the Primorsky Region. CWR amount to about 16% of the entire flora of the region. Priority conservation has been recommended for 143 species. Most successfully CWR species can be conserved within the specially protected natural territories. CWR are represented in the following nature reserves of the Primorsky Region: Ussuriysky (151 species), Sikhote-Alinsky (143 spp.), Kedrovaya Pad (128 spp.), Lazovskoye (119 spp.), Dalnevostochny Morskoy (67 spp.) and Khanka (59 spp.). Adventive species amount to 42.5% among CWR of the Primorsky Region, that is, their fraction is smaller than the general figure for the regional flora. The smallest fraction of adventive species among CWR was detected in the Dalnevostochny Morskoy, Sikhote-Alinsky and Kedrovaya Pyad nature reserves (11.9%, 13.2% and 13.3%, respectively). The fraction of invasive species among CWR was found to be the largest (33.6%) in the Lazovsky Reserve. The average figures were recorded for the Khanka and Ussuriysky reserves (23.7% and 17.9%, respectively).

Background. Searching for new sources of genes for cultivated plants in order to increase their productivity, earliness, resistance, etc. is the vital problem of scientific work, since the need of mankind for food has increased in recent years many times. The development of biotechnological and molecular biological methods makes it possible to involve crop wild relatives (CWR) in breeding programs.

Materials and methods. The material was the published reference data of the vegetation in the studied area and the expedition materials collected by VIR's staff and the author.

Results and conclusion. A revision was made on crop wild relatives in the vegetation of Vologda Province: 260 species belonging to 106 genera and 22 families were identified. Floristic areas most important for further research were named: Mologo-Vologdsky, Verkhnesukhonsky, as the richest in CWR composition, which was caused by a combination of Boreal, Arctic and European species, and Yugsky Districts, where a large number of Ural-Siberian species of CWR occur. The northern districts have a poor diversity of species, but it is here that the most valuable cranberry swamps are located. Sheksninsko-Sudsky, Vozhega-Kubensky, Verkhnesukhonsky and Nizhnesukhonsky Districts with their 57 protected areas of different ranks conserve 29 species of CWR listed in the Red Book of Vologda Province.

Background. The main limiting factor for achieving high barley yields is the insufficient moisture availability for crops in certain periods of development. When comparing growing conditions with the requirements of varieties of different ecotypes to the conditions of plant growth and development, it is necessary to identify varieties that are resistant to drought at different stages of organogenesis and thus can be used as sources of drought resistance in barley breeding.

Materials and methods. The study was carried out in the dry-steppe zone of the Volgograd Province at the experiment station of the Lower-Volga Research Institute of Agriculture. A nursery was laid out according to a standard method. Twenty-two varieties from Russia, the USA, Canada, Belarus and Germany were selected for the study, and 'Donetskiy 8' was used as a reference.

Results and conclusions. In the dry-steppe zone, the moistening conditions at the booting stage and the temperature regime during ripening are important for the growth and development of spring barley. With sufficient moisture supply (56.3 mm) at the booting stage and moderate air temperature (the sum of active temperatures of 711°C) during the maturing stage, the grain yield was maximal and reached 7.08.0 tons/ha for individual varieties. In the absence of precipitation (1.4 mm) at the booting stage and strong heat during the maturing stage (1030.5°C), the yield of these varieties decreased to 2.5- 3.0 tons/ha. The coefficient of variation in more droughty years was 30-54%, while in wet ones it was 20.5%. The varieties that are suitable for the zone of risky agriculture as the most flexible ones that ensure high yields regardless of climatic conditions, are 'Miar', 'Donetskiy 8', 'Tetonia', 'PWA 1758', 'Lenetah', 'Hays', which adaptation coefficient is above 1 throughout the years of the study. A sharp response to the changing vegetation conditions was displayed by 'Omskiy Golozernyi', 'Dublet', 'Fobos', 'Tercel' and 'Thual', all with an adaptation coefficient below 1. The naked varieties 'Tamalpais' (USA) and 'CDCGainer' (Canada) have a high adaptation coefficient (1.23, 1.41) in arid conditions and can be used in barley breeding for drought resistance.

Background. Landraces constitute a valuable pool for use in breeding. Even today, the collection of VIR contains this unique material, which has not been reproduced in the places of its origin for a long time, and for the most part does not occur in any collection of the world. About 60% of the landraces of the VIR durum wheat collection were collected in the countries of the Mediterranean basin where durum wheat is one of the leading cereals. Complex comparative study of this material according to its morphological and agrobiological traits makes it possible to identify valuable landraces and recommend them for the use in various studies.

Objective. The research covered 313 landraces of durum wheat from 20 countries and regions of the Mediterranean basin preserved in the collection of VIR. The experiment was conducted in the fields of the Tel Hadiya Research Station of the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA, Syria).

Results and conclusion. As a result of the evaluation of economically useful traits, sources of earliness, short-stem characteristics, and productivity components were identified. The field assessment of resistance to the blotch of wheat (Septoria nodorum Belk.), wheat yellow rust (Puccinia striiformis West.) and wheat leaf rust (Puccinia recondita Rob. ex Desm. f. sp. tritici Erikss.) showed differences in the resistance to these diseases among landraces of different origin. Immunity to yellow rust was observed in the varieties from Algeria, Spain, Italy and Syria, to brown rust in the varieties from North Africa and Portugal, and to blotch in the varieties from Italy and Portugal. The studied durum wheat landraces possess valuable morphological characteristics. Identification of the Triticum durum Desf. accessions revealed new varieties and forms. An analysis of the results of the comparative study of the Mediterranean landraces manifested great diversity of their morphological characteristics and undoubted value of individual varieties possessing various important economic traits.

Background. As a crop, triticale is an important source that can be used to meet the growing needs of animal husbandry in high-quality feeds and of the population in organic products. Triticale combines the high productivity potential of wheat with high adaptability of rye. However, the expansion of triticale production in the Northwestern Region of the Russian Federation is hindered by the unresolved breeding and genetic problems, like tendency to lodging, sprouting in the ear, unstable productivity and insufficient disease resistance. In this regard, the further development of breeding in the Russian Northwest depends on studying the triticale gene pool and synthesis of original initial material for the creation of new high-yielding varieties.

Material and methods. Field and laboratory studies were conducted at the experimental base of the "BELOGORKA" Leningrad Research Institute. The experimental design and statistical data processing followed the standard technique. Phenological observations, field and laboratory assessments were carried out according to the standard methods.

