Collections of bioresources and a set of technologies for their conservation, study and practical use are now the basis of bioeconomy, biosafety, and food security. It is the foundation underpinning production chains, leading from basic research to various technological areas and industries.
An analysis of the current state and an assessment of the prospects for the development of bioresource collections in the Russian Federation are presented. Regularities of the transformation from genebanks into bioresource centers and the trend towards integration network interaction among the collections of the same type are considered. The observed trends are analyzed in detail employing the case study of the development of plant genetic resources collections. The current tendencies of their management set by Decrees of the President of the Russian Federation No. 44 “On the National Center for Plant Genetic Resources” and No. 45 “On the Interdepartmental Commission on the Formation, Preservation and Use of Plant Genetic Resources Collections” dated February 8, 2022, are discussed.

Background. Most of the plantings of fruit crops in Russia are located in the zone of risky agriculture. In the European part of Russia, in winter, fruit crops are affected by the impacts of weather conditions (spring frosts, droughts, early frosts, low-temperature stress, a short growing season, and thaws). Frosts cause 98% of the damage to fruit trees.
Methods. One-year-old branches were frozen in a Japanese Espec PSL-2KPH climate chamber after prehardening under –5°C and –10°C for 5 days, and damaging factors of the winter period were simulated.
Results. The bioresource collection of the All-Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding (VNIISPK) contains 730 appletree cultivars from various domestic and foreign institutions. Apple cultivars from Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Moldova, USA, France, Czech Republic, Sweden and Canada were analyzed for frost resistance components. The resistance of plants to early frosts of–25°C without hardening and after hardening in early winter (Component I) showed that the main tissues (bark, cambium and wood) suffered minor damage in all studied cultivars. In cv. ‘Belarusskoye Sladkoye’, the damage to the bark scored 2.3 points. Among the studied apple cultivars whose one-year-old branches were frozen at –38°C and –40°C (Component II), ‘Coremolda’ (Moldova) showed the highest frost resistance to the negative mid-January temperature of –38°C (damage to the buds and main tissues scored 0.3–1.0 points). Under–40°C (Component II), ‘Coremolda’ (Moldova) and ‘Aivaris’ (Latvian breeding) demonstrated bark, cambium and wood resistance with damages at the level of 2.0 points. These cultivars can be used in breeding programs as sources of frost resistance. Freezing of one-year-old branches under –25°C after a 3-day artificial thaw at +2°C revealed bud and tissue resistance in the American cv. ‘Red Free’ and in cv. ‘Coremolda’ (Component III).

Background. The expansion of agrometeorological factors negatively affecting the productivity of spring barley has oriented plant breeders towards developing adaptable forms capable of realizing their genetic potential for higher yield under unfavorable conditions. Applying several methods of statistical data analysis helps to perform a more accurate assessment of the material differentiated according to its adaptability indicators. The objective of this study was to assess the adaptability of spring barley cultivars on the basis of their yield, plasticity, stability and homeostasis.

Materials and methods. The resulting data were obtained for ten spring barley cultivars developed at Nemchinovka FRC.

Results. High yield potential of more than 8.5 t/ha was disclosed in barley cultivars ‘Yaromir’, ‘Nur’, ‘Nadezhny’, ‘Sudar’, ‘Zlatoyar’ and ‘Znatny’. Cvs. ‘Luboyar’, ‘Nadezhny’ and ‘Rafael’ showed the highest adaptability to the worst growing conditions (4.65–5.04 t/ha) as well as high adaptive and compensatory ability. Cvs. ‘Sudar’, ‘Nur’ and ‘Zlatoyar’ were identified for high environmental plasticity (Cv_i = 24.1–25.9%; b_i = 1.02–1.16; σ = 1.52–1.59), while ‘Lyuboyar’, ‘Znatny’ and ‘Vladimir’ for their stability parameters (S²d_i = 0.05–0.19; σ²_CACi = 1.60–1.78; σ²_(G×E)gi = 0.05–0.15). The highest values of homeostasis (BVG_i = 3.45– 3.53; CSL_i = 138.7–139.4; Hom_i = 9.02–9.85) were registered for cvs. ‘Rafael’ and ‘Lyuboyar’. The calculated rating of the tested cultivars identified ‘Nadezhny’ as the best in productivity, while ‘Zlatoyar’ was the best in environmental plasticity. The highest levels of stability and homeostasis were recorded for cvs. ‘Rafael’ and ‘Lyuboyar’.

Conclusion. Comprehensive assessment of productivity and adaptability indicators in the tested spring barley cultivars showed that ‘Lyuboyar’, ‘Nadezhny’, ‘Zlatoyar’ and ‘Rafael’ were the best under the conditions of the Non-Black Earth Region.

Background. Honeysuckle is a promising berry crop for food and medical uses, which has recently become increasingly popular. Searching for sources with high content of bioactive substances to obtain new fruit cultivars with improved chemical composition continues to be relevant. Anthocyanin content and composition in honeysuckle cultivars depend on many factors, including plant reproduction conditions (temperature and humidity). Studying chemical composition of Siberian honeysuckle cultivars grown under the conditions of Western Siberia will make it possible to identify sources of high BAS content for various uses.
Materials and methods. The target materials of the study were fruits of 21 honeysuckle cultivars grown in Western Siberia before and after freezing. The qualitative and quantitative composition of anthocyanins was assessed in ethanol extracts of honeysuckle fruits using HPLC technique.
Results. The content of anthocyanins was higher in the fruits of honeysuckle grown in Western Siberia compared with the published data for the same cultivars reproduced in Belgorod Province (Central Black Earth Region). After freezing, the anthocyanin level in honeysuckle fruits remained the same and in some cases even increased.
Conclusions. The obtained data helped to ascertain that honeysuckle fruits reproduced in Western Siberia are valuable sources of such bioactive compounds as anthocyanins.

Providing high and stable grain harvests with high content of valuable compounds in grain is an important task of crop production. The aim of the study was to assess the adaptability of oat accessions through the analysis of their chemical and physical properties and disclose relationships among adaptability indicators based on these characteristics.
Eighteen oat accessions from the VIR collection, grown for 3 years in Eastern Siberia, were assessed. The content of β-glucans and oil, 1000 grain weight, and test weight were analyzed. Four adaptability indicators were measured for the aforesaid characters.
Plasticity and stability parameters of the accessions showed no significant differences between the naked and hulled oat forms. Cvs. ‘Sapsan’ (k-15444) and ‘Aldan’ (k-15115) demonstrated the best adaptability in the content of β-glucans in grain, ‘Sayan’ (k-14043) and ‘Vyatsky’ (k-14960) in oil content, ‘Korifey’ (k-15113) and ‘Taidon’ (k-15183) in 1000 grain weight, and ‘Korifey’ and ‘Gosha’ (к-15120) in their test weight. Among the naked oat accessions, significant relationships were recorded between the adaptability indicators of the content of β-glucans or oil in grain and those of the test weight as well as between the average 1000 grain weight of the accessions and the parameters of their plasticity (negative correlations) or stability (positive correlations) for the said physical character.
There is a high risk of obtaining hulled oats with reduced levels of oil in their grain, when selected for high stability for this character. It is assumed that successful oat breeding for increased adaptability in 1000 grain weight will be accompanied by an increase in grain size. The possibility of indirect estimation of the adaptability of naked oat accessions according to their β-glucan or oil content is shown on the basis of calculating their adaptability according to the test weight of their grain.

Background. One of the important indicators of the nutritional value of amaranth is the high content of protein and lipids in seeds. Hence, obtaining and identifying such forms of amaranth through breeding, so that they also possessed resistance to abiotic stressors, is an important task.
Materials and methods. Leaves and seeds of Amaranthus cruentus L. and mutants of the second inbred generation obtained by treatment with sodium azide were analyzed. The Bradford assay was used to measure the content of total soluble protein, lipid analysis was performed by thin-layer chromatography, the state of the antioxidant system was assessed according to catalase and peroxidase activities and the rate of superoxide anion formation. Mathematical data were processed using the Statistica 10.0 software.
Results. The highest concentration of total protein in seeds was 13.78 mg/g in one of the mutants obtained after treatment with 3 mM sodium azide. Fifteen fatty acids were found in amaranth seeds, and in four mutants a significant increase in the percentage of omega-6 unsaturated linoleic acid was recorded. An increase in salt tolerance compared to the control was observed in mutants No. 2 and No. 3. Mutant No. 2 under salinization demonstrated higher peroxidase activity and mutant No. 3 higher catalase activity; both mutants showed a reduced rate of superoxide anion formation compared to the control.
Conclusion. Amaranth mutants identified for higher stress resistance, protein content and linoleic acid content can be recommended for further breeding to produce new cultivars of amaranth with economically valuable traits.