Results and conclusion. The three-year study (2015-2017) of the winter triticale collection material of different ecogeographic origin has resulted in the identification of genetic sources of individual important agronomic traits, such as early maturity (e.g., 'Don' (k-3637), 'Almaz' (k -3908), 'Proryv' (k-3763), 'Interes' (k-3968), 'Pshenichnoe' (k-3965), 'ADM-6' (k -3544), 'ADM-9' (k-3421), 'Utro' (k-3926)), dwarfness (e.g., 'Ramzaj' (k-4071), 'Samurai' (k-4072), 'Skif' (k-3931), 'Zavet' (k-4020), 'Proryv' (k-3763), 'Dozor' (k-4021), 'Knyaz'' (k-4076),    'L-372'    (k-2806), 'Pshenichnoe' (k-3965), 'Kroha' (k-3929)), productivity (e.g., 'Impul's' (k- 3999), 'Prometey' (k-3900), 'Kvazar' (k-3938), 'Interes' (k-3968), 'Trizub' (k-3969), 'Papsuevskaya' (k-3924), 'Svityaz'' (k-3963), 'Topaz' (k-3909), 'Dawitol' (k-4002), 'Prado' (k-3865)), and disease resistance (e.g., 'PRAG 536' (k-3945), 'PRAG 456' (k-3946), 'Kvazar' (k-3938), 'Prometey' (k- 3900), 'Svyatozar' (k-3940), 'Yasha' (k-3912)). The accessions with a set of important traits that have been selected as the initial material for breeding winter triticale in the Northwest of the Russian Federation include 'Topaz' (k-3909), 'Don' (k-3637) 'Trizub' (k-3969), 'Interes' (k- 3968), 'Pshenichnoe' (k-3965), 'Svityaz'' (k-3963), 'Amulet' (k- 3956), 'Impul's' (k-3999), 'Kvazar' (k-3938), and 'Dawitol' (k-4002). The lines [(Niklap x Antei) x L-21620] x Fidelio and (Niklap x Antei) x ADM-9 have been identified as two promising lines with a complex of economically valuable traits.

Background. Wild apple-tree species (Malus Mill., Rosaceae) are an important reserve of sources of economically valuable traits for the needs of present and future breeding. Particular attention was paid to the immunological characteristics of the gene pool. The main genes of disease resistance contained in wild species contribute to the dominance of this feature and its fixation in the progeny. However, constantly evolving virulence of pathogens poses the need to search for sources of new non-identical genes of disease resistance and use them in breeding practice. In addition, the task of developing late flowering cultivars is quite urgent because in recent years late spring frosts have become more and more frequent and caused significant damage to the yield of apple-trees and other fruit crops. Therefore, the need to mobilize, preserve and study the genetic diversity of wild apple-tree species is a necessary condition for the selection of valuable forms and their use in breeding practice.

Materials and methods. The collection of wild apple-tree species maintained at Maikop Experiment Station of VIR was established thanks to the efforts of numerous collecting teams launched by the Station and VIR to the various centers of crop origin. At present, the collection comprises 319 species, varieties and forms representing the sections Docyniopsis (C.K. Schneid.) Langenf., Sorbomalus Zabel., Gymnomeles Koehne., Chloromeles (Decne) Rehd. and Malus on the systematics of V. Langenfelds. Economic and biological features of the species' accessions have been studied according to the guidelines of VIR.

Results and conclusions. The long-term study of the collection resulted in identifying species, forms and interspecific hybrids with such valuable features as high yield, resistance to diseases, late flowering period as well as early fruiting, short stem, ornamentality and others. The most promising are the species with a set of valuable features. For example, within the Sorbomalus section, high annual yield, disease resistance and ornamental qualities were observed in M. sieboldii (Rehd.) Langenf. (k-43201), M. x sargentii Rehd. (k-2428), M. x floribunda Siebold (k-2346) as well as in the hybrids M. sieboldii х Spartan (k- 41289) and M. xfloribunda х Renet Simirenko (k-41285); within the Gymnomeles section, in M. baccata (L.) Borkh. (k-2316, k-2317, k- 2327, etc.), M. hupehensis (Pamp.) Rehd. (k-14945), M. mandshurica (Maxim.) Kom. subsp. sachalinesis (Kom.) Likh. (k-890A); within the Malus section, in M. xprunifolia (Willd.) Borkh. (k-2444, k-2430). In addition, late flowering and disease resistance characterize some forms of M. orientalis (Ugl.) Juz. (k-14953, k- 17979, k-29483, etc.) and M. pumila Mill. (k-2383 and k-2385). Some forms of M. x purpurea (Barb.) Rechd. (k- 2393, k-2396) and M. spectabilis (Ait.) Borkh. (k- 2416, k-24995) are distinguished by their exceptional ornamental effect

Background. An important trend in modern common bean breeding is the improvement of grain quality, including by reducing the content of anti-nutrients, so it is important to identify accessions that are free of inhibitors or contain minimal amounts of them. The search for samples with high content of inhibitors is also relevant, since inhibitors play a crucial role in the functioning of the basic biochemical mechanisms that determine and regulate the physiological state of the cell.

Materials and methods. Presented here are the results of biochemical and field screening of 141 common bean accessions (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) of different ecogeographic origin from the collection of VIR. Various sets of accessions were grown at VIR's experimental stations - Krymsk Experiment Breeding Station, branch of VIR (Town of Krymsk); Pushkin and Pavlovsk Laboratories of VIR (City of St. Petersburg) - in 2000-2003. Field study of economically valuable traits was carried out according to VIR's methods. Trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA) was calculated at the biochemical laboratory of VIR by spectrophotometry. The program Statistica 7.0. (StatSoft, Inc., USA) was used for statistical analysis.

Results. TIA assessment in the seeds of common bean accessions showed that the mean value of the trait varied depending on the country of origin and the year of study. The results of the correlation analysis showed that the values of correlation coefficients were unstable over the years of study, and did not allow us to reveal stable relationships between TIA in bean seeds and meteorological conditions (-0.39 ≤ r ≤ 0.41), morphological (0.03 ≤ r ≤ 0.23) and economically valuable (-0.05 ≤ r ≤ 0.21) traits. The analysis of variance showed that the content of trypsin inhibitors in seeds depends more on the genetic properties of plants (effect-size percentage is 88.6%), less on weather conditions (12.24-20.16%), the year of reproduction (20.16%) or origin (18.87%), and only to a small extent on the place of reproduction (10.76%).

Conclusions. The study helped to find 8 sources of low TIA (< 7 mg/g), and 25 ones with high TIA (> 13 mg/g). Accessions combining high seed protein content (> 30%) with low (< 7 mg/g) or medium (7-9 mg/g) TIA levels were also identified. Those accessions can be included in future breeding programs. The lowest mean TIA values were observed in the accessions from Azerbaijan (7.55), Madagascar (8), Costa Rica (8.05), and Denmark (8.98), while high mean TIA was manifested by the accessions from Bhutan (17.8), Russia (13.4), Kenya (13.2), and Sweden (12, 97). The correlation analysis failed to reveal stable interrelations between TIA and meteorological conditions or morphological and economically valuable traits. The TIA level basically depends on the genetic properties of plants.

Background. Broccoli has valuable chemical composition, is a source of mineral elements, ascorbic acid, a significant amount of nitrogenous and biologically active substances, and has medicinal properties. For the year-round cultivation of this valuable crop in Dagestan, it is required to develop a conveyor of varieties and hybrids of different ripening groups, and determine the timing of planting seeds and transplanting seedlings.