Background. Soil salinity is one of the limiting factors for plant growth and productivity. The areas of saline lands increase annually, so it is important to study the mechanisms of plant resistance to salt stress.
Material and methods. We studied the effect of salt stress on tobacco plants (Nicotiana tabacum L.) of the wild type (‘Samsun’) and the transgenic line Cod 38 obtained by introducing the сodA gene, encoding bacterial choline oxidase, from Arthrobacter globiformis. Salt tolerance of the compared genotypes was assessed according to the growth indicators and the ability to preserve the pool of photosynthetic pigments under model salt stress conditions (150 mМ NaCl). The sensitivity of plants to salt stress was analyzed using biochemical tests that reflected the intensity of peroxidation processes and the activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase).
Results. The survival rates and biometric characteristics of transformants under salt stress were significantly higher than in wild-type plants. Under the impact of salt stress, the content of chlorophylls and carotenoids in the leaves of ‘Samsun’ plants decreased 1.5 and 1.3 times, respectively. Contrastingly, transformants under the same conditions showed a tendency to increase the pool of plastid pigments. A peculiarity of transgenic plants was also the reduced malondialdehyde content in their leaves, which indicates a low intensity of lipid peroxidation during salinization and can be explained by the functioning of endogenous glycine betaine as a compound with a multifunctional effect.
Conclusions. It was shown that the transformation of plants with the bacterial gene of choline oxidase, followed by the accumulation of the protein product of the codA gene – glycine betaine, even in a minimal amount, was accompanied by positive effects on tobacco plants under salt stress conditions.

Background. Preservation and expansion of the source material genetic diversity and its purposeful use is the basis for the development of adaptable spring durum wheat cultivars for the environments of Western Siberia.
Materials and methods. The target research material included the cultivars and promising material of Triticum durum Desf. developed in the Spring Durum Wheat Breeding Laboratory of Omsk Agrarian Scientific Center as well as the gene pool of cultivars and lines obtained under the CIMMYT International Cooperation Program. Field trials, disease resistance assessment and phenological observations were carried out on the experimental fields of the Institute in 2000–2020 according to generally accepted methods. Principal component analysis was carried out using the R version of the 4.0.3 package.
Results. The studies have shown that CIMMYT lines differ from local cultivars and lines in disease resistance (brown rust, stem rust, hard smut, and powdery mildew), test weight, pasta-making properties, and lodging resistance, but under the conditions of Western Siberia they are significantly inferior in adaptability to local cultivars and lines and suffer greatly from drought, especially during the grain-filling period. In the genetic control of the studied traits, the additive-dominant system with the inclusion of the complementary recessive epistasis prevails. Local cultivars dominated in most of the studied traits, except the stem length, and the length and diameter of the second internode, where short-stemmed cultivars affected the degree of the traits’ expression in hybrids.
Conclusion. The result of such activity was the release of cv. ‘Omsky Korall’, which combines high yield, adaptability to the climate of Western Siberia, and resistance to the local population of Puccinia graminis Pers. f. sp. tritici Erikss. et Henn. and Ug99, with excellent pasta-making properties, as well as the presence of promising lines in all breeding nurseries.

Metabolomic profiling data obtained through gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry are presented. Thirty oat accessions from the collection of the N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Genetic resources (VIR) served as the material for the research. Those accessions of Russian and French origin showed different degrees of breeding refinement: from local landraces (the early 1920s) and primitive cultigens (1920–1930s) to modern improved cultivars. Twenty-seven hulled and three naked oat varieties were selected for the study.
The main objective of the work was to identify differences among common oat varieties with different degrees of breeding refinement at the level of metabolomic profiles. The resulting data reflected the metabolic state of oat genotypes with different ecogeographic backgrounds. They were compared to assess the content of main metabolite groups important for the formation of the crop’s stress resistance traits as well as nutritional, medicinal and dietary properties of oat grain products. The most informative indicators were identified (fucosterol, chiro-inositol, xylitol; undecylic, threonic, glutamic, ribonic and phosphoric acids; sorbose, fructose, glucose-3-phosphate, and myo-inositol), which helped to make statistically significant differentiation among oat accessions of different origin with various degrees of breeding refinement. Comparing metabolomic profiles of different oat variety groups (landraces, primitive cultigens, and modern cultivars, developed by Russian and French breeders) mirrored distinctive features of the trends followed by different plant breeding schools.
This study showed that breeding efforts to improve biochemical indicators in oat grain would require the use of the genetic diversity found in landraces and primitive cultigens collected or developed in the 1920–1930s. This diversity is still preserved and maintained in the global germplasm collection at VIR.