Materials and methods. Fourteen varieties and hybrids of broccoli from the global collection of VIR were studied in comparison with the 'Tonus' reference variety. Research was carried out at Dagestan Experiment Station of VIR in 2015-2017 in the summer/autumn season of crop cultivation. Seeds for seedlings were sown in open ground in the second 10-day period of June; shoots were obtained on June 23-24. Transplanting of the seedlings was carried out in the third 10-day period of July. The planting scheme was 70x40 cm; the plot area for one accession was 8.4 m2. Agricultural practice used for cultivation is generally accepted for cabbage family crops in the region.

Results and conclusions. In the summer/autumn season of cultivation, it is possible to harvest high-quality broccoli crop in Derbent District. During the study, the length of the growing season for the accessions and the quality of the harvest were determined, taking into account the effect of temperature factors in the year of study. Optimal doses of mineral fertilizers and the best number of chemical treatments against pests were identified. To obtain a marketable head in broccoli, the main limiting factors are the temperature and humidity of soil and air. The longer the temperature stays within the range from 15 to 20°C during the growth period in the first phase after planting before the start of head formation, the higher is the yield. The longer the temperature remains above 25°C during the period from the beginning of head formation to the accession's full commercial fitness, the lower is the quality of the marketable head. The longer are the periods with temperatures between 15 and 20°C during the first growth phase and with temperatures between 10 and 15°C during the formation of the head, the lower is the percentage of broccoli heads with a rough uneven surface. The temperature above 20°C in the second phase was conducive to the formation of loose heads with emergence of flowers. Uniform formation of marketable heads was observed in the reference variety 'Tonus': 10% of central heads were formed on the 82nd day, and 100% on the 90th, that is within only eight days. Early-ripening broccoli varieties showed poor head quality: large buds, uneven surface, and rapid divarication of heads. Experimental data on the cultivation of marketable broccoli heads may be recommended to farmers and amateur vegetable growers.

Background. Cotton production, processing and trade are essential part of the world economy. The acreage under cultivated cotton over the world has expanded during the past five years, while total production of cotton fiber has increased almost twice. Cotton is the most demanded natural fiber in Russia: the share of pure cotton in Russian commercial textile trade is up to 54%. Effective use of Russia's diverse climate conditions to solve priority tasks of the domestic industry and agriculture has high innovative importance, considering that the share of imported cotton in the country's total textile inputs used by its light industry is 40%. Therefore, it is urgent and important enough to evaluate the effect of soil and climate conditions in the south of Russia on cotton yield and fiber quality.

Materials and methods. In 2016, a research was accomplished to evaluate the accessions of Gossypium hirsutum L. listed in the introduction catalogue in the steppe areas of Prikubanskaya Plain, Krasnodar Region (Kuban Experiment Station of VIR, Gulkevichi District), according to VIR's guidelines. The most important features of cotton fiber were estimated in the context of the trends existing on the world market (HVI testing).

Results and conclusions. Accessions that produced 75 -100% of mature plants after 120 days of vegetation were described. Fiber yield of the studied white fiber accessions was not high. With some exceptions, accessions yielding naturally colored fiber had lower productivity than white fiber ones. The accession i-604984 exceeded the reference in fiber productivity, boll weight, and fiber harvest. The results of HVI tests showed that the evaluated accessions yielded fiber of good quality (4-5th type of the O'zDSt604-2001 standard, Uzbekistan). Fiber of the accessions i-604971 and i-604975 had the best strength. The fibers of all accessions demonstrated high or very high degree of uniformity in length. All white fiber accessions demonstrated normal micronaire values, quite acceptable for textile industry. Micronaire indicators of colored cotton accessions were only slightly lower than those of white fiber ones in maturity and fineness, but these differences were not significant when compared with the references.

Background. The overwhelming majority of commercial cotton cultivars have white fiber. Production of fabrics from such fiber has some disadvantages, therefore an increasing number of genotypes of cotton with the naturally colored fiber is being created around the world in the last decades. An investigation of correlations between different traits makes it possible to reveal the degree of influence of fiber color on structural and agronomic characters, and determine the possibility of creating varieties with naturally colored fiber for profitable cultivation in the north of the Astrakhan Province.

Material and methods. Fourteen early lines of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) from the trait-specific collection, which have naturally colored fiber, were studied in the north of the Astrakhan Province at the Caspian Research Institute of Arid Agriculture (CRIAA). The study employed the techniques developed at VIR and took into account productivity elements and agronomic traits. The lines were created at the Prikumskaya Experiment and Breeding Station of the Stavropol Agricultural Research Institute (Budennovsk) and CRIAA on the basis of hybrids between Turkmen varieties with brown and green fiber and accessions of early white fiber cotton from Albania and Italy. Two lines had beige fiber, 6 light brown, and 6 green. Microsoft Excel 10 was used in the work.

Results and Discussion. The analysis of genotypic correlations showed that due to the insufficiency of the total effective temperatures in 2013, no significant links of colored fiber with other signs were discovered. All the correlations were typical for cotton plants. In the more favorable conditions of 2014, the variability of quantitative traits increased and the correlations that were absent in the previous year were revealed. The negative correlation of fiber color with the first generative branch height (r = -0.53), and positive with the fiber yield (r = 0.57) indicate that the lines with brown fiber have a lower height of fruiting branches development (and potentially a shorter growing season) and a larger yield of fiber. By their characteristics, they approach the industrial white fiber cultivars. These results show that the creation of a cultivar with brown fiber in the near future in Russia is quite possible.

Background. We tested soybean accessions from the VIR collection. These accessions had not been tested earlier at any experiment station of VIR.

Materials and methods. The testing was carried out at the Black Sea Coast of the Caucasus. We tested 494 soybean accessions of various geographic origins. These accessions arrived to the VIR collection from 1922 to 1995. Our work was done according to VIR's methodological guidelines.

Results. Almost half of the accessions of various maturity groups manifested high seed productivity (> 30g per plant). There were no accessions with high seed productivity among the earliest maturity group (growing season of 81-90 days). Productivity was positively correlated with the duration of the growing season (r = 0.39). The weight of 1000 seeds varied from 60g to 500g and had no apparent connection with productivity. Elevated position of the lower bean is important for mechanized harvesting. Only in 27 accessions the lower bean was set higher than 12.1 cm. Among them, 23 accessions were very late-ripening, and only 2 matured within the season of up to 130 days. Accessions with high crude protein content in seeds (45.1-50.0%) were found in all maturity groups. Maximum oil content (24.1-26.0%) was registered only in the accessions whose growing season was from 91do 150 days. Accessions with the shortest (81-90 days) and longest (> 150 days) growing seasons did not contain much oil. High productivity was combined with high protein content in the early-ripening accession k-2341 from China (growing season of 101-110 days), late-ripening variety 'Morse' from the U.S. (141-50 days), 'Shhepis 2' from Georgia, 'Axagara' and 'Tou kichi 1' from Japan (>150 days). High productivity and high oil content were observed in the U.S. varieties 'Sherman' (121-130 days) and 'Ripley' (141- 150 days). The correlation between protein content and oil content was negative (r = -0.55). Full-scale characterization of the studied material has been published in The Catalogue of the global VIR collection, issue 855, 2018.