Background. Development of cultivars with high stable yields and high grain quality is the main trend in wheat breeding. The aim of this study was to characterize a set of winter bread wheat accessions from the VIR collection and the working collection of Kazan Scientific Center in terms of their yield, protein content in grain (P, %), and swelling of flour in acetic acid (S, ml), and select the best accessions for the combination of these characters for use in a crossbreeding program.
Materials and methods. Twenty-three winter bread wheat accessions were studied for the abovementioned characters in the north of the Middle Volga Region using conventional techniques. The study lasted three years (2016–2019).
Results and conclusion. The yield of the accessions varied across the years of studies; however, none of them surpassed the reference cv. ‘Kazanskaya 560’. The values of protein content in grain were medium or high. The following accessions had high and stable levels of protein content in grain (15.1–16.1%): ‘TAW 42971/80’ (k-58363, Germany); ‘Lutescens 471 N8’ (Kazakhstan); ‘Rita’ (k-58057), ‘Scotty’ (k-59322) and ‘Nelson’ (all from the U.S.); ‘Moskovskaya 39’ (k-65160, Russia); ‘Bilotserkivchanka’ (k-64330) and ‘Barkan’ (k-64495) (both from Ukraine). Flour swelling power in acetic acid did not fall below 50 ml, attesting to the formation of high-quality grain. This was also confirmed by the protein quality index determined by the S : P ratio, which ranged from 3.6 to 4.7. Sources with high-quality protein were selected from the tested accessions for use in breeding: ‘CDC Clair’ (k-64168, Canada), ‘Lutescens 471 Н8’ (Kazakhstan), ‘Moskovskaya 39’ (Russia), ‘Barkan’ (Ukraine), and ‘Favorytka’ (k-64337, Ukraine).

Background. The basic approach to the production of new common wheat genotypes involving introgressive hybridization entails a long-term process. Doubled haploid production could accelerate it. However, this method is not widely used in breeding programs due to its main limitation: the genotype dependence. Due to genetic differences between wheat and related species, it was assumed that alien genetic materials are different in their capacity to affect androgenesis. The effect of alien translocations on androgenesis has been shown earlier. The aim of this study was to develop a set of DH wheat lines containing a wheat-alien translocation in the genome and study the effect of alien translocations on androgenesis of anther culture in such lines.
Materials and methods. The plant material included: the spring wheat cultivar ‘Novosibirskaya 16’, line Velut 991 carrying wheat-alien translocations 1RS.1BL from rye and 5BS.5BL-5SL from Aegilops speltoides Tausch, and four hybrid F₃  generation lines (10-7, 14-8, 15-8, 15-12) from their crossing, differing in the content of alien translocations.
Results. It was shown that parameters of androgenesis such as the number of embryo-like structures per 100 anthers, the number of albino regenerants per 100 anthers, and the number of green regenerants per 100 anthers varied depending on the line. The best -responding lines Velut 991, 10-7 and 14-8 are characterized by the presence of a 1RS.1BL wheat-rye translocation chromosome. Regeneration frequency of green plants was recorded to be 8,6%, 3,6% and 10,1% respectively. The values of the parameters for lines 15-12 (carrying 5BS.5BL-5SL translocation) and 15-8 (without translocations) did not differ significantly.
Conclusion. Therefore, it can be concluded that the presence of the introgressive fragment of chromosome 5S did not affect the efficiency of androgenesis and the short shoulder of chromosome 1R carries genes that stimulated androgenesis in anther culture.