Conclusion. The conducted research helped to describe earlier untested materials in terms of their productivity and biological characteristics. Accessions with the best economic characteristics can be used in breeding practice to develop new soybean cultivars.

Cryopreservation minimizes the risk of losing valuable accessions and reduces the material costs of plant resources maintenance. By using the method of pollen long-term storage in cryobanks, it is possible to keep pollen grains viable for an unlimited time. In the course of the research, cryoconservation of pollen of stone fruit crops was performed and pollen viability was checked after exposure to ultra-low temperatures (-196°С) under laboratory conditions. The studies were carried out on apricot (Armeniaca vulgaris Lam.) and sweet cherry (Cerasus avium (L.) Moench) plants, from which pollen was collected. Evaluation of viability in laboratory conditions was carried out by germination on various nutrient media. The possibility of long-term pollen preservation in liquid nitrogen vapor is shown. Based on the results obtained, a collection of pollen is being created for implementing various breeding programs.

Background. Many of perennial and annual Lathyrus species have economic significance and are used of the world's agriculture. They are often cultivated as forage crops. An important role in developing new forage crops is given to selection for an increased quality of green biomass. Studying biologically active substances (BAS) in green matter of different Lathyrus varieties is needed to search for accessions with as high nutritional value as possible that can serve as sources of BAS.

Materials and methods. Thirty-five accessions representing 6 species (L. sativus L., L. vernus (L.) Bernh., L. latifolius L., L. tuberosus L., L. linifolius (Reichard) Bassler, L. sylvestris L.) of the genus Lathyrus L. from the VIR collection were studied. BAS were detected in the green biomass of the accessions in an early phase of bean ripening. The accessions were analyzed by VIR-approved methods (Ermakov et al., 1987). The qualitative and quantitative analyses of phenolic compounds was performed by means of gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS Agilent 6850, USA).

Results. The content of ascorbic acid, carotenoids, carotenes, в-carotene, chlorophylls a and b, phenolic compounds in the Lathyrus species was studied for the first time. Significant interspecific and intervarietal differences were identified in the BAS content of green matter. The range of variability was as follows: ascorbic acid: 39.0-133.0; chlorophylls a and b: 55.5-365.5; carotenoids: 10.6-44.5; carotenes: 3.630.0; в-carotene: 2.6-24.8; phenols: 4.4-199.4 mg/100g of raw material. The highest rates were observed in L. linifolius and L. latifolius accessions.

Conclusion. Green biomass of the studied Lathyrus accessions was balanced in the BAS content and showed high nutritive value. All studied species are of interest for forage crop breeding. The accessions of flat pea (L. sylvestris) and grass pea (L. sativus) are promising for practical use in feed production. L. linifolius and L. latifolius have good prospects as sources of biologically active substances.

Background. Sunflower as an oilseed crop originated from Russia. It was in this country that single-headed highly productive forms were obtained, industrial oil production was invented, first local varieties were developed, accessions with increased oil content in seeds were identified by V. S. Pustovoit and his associates, and the first high-yielding cultivars ('Peredovik', 'VNIIMK 8883') with high oil content in seeds (50-60%) were produced. Mutants with modified fatty acid composition were obtained, and high oleic cultivar 'Pervenets' was created. Soviet varieties formed the basis for the world's sunflower breeding, and further for breeding commercial hybrids using the effect of heterosis. In the article, the genetic diversity of lines originated from domestic varieties is demonstrated. The genealogy of many domestic lines and also of the American line HA89 which served as the reference in breeding trials and genetic experiments is discussed. The information on the lines developed by the researchers of VIR at Kuban Experiment Station in the years 1970-2015 as well as the available data of foreign researchers on the lines obtained from domestic varieties are presented.

Materials and methods. The lines were developed using repeated self pollination of the varieties and selection by morphological characters, CMS, pollen fertility restoration ability, duration of the growing season, and downy mildew resistance in each inbred generation. As a rule, lines were homogeneous after 7-8 generations.

Results and discussion. The information on the genealogy of 38 lines developed by the researches of VIR, two VNIIMK lines, 16 foreign lines, and also the data on the origin of the CMS PET1 source are analyzed. The genealogical overview of the lines has allowed us to draw a conclusion on the origin of the high oil content and high oleic content traits. It is these characters that in the first place distinguish cultivated sunflower from the wild species of the genus Helianthus L. Lines originated from one and the same variety can differ by the presence of diagnostic markers of the Rf1 gene controlling pollen fertility restoration in forms with cytoplasmic male sterility, and also by allelic variants of storage protein genes and morphological characters.

Background. Earliness of barley is an important trait for increasing the yield of this crop, especially in regions where abiotic factors are determinant. This work is dedicated to the identification of the eam8 gene in local barley accessions from the VIR collection. It would be possible to find sources of weak sensitivity to photoperiod to be used in breeding practice.

Materials and methods. In Pushkin and Pavlovsk Laboratories of the N. I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR, St. Petersburg), 1460 local barley accessions from 26 countries with a short photoperiod of vegetation were studied. These countries are included in five centers of barley diversity: the Abyssinian, the Near East, the Mediterranean, the Central Asian, and the New World. The experiments were performed in the THERMO 818 (3751) climate chamber. Barley seeds were planted in cuvettes with moistened cotton wool. After the emergence of shoots, they were placed in the climate chamber where the plants remained until the stage of the second leaf with the 10-hour photoperiod and the temperature regime of a low daytime (+8°C) and high nighttime (+25°C) temperatures. Yellow color of a plantlet was the marker for the expression of the eam8 gene. Two varieties were used as references: 'Mari Svalofs' (k-19354; var. nutans Schubl.; Genotype eam8eam8) insensitive to photoperiod, and 'Belogorsky' (k-22089; var. pallidum Ser., var. ricotense Regel; Genotype Eam8Eam8) responding to a short day.

Results and conclusions. Phenotypic screening of barley samples from 26 countries with a short photoperiod resulted in identification of 1379 forms with the Eam8Eam8 genotype (sensitive to a short day), 44 accessions with the eam8eam8 genotype (insensitive to a short photoperiod), and 37 heterogeneous accessions. Local barleys from Dagestan demonstrated the highest occurrence of forms with the eam8 gene (15.9%). The Near East and Central Asian centers of barley diversity were notable for the occurrence of local accessions with the recessive allele of the Eam8 gene. Accessions with the eam8eam8 genotype and heterogeneous forms can serve as sources of earliness in regions with short-light days. In order to include such sources in commercial barley cultivar breeding programs, they should be searched for in countries with a mountainous landscape and a short photoperiod.

Background. There are more than 200 tuber-bearing species in the genus Solanum L. Many of them possess valuable traits able to improve some characteristics in present-day potato cultivars. Wild potato species have formed an entire ploidy series ranging from diploid to hexaploid. Many wild species have not yet been used in potato breeding. A barrier exists in crosses due to differences in chromosome numbers and EBN of parental species. In our previous evaluation of the accession S. neoantipoviczii Buk. VIR k-8505 was found to be highly resistant to Phytophthora infestans and to tree strains of Potato Virus Y (PVY) conferring resistance through the gene Rysto. In J. Hawkes's monography this species is mentioned as synonymous to S. stoloniferum Schlechtd. Russian taxonomist S. M. Bukasov recognized it as an independent species. At the same time D. Correll hypothesized that this species is the hybrid between tetraploid S. stoloniferum and diploid S. verrucosum Schlechtd. We counted the chromosome number in thirty seedlings of the accession S. neoantipoviczii k-8505 and studied the crossability of this accession in combinations with several other species.

Material and methods. The plants of the species: S. neoantipoviczii Buk (female parent), original hybrid S. microdontum Bitt. x S. tarijense Hawk., S. berthaultii Hawk., S. ruiz-ceballosii Card., S. kurtzianum Bitt. et Wittm., S. papita Rydb., S. phureja Juz. et Buk. and S. tuberosum L. (male parents) differing in chromosome numbers and previously studied for useful traits were included in hybridization. The chromosome counting was performed in meristem root cells, extracted from in vitro plants. Hybridization was performed using cut branches of female parents after bud decapitation.

Results and conclusions. Plants of the accession S. neoantipoviczii k-8505 were basically found tetraploid. In the crosses of S. neoantipoviczii used as the female parent, seeds were obtained in combinations with the accessions of wild (S. berthaultii, S. kurtzianum, S. papita, S. ruiz-ceballosii, hybrid S. microdontum x S. tarijense) and cultivated (S. phureja, S. tuberosum) potato species. Low seed numbers were recorded in the crosses with S. kurtzianum and S. berthaultii. In crosses with the other species, the seed number varied from 50.4 to 106.6.

Background. In Russia, wheat breeding should also focus on creation of earlier-maturing varieties with an optimal duration of the vegetation period reflecting territorial environmental features. It is very important to overcome the negative correlation between the early maturity and productivity of wheat. The present work was aimed at analyzing special features of genetic and physiological mechanisms of early maturity in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and at determining possibilities of creating recombinants with high development rate and plant productivity.

Materials and methods. The study employed such ultra-early spring wheat accessions as 'Rico' (k-65588), 'Foton' (k-55696), 'Fori' lines (kk-65589 ... 65596) selected from F4 hybrids of 'Foton' x 'Rico', and 'Rifor' lines selected from F6-7 hybrids of 'Rico' x 'Forlani Roberto' (k-42641). Genetics of the development rate was studied using hybridological analysis and 'Triple Dirk' near isogenic lines. Photoperiodic sensitivity was evaluated under 18-hour (natural day) and at 12-hour (short day) conditions. Vernalization was performed within 30 days at 3°C.

Results and conclusion. The ultra-early maturing accessions of spring wheat 'Rico', 'Foton', as well as 'Fori', 'Rifor 1', 'Rifor 6' and 'Rifor 7' lines had the shortest vegetation period in comparison with varieties from the VIR collection of plant genetic resources. These accessions had weak photoperiodic sensitivity and were insensitive to vernalization. The lines did not change their characteristics in different ecological conditions. Besides the Eps gene, Vrn-A1, Vrn-B1, Vrn-D1, Ppd-D1 and Ppd-B1 determined the rate of development of the ultra-early varieties 'Rico', 'Foton' and 'Fori'. Possibly, the Eps gene that controls ultra-earliness per se, is a set of polygenes (modifiers) with a low effect. No transgressive segregations in comparison with 'Rico' were recorded for the hybrids of the ultra-early 'Rico' with nine wheat varieties. A perspective cultivar 'Erythrospermum 25513' was created at the Chelyabinsk ARI with participation of 'Fori 7' line. 'Forlani Roberto' is a late variety, it responds to vernalization and photoperiod, and in good conditions its productive spike has 5-6 grains in the spikelet. The spring type of 'Forlani Roberto' is determined by the dominant gene Vrn-B1. The spikelet multi-seededness in productive 'Rifor' hybrids is determined by two or three genes and their expression depends on the environment. The selected ultra-early 'Rifor' lines have the number of grains per spike 1,5-2 times higher than in the parent line Rico, but the mass of grain per spike is below that of standard varieties. The yield per 1 m2 of Rifor 1, Rifor 8, Rifor 6 and Rifor 7 lines reached 81, 82, 84 and 94%, respectively, in comparison with the standard variety 'Leningradskaya 97'. Therefore, a possibility of creating wheat recombinants that combine ultra-earliness and high spike productivity is demonstrated.

All modern technologies of peach cultivation are focused on the use of clonal, mainly dwarf, rootstocks. Technical efficiency and resistance to pathogens are also important. The work on the creation of such clonal rootstocks of peach is carried out at the Krymsk Experiment Breeding Station (EBS), a branch of VIR, on the basis of the stone fruit crop genetic diversity accumulated at the Station, primarily using the wild species which can serve as donors and sources of important breeding traits. The studied fruit crop genetic diversity was found to contain the most promising genotypes, for instance dwarf P. pumila L., P. tomentosa Thunb., P. ulmifolia Franch., P. pedunculata Maxim., P. tenella Batsch (= Amygdalus nana L.) and P. petunnikowii Rehd.; soil pathogen-resistant genotypes, e.g., P. davidiana Franch. and its hybrids Barrier (P. davidiana x P. persica Stokes)), Sputnik (P. kansuensis Rehd. x P. davidiana), Major (P. amygdalus Stokes x P. davidiana), etc.; chlorosis-resistant genotypes: Kuban 86 (P. cerasifera Ehrh.x P. persica), VSV 1 (P. incana (pall.) Roem. x P. tomentosa Thunb.); as well as the genotyopes that display easy rooting of the lignified cuttings, e.g., P. cerasifera Ehrh., P. pumila L., Kuban 86, etc. Of great interest are the recently developed dwarf, adaptive and productive rootstocks, such as Best (P. pumila x P. cerasifera) and Uprjamec (P. cerasifera x P. ulmifolia). The testing of new clonal rootstocks has shown their suitability for the use in peach plantations cultivation applying modern intensive technologies, and for the production of peach planting material using intensive technologies.

The State Register of Breeding Achievements Approved for the Use in the Russian Federation includes such clonal rootstocks of peach as Kuban 86, Evrika 99, VVA 1, VSV 1, Best and Zarevo. The clonal rootstock Uprjamec has been accepted for the state trials.

Background. Production of multiple-ear maize varieties is quite complicated because of asynchronous flowering in parents. Solving the problem of flowering asynchrony by breeding methods will allow breeders to improve the yield through increasing the number and quality of ears located lower than the top ears. Among the genetic reserves of the multiple-ear feature in maize are its wild relatives, such as teosinte (Zea mays L. subsp. mexicana (Schrad.) H.H. Iltis (basyonym Euchlaena mexicana Schrad.)) and eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides L.).