Background. Clogging of tetraploid maize crops with triploid grains leads to a decrease in grain yield and the destruction of the genome’s stability. Searching for the reasons of the tetraploid genome’s decomposition as well as solving the problem of seed yield reduction in freely pollinated crops of tetraploid maize remains relevant.
Materials and methods. Cultivars of tetraploid dentate (k-23427) and sweet (k-23426) maize from VIR and dentate (k-24735) and sweet maize (k-23425) hybrids served as the material of the research. The experiments were carried out in the foothill zone of Kabardino-Balkaria. Incubation and hybridization were carried out under parchment insulators. Metaphase plates of maize roots were stained with Schiff’s reagent according to Feulgen and pollen grains were stained with Lugol’s solution.
Results. Triploid grains, along with diploid ones, were able to germinate and show poor fertility. As a result of the fusion between male gametes of triploid and female tetraploid plants, an imbalance in the stability of the tetraploid genome occurred, leading to increased degradation of the cultivar’s productivity with each seed reproduction. A cytological analysis and the results of test crosses ♀2n × ♂3n, ♀4n × ♂3n showed that in self-pollinated triploid plants the frequency of diploid kernel formation was 7.44%; triploid + aneuploidy, 41.78%; tetraploid, 50.74%; and in test crosses the frequency of diploid ones was 18.22%; triploid + aneuploid, 63.83%; and tetraploid, 36.15%. The analysis of segregation classes with the determination of Pearson’s χ2  criterion showed that instead of the expected segregation 1(2n) : 7(3n) + (Xn±1x) : 1(4n), diploid, triploid + aneuploid and tetraploid kernels developed on self-pollinated triploid plants in the ratio of 2 : 13 : 16, respectively, and in test crosses for the 2n and 4n genotypes splitting into diploid, triploid + aneuploid, and tetraploid grains occurred in the ratio of 7 : 18 : 14, respectively.

Background. Identification of duplicates in the collections of genetic resources is the most important problem of seed gene bank management. Duplicate accessions expand the collection size, thus raising the costs of germplasm maintenance without broadening the genetic diversity.
Materials and methods. The studied material included 17 pairs of Pisum sativum L. accessions from the VIR collection which presumably had been erroneously registered twice in the VIR catalogue; however, they had identical introductory numbers. The accessions entered the collection in 1922–1996 and to date they have been reproduced 2 to 16 times. After a field assessment, 15 pairs of putative duplicate accessions of various uses were selected for molecular analysis. A RAPD analysis was performed using five primers from the Operon Series. Total seed proteins were analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.
Results. The following criteria were used to ascertain identity of the accessions or their difference: 1) similarity of morphological characters (habitus, and anthocyanin pigmentation of flowers and vegetative organs) and flowering dates; 2) identity or polymorphism of RAPD profiles; and 3) identity or difference in electrophoretic banding patterns of seed storage proteins. Seven pairs of duplicates were identified according to the results of a comparative analysis. Among them, the accessions in the pairs k-81/k-1199, k-8331/k-8645, k-8719/k-8760, and k-8757/k-8825 turned out to be completely identical, while k8464/k-8472, k-8740/k-8873, and k-8689/k-8723 were heterogenic, but had similar RAPD profiles and seed proteins patterns.
Conclusions. An integrated assessment involving in-field plant phenotyping and analyzing polymorphism of amplified DNA fragments and components in electrophoretic banding patterns of seed proteins is promising for detecting identical or heterogenic accessions in genebank collections.

Background. The collection of Nicotiana L. species (Solanaceae) maintained at the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Tobacco, Makhorka and Tobacco Products (VNIITTI) is a valuable genetic resource used in breeding and genetic research on interspecific hybridization, cytoplasmic male sterility, and as a genebank for resistance to major tobacco diseases. Many species have ornamental features and properties: bright color and unusual morphology of the corolla, aroma, peculiar plant shape and others, and are promising for use in landscaping and garden designing. To identify and evaluate such species the collection was for the first time screened for a set of morphological and ornamental characters.
Materials and methods. Thirty-seven accessions of Nicotiana spp. were studied in the greenhouses and at the experimental breeding site of VNIITTI using breeding methods and agricultural practices developed at the Institute and generally accepted in crop production.
Results and conclusion. Phenotypic assessment of 37 Nicotiana accessions resulted in identifying for the first time 14 traits of ornamental value and selecting 18 original species and 10 hybrids of N. alata × N. × sanderae environmentally adapted to the local conditions and promising for landscaping and garden designing: with bright flowers, prolonged flowering, and relative resistance to stressful weather conditions. The typicality and stability of their progeny was assessed, and their germplasm was maintained and preserved in vivo.