Materials and methods. Phenological observations were conducted according to conventional procedures. Measurements and records were made on 10 plants and 10 ears in two repetitions. Statistical data processing was performed according to B. A. Dospekhov's technique, while biometric measurements and their description were provided according to the COMECON Unified Classifier. The sterile single-ear maize line GK26M bred at the Lukyanenko Institute of Agriculture was used as a tester. The Chalko teosinte from the VIR collection was the source of multiple-ear feature (i-350969).

Results. The analysis of the lines and their topcrosses helped to systemize all lines into 4 groups according to their ability to transfer the gene of the multiple-ear trait into F1. The research showed the breeding value of the prolific lines that could form more than one ear on a hybrid plant after hybridization with the singleear tester. It is important to select for flowering synchrony between the upper and lower rows of ears. Violation of this principle leads to a disproportion in morphological features of the structure of upper and lower ears, and decreases the productivity and quality of the lower ears.

Conclusion. The studied prolific maize lines developed by involving the Chalko teosinte genome appeared to be effective donors of the multiple-ear feature in crosses with single-ear maize. The developed lines Teo6758 (pk-4352 in the Provisional Catalogue); Teo67662 (pk-4349), Teo67130 (pk-4350), Teo671304 (pk-4353), Teo6740 (pk-4334), Teo674 (pk-4365), Teo674000 (pk-4333), Teo67251 (pk-4354), Teo67252 (pk-4348), Teo6715 (pk-4357), Teo67642 (pk-4359), Teo6767 (pk-4360), Teo6773 (pk-4363), Teo679933 (pk-4347), Teo671302 (pk-4338), Teo71303 (pk-4339), Teo67MP (pk-4342), Teo67143 (pk-4332), as the donors of the prolificacy gene, form multiple-ear hybrids in combinations with singleear testers.

Background. Ampelographical collection of the VIR experiment station in Dagestan comprises 320 accessions of grape cultivars and 25 ecotypes of wild grape species, that are highly polymorphic in their morphological traits. As for any other large germplasm collections, the problem of genetic identification of the accessions and their originality is critical for the ampelographical collection. Genome of Vitis vinifera L. contains many polymorphic microsatellite loci, their allele diversity could be used to reveal the genetic structure of the ex situ collection as well as for the identification of duplicates. The task of the study was to estimate the level of polymorphism of four microsatellite loci that were previously recommended for the genotyping purposes in grape. The grape collection of Dagestan experiment station of VIR was investigated.

Materials and methods. The analysis of microsatellite loci was based on PCR with the primers that were published previously. The size of alleles was estimated with Nanophor 05 sequencer (Syntol, Moscow). The results of the collection screening with the microsatellite markers were analyzed with Structure 2.3.4 software. The main characteristics of microsatellite loci (Polymorphic Information Content, heterozygosity) were determined using GenAlEx 6.2 program.

Results and conclusion. The high level of polymorphism of the microsatellite loci VVS2, VVMD27, VVMD31, VVMD28 were detected when studying 221 accessions of the grape collection at the Dagestan experiment station. Heterozygosity of the loci was 0,50-0,83, the number of alleles per locus varied between 17 and 19, in total 70 alleles was detected. No relationship was detected between the allele combinations of accessions and their eco-geographical origin or any particular cultivar group. To reveal the genetic structure of the grape germplasm collection the larger number of SSR loci should be involved.

Background. VIR's Department of Wheat holds the collections of viable accessions and its originals. The process of reproduction and restoration of germination ability in wheat collections requires monitoring of varietal purity and integrity. For this purpose, botanical varieties that describe sets of morphological characteristics of the spike and grain are used. However, sometimes it is necessary to check the conformity of a variety with its original accession. In this case, the gliadin electrophoretic banding patterns are reliable markers in identifying cultivars and biotypes of wheat.

Materials and methods. The study included 7 accessions of spring bread wheat: 3 for the cultivar 'Rubin' and 4 for the cultivar 'Novinka'. Identification of accessions by electrophoresis of gliadin storage protein was carried out according to the generally accepted method.

Results and conclusions. Comparison of gliadin electrophoretic banding patterns of the varieties from the VIR collection of plant genetic resources with analogous accessions from other genebanks of the world resulted in the recovery of the lost varieties 'Rubin' (Sweden) and 'Novinka' (Russia).

Background. Among the numerous maize accessions in the VIR collection, Plant special attention is drawn to the lines and varieties of waxy maize due to their specific feature, that is, the content of high-quality grain starch that consists entirely of amylopectin. This amylopectin starch is of special interest to the medical, starch and syrup, and confectionary industries. One of the most important applications of amylopectin starch in medicine is its use as a component of "Volekam" blood plasma substitute. Besides amylopectin, the grain of other maize subspecies contains much amylose starch which makes production of purified amylopectin expensive. Therefore, the creation and study of domestic waxy maize lines and varieties is very topical, however it is insufficiently developed at present.

Materials and methods. For the first time, zein electrophoresis was used to analyze waxy maize old landraces and breeding lines. Zein electrophoresis was carried out in vertical 10% PAA gels with 8 M urea. The solution for zein extraction contained 6 M urea and 0.01 M dithiothreitol. Results. The present research pursued the following aims: to use zein elecrophoretic patterns (protein markers) in screening waxy maize landraces and lines for their identification and fingerprinting; to determine the biotype composition of landraces and their polymorphism and degree of relationship; and to demonstrate the possibility of applying zein markers in the development of new waxy maize inbred lines by backcrossing the wx1 gene into the initial dent maize line.

Conclusions. Zein electrophoretic patterns showed the uniqueness of each waxy maize accession. All the studied new lines are united by a decreased intensity of most zein pattern components, as well as by the presence of an intensive component 47 which is absent in the pattern of the initial lines of dent maize. Component 47 may serve as a protein marker for identifying waxy maize lines. All landraces were found to be composed of several biotypes (from two to five). Regardless of the intravarietal polymorphism, every variety has specific patterns which facilitate its identification.

Research conducted at Krymsk Experiment Breeding Station of VIR on the gene pools of stone fruit plants and genomic analysis of the genetic collection of interspecific hybrids within the genus Prunus L. disclosed differences in the degree of incompatibility among the studied species. There are four levels in the manifestation of this indicator in hybrid F₁ families:

-    the first level: some hybrids are normally prolific. This is characteristic of hybrids produced by the species of one section at the same level of ploidy;

-    the second level: fertility of hybrids is reduced, but some of them produce fruits and partially fertile pollen. This level is typical for hybrids from crosses between species at the intersection level within one subgenus;

-    the third level: F₁ hybrids are infertile, but in some of them partial viability of pollen is observed. This effect is manifested by hybrids between the species of the subgenus Prunophora, and the species of the subgenus Amygdalus;

-    the fourth level: no hybrids are produced.

Genomic morphological markers were also used in genomic analysis. Based on the information obtained in the process of genomic analysis, a number of changes are proposed in the system of the genus Prunus.