The article contains a comparative analysis of the taxonomical structure of the weedy species composition (segetal flora) in eight regions of Russian Federation: Leningrad, Novgorod, Vologda, Rostov and Sverdlovsk Provinces, Udmurt Republic, Republic of Bashkortostan, and Altai Territory. The segetal flora comprised weeds of cereals, root crops and perennial grasses. The comparison was made separately for the native and alien weeds. The number of native species was higher than that of alien species and varied from 137 to 209 species. The number of alien weeds varied from 99 to 179 species. Vologda Province had the lowest diversity of both native and alien plant species. Udmurt Republic had the greatest native species diversity and Altai Territory had the greatest alien species diversity. The Asteraceae, Poaceae, Brassicaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Caryophyllaceae and Scrophulariaceae families dominated in both the native and alien fractions. The authors compared the compositions of species, families and genera of native and alien weeds. Native and alien weedy species showed the greatest similarity in their composition in geographically close regions: European Russia and the Urals. As for geographically remote regions – Altai Territory and Rostov Province – native and alien weedy species compositions were distant. At the same time, the levels of similarity among the native species were lower than among the alien ones. This attests to greater variability in the species composition among native weeds than among alien ones.

Background. Comparative palynomorphological studies of naturally occurring and introduced Pterocarya Kunth representatives reveal the taxonomic significance of pollen morphological features and pollen characters of cultivated plants. The quality of pollen material and the potential of the plants from the Botanical Garden of BIN RAS for introduction are characterized.
Materials and methods. Pollen grains were investigated using light, confocal laser scanning and scanning electron microscopes. Fertility was assessed using the standard acetocarmine method.
Results. Comparison of pollen morphology in cultivated and naturally growing plants of this genus was made for the first time. Pollen fertility of two cultivated species (Pterocarya rhoifolia Siebold et Zucc., and P. stenoptera DC.) was very high, generally over 90%. Fertility of P. fraxinifolia (Lam.) Spach grains varied from 28 to 73% in different years, which is a low or medium level of pollen quality. Morphologically, pollen grains of all 12 specimens from five taxa are flattened, medium sized, 21–45 μm in diameter, with 4–8 pores; pores are located mainly at or near the equator. The pores are round or oval, with a limbus. Exine is three-layered, thickened near the pore. The sculpture is microechinate. The low-fertile P. fraxinifolia specimen contains small pollen grains, as well as grains in tetrads and dyads. The data on the introduction of the genus in St. Petersburg are presented.
Conclusion. The palynonomophological description is diagnostic for the genus Pterocarya. The Pterocarya pollen is well distinguishable from other wind-pollinated taxa; however, species identification by pollen for spore-pollen analysis is not practicable. Morphologically, the most diverse are the grains of the low fertile specimen P. fraxinifolia. The limited possibility of seed propagation of P. fraxinifolia is probably explained by low pollen fertility. The pollen quality of the introduced P. rhoifolia and P. stenoptera is high.

Background. European wheat stem sawfly (Cephus pygmaeus L.) is the main pest of wheat in Altai Territory, Russia. Resistance of host plants to this insect is based on a solid stem. The effect of a solid stem on the infestation of wheat stem sawfly larvae and on agronomic traits of spring bread wheat under the conditions of Altai Territory has not been studied.
Materials and methods. The study was conducted on the experimental field of the Federal Altai Scientific Centre of Agro-BioTechnologies, Barnaul, Russia, in 2019–2021. The index of stem solidness was assessed according to a 20 point scale. The interplay between stem solidness and wheat stem sawfly larvae infestation of wheat plants was studied on 12 genotypes. The effect of stem solidness on agronomic traits was studied on 6 pairs of sister lines. One hundred cultivars were studied for the stem solidness index and 184 cultivars were tested for their resistance to wheat stem sawfly.
Results. Stem solidness negatively correlated with wheat stem sawfly infestation (Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was rs  = –0.77 in 2019 and rs  = –0.80 in 2020). Sister lines with a solid stem had significantly shorter plant height (–5 cm), less kernels per spikelet