It is proposed to transfer the species of the sections Microcerasus (subgenus Cerasus) and Amygdalopsis (subgenus Amygdalus) to the subgenus Prunophora, since they manifest the first level of incompatibility with the species of other sections in the subgenus Prunophora. The species P. maackii should be included in the Cerasus section of the subgenus Cerasus together with two other tetraploid species of cherry: P. vulgaris (P. cerasus) and P. fruticosa, as it is crossed with latter two showing the first level of incompatibility, and all these species have a common diploid ancestor: P. canescens. The species P. microcarpa which has marker traits typical for the species in the Spiraeopsis subsection of the Microcerasus section should be relocated from the subsection Microcerasus (Amygdalocerasus) to the subsection Spiraeopsis.

Background. Loose smut caused by Ustilago tritici (Pers.) Rostr. is one of the major diseases of wheat widespread in all areas of its cultivation. Breeding centers in Russia constantly need new sources of resistance to this disease. Screening of spring wheat accessions for resistance to loose smut has been carried out since 2016 in the Genetics Department of the N. I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) in collaboration with the Wheat Genetic Resources Department.

Materials and methods. In the 2016-2018 growing seasons, new 139 accessions of spring bread wheat were screened for resistance to loose smut against a severe infection background according to the well-known method (Krivchenko, 1984). During wheat's flowering phase, from 7 to 10 ears of each accession were inoculated with a fungal infection collected on VIR's experimental field. The severity of the infection was determined by the disease symptoms on the susceptible reference cultivars: 'Reward', 'Diamant' and 'Scala'. Assessment of the infection lesions was carried out in the next year after inoculation by counting the diseased and healthy ears in each accession.

Results and conclusion. The ears of eleven accessions were resistant to loose smut during two years of evaluation. During three years of evaluation the disease symptoms were not detected on the plants of eight accessions: 'Salavat Yulaev' (k-65560, Bashkortostan), 'Fori 4' (k-65592, Leningrad Province); 'Diablon' (k- 65444, Germany), 'Ke Feng 10' (k-65472, China), k-65479 (Algeria), k- 65482 (Turkey), 'Alikat' (k-65586, Canada) and 'Selection 1403' (k- 65828, USA). Three years of evaluation showed that 10 varieties were moderately resistant (no more than 5% affected ears): 4 from Russia, 2 from Canada, and single accessions from Spain, China, Pakistan and Tajikistan. The mentioned accessions are of interest for the development of spring bread wheat cultivars with resistance to loose smut for cultivation in the North-Western region of Russia.

Background. Scald (caused by Rhynchosporium secalis (Oudem.) J.J. Davis) is one of the most harmful barley diseases. The pathogen is characterized by the differential interaction with the host plant genotypes. Therefore, the most rational plant breeding strategy should envisage broadening of genetic diversity of cultivated varieties. It has been found that the majority of the recently released barley varieties and of the previously identified sources of resistance to R. secalis are now susceptible to the pathogen. Only the resistance gene Rrs9 maintains efficiency against the pathogen populations in the Russian Northwest. Earlier, we have found scald resistant barleys to be frequent among barley landrace accessions. It was demonstrated by the hybridological analysis that accessions k-3307, k-15868, k-18989 and k-3481 are protected by effective scald resistance genes that differ from each other, and which are not allelic to the Rrs4, rrs6, rrs7 or Rrs9 genes. The goal of the present work was to study genetic control to the dangerous pathogen in four other barley landraces.

Materials and methods. The inheritance of scald resistance was analyzed in barley accessions k-16233, k-27205 (China), k-27768 (India) and k-22299 (Ecuador). The study employed two experimental techniques, that is, the pathogen/host plant differential interactions analysis in the lab, and the hybridological analysis in the field. The experiments were carried out using R. secalis isolates and clones from the pathogen populations sampled in the North Caucasus and the Russian Northwest. Resistance was scored against the scales from 0 (no symptoms) to 4 points (in the lab), and from 0 to 5 points (in the field). Plants that scored 0-2 points were regarded as resistant.

Results and conclusions. The analysis of the pathogen clone/host plant interaction has shown that the landraces k-16233, k-27205 (China), k-27768 (India) and k-22299 (Ecuador) are protected by effective genes of scald resistance which differ from each other and are non-allelic to the previously effective genes Rrs4, rrs6, rrs7 and the currently effective Rrs9. According to the hybridological analysis data, k-27205 has one dominant gene of scald resistance; k-16233, k-27768 and k-22299 are protected by two dominant effective resistance genes, all of which manifest themselves at all the stages of plant ontogenesis.

Background. Powdery mildew caused by Blumeria graminis (DC.) E.O. Speer f. sp. tritici Em. Marchal. is a widespread foliar disease of common wheat in regions with cool and wet conditions. The disease infects the foliage, stem and spike of the wheat host. The most economical and environmentally safe method for controlling powdery mildew is the development of resistant bread wheat cultivars. The objective of this work was to analyze wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars for resistance to a powdery mildew population.

Materials and methods. The VIR collection of plant genetic resources is a rich source of genetic materials. The study of resistance to the fungus employed 465 common wheat cultivars. The plants were inoculated at the seedlings, heading and flowering stages of plant development. The population of fungus was virulent to Pm1, Pm2, Pm3a-d, Pm4a-b, Pm5a, Pm6, Pm7, Pm8, Pm9, Pm16, Pm19 and avirulent to Pm12. For the estimation of plant damage, a scale from 0 (no damage) to 4 (abundant pustules) was used.

Results and conclusions. The estimation of powdery mildew resistance was made in the field on adult plants. Out of 465 cultivars, resistant accessions amounted to 10,5%, intermediate ones to 16.8%, and susceptible ones to 72.7%. Generally, the resistant varieties originated from Europe and Russia. The group of the resistant cultivars (adult plants) was inoculated with fungus at the seedling stage and the plant damage was estimated. The cultivars 'Kandela', 'Arabeska', 'Batalj', 'Stillet' were resistant at all growth stages. The genetic control of powdery mildew resistance at different wheat growth stages was discussed.

Background. Late blight (LB) causes serious damage to potato crop. The genetic diversity of potato and their wild relatives in the VIR collection served as the basis for creating interspecific hybrids.

Objective of the study. Selection of hybrid potato clones with high and long-term resistance to LB and identification of genotypes that can serve as the most promising sources of new LB resistance genes or new alleles of the already known resistance genes.

Materials and methods. In 2015-2017, 45 hybrid clones with genetic material from two to nine species of Solanum L. section Petota Dumort. and six potato varieties were assessed in field conditions in the Northwestern and Central regions of Russia. The index of plant damage by P. infestans (rAUDPC), relative resistance to LB (Sx) and damage to plants at the end of growth period were determined. Thirty-six genotypes were evaluated in the lab for resistance to highly aggressive P. infestans isolates from the collection of VNIIF (All-Russian Research Institute of Phytopathology). In parallel, DNA markers were used to reveal three genes that confer broad-spectrum resistance to P. infestance (Rpi).

Results and conclusions. The initial period of infection, the rate of pathogen development and the degree of potato crop damage by LB differed significantly in 2015, 2016 and 2017. The relationship between rAUDPC values in different years of study was statistically significant for hybrids and potato varieties (r = 0.87-0.94). Each year, var. 'Sarpo Mira', clones 10 / 05-09 and 50/1 KBA were highly resistant to LB (Sx = 7-8 points). As to other potato genotypes, the values of the Sx index varied between the years of the study. 'Sarpo Mira' and 12 clones, namely 38 KVA, 24-1, 24-2, 16/27-09, 4-1-2012, 118-5-2011, 39-1-2005, 50/1 KBA, 12/1-09, 171-3, 134-2-2006 and 15/13-09 were highly resistant to artificial infection with P. infestans. The average degree of consistency of potato resistance assessments in the field and laboratory experiments was established: the Spearman correlation coefficient r was 0.45-0.50 (p <0.05). In the cluster analysis, 36 potato genotypes were divided into three groups, which differed significantly in their resistance to LB under various environmental conditions. High resistance to LB correlated with the presence of resistance genes that confer broad-spectrum resistance (R8 = Rpi-smira2 in 'Sarpo Mira' and Rpi-blb1, Rpi-blb2 and Rpi-vnt1 in interspecific hybrids).

Background. Under natural conditions, germinating pollen grains are in a complex multicomponent environment, including compounds of different chemical nature. The study of the action of phytoregulators on pollen germination is relevant, since in the long term it will help to improve the conditions of the germination medium, bring them closer to the natural ones and, as a result, increase the accuracy of the assessment of pollen viability.

Materials and methods. The object of the study is pollen of the apple-tree образца Krasnolistnaya (Malus niedzwetzkyana Dieck, syn. M. sieversii (Ledeb.) M. Roem. var. niedzwetzkyana Likh.). The effect of phytohormones on apple-tree pollen germination in artificial nutrient medium was studied. Viability of pollen was assessed by germinating it in an artificial nutrient medium containing 10% sucrose and 0.8% agar-agar. Pollen was considered sprouted if its pollen tube in length exceeded the diameter of the pollen grain. Drops of pollen suspension in distilled water with added phytohormones in various combinations and concentrations were applied to the surface of the nutrient medium.

Results. Two-factor dispersion analysis of the initial data made it possible to conclude that the greatest effect on pollen germination was provided by a combined action of the factors "stimulator concentration + illumination mode", under which there was an increased percentage of germinated pollen. The effect of only the stimulator's concentration and type on the number of germinated pollen grains was slightly less. And the least of all was the effect of the illumination mode on pollen grain viability, although the influence of this factor was also significant: p = 0.00562. Effective concentrations and combinations of phytohormones have been identified to increase germination of apple-tree pollen.

A comprehensive study of the Prunus avium (L.) L. gene pool has identified sources of important breeding traits which can be recommended for the use in programs aimed at breeding new varieties and clonal rootstocks of sweet cherry. Of special importance are the sources of such useful breeding traits as large fruit size (e.g., varieties 'Valerii Chkalov', 'Hedelfingen', 'Krupnoplodnaya', 'Emperor Francis', 'Donchanka', 'Amulet', 'Aleksandriya', 'Vasilisa', 'Yaroslavna', 'Bigarreau Burlat', etc.); self-fertility ('Whiis Gold', 'Camelia', 'Lapins', 'Sweetheart', 'Skeena', 'Staccato', 'Shelen', 'Stella', 'Newstar', 'Sunburst', 'Summit', 'John Innes 2420'), resistance to coccomicosis ('Valerii Chkalov', Trieste der Markt', 'Drogans Gelbe', 'Bigarreau Gaucher', 'Napoleon', 'Tatarskaya chernaya', 'Emperor Francis', 'Skeena', 'Amulet', 'Hedelfingen', 'Generalskaya', 'Euphoria', etc.), and resistance to fruit cracking ('Alaya', 'Amazonka', 'Amulet', 'Viola', 'Donetskaya krasavitsa', 'Donetskiyi velikan', 'Donchanka', 'Hedelfingen', 'Contrastnaya', 'Merton Bigarreau', 'Proshalnaya', 'Sweetheart', etc.) Some genotypes have been identified as complex sources of valuable traits. For instance, these are varieties 'Lapins', 'Skeena', 'Sweetheart', 'Hedelfingen', 'Emperor Francis', 'Valerii Chkalov', 'Drogans Gelbe' and some others. The genealogical analysis of sweet cherry genotypes made it possible to identify the varieties 'Lapins', 'Skeena', 'Sweetheart' and 'Krupnoplodnaya' as complex donors combining sets of such important breeding traits as productivity, late maturity of fruits, large fruit size, high quality taste of fruit and selffertility. The varieties 'Bigarreau Burlat', 'Bigarreau de Germersdorf', 'Valerii Chkalov', 'Stella', 'Van', 'Vittoria', 'Drogans Gelbe', Daybera black' are regarded as "hidden" donors, as the transferred traits do not manifest themselves in the phenotype, but can be traced in their progeny.

Russia contains the largest areas of soil with excessive acidity in the world. According to the results of agrochemical surveys of arable lands, the area of acidic soils (pH less than 5.5) is currently about 65 million hectares. The losses in agricultural products calculated in grain per year amount to 15-20 million tons. The negative effect of acid soil on plants is explained by the low content of exchangeable bases and the presence of large quantities of mobile forms of aluminum (2-20% from the weight of the soil). Absorption and assimilation of aluminum by plants depends on the forms by which it is represented in acidic soils. The importance of aluminum in plant life is ambiguous, as the reports on the toxic effect of aluminum ions are more numerous. High concentrations of aluminum directly or indirectly affect the processes of vital activity of plants: water regime, nitrogen metabolism, mineral nutrition, photosynthesis, oxidation-reduction reactions. Phytotoxic metal ions also affect various physiological and biochemical processes in plants, stimulate numerous anatomical and morphological changes. Excess aluminum ions in soil disrupt the mineral nutrition of plants. Various agrochemical methods are used to reduce the harmful toxic effect of aluminum ions on plants. Most plants are sensitive to high concentrations of aluminum. The resistance to toxic concentrations of metal ions in plants is due to the action of several mechanisms that are characteristic of each species. Some species of plants have protective mechanisms by which the adverse effects of toxic ions are reduced or completely eliminated. It has been established that root growth is the better indicator of resistance than the growth of the above-ground plant parts. The methods of diagnosing sensitivity to aluminum in the early stages of plant development are based on the change in root length after exposure to a stress factor. Knowledge of the genetic and physiological foundations of plant resistance to high concentrations of ions of heavy metals and aluminum is necessary for the search for tolerant genotypes of cultivated plants.

The landmarks of the age-long history of the scientific journal Proceedings on Applied Botany, Genetics and Breeding are briefly presented. Its first issue was published in 1908. Practically, its publication has never been interrupted for the past 100 years. The journal has reflected the establishment and development of VIR from its first years of existence as the Bureau of Applied Botany. Its main editors, authors and reviewers were outstanding scientists in the sphere of biological and agricultural sciences as well as other researchers whose works have enriched the domestic and worldwide science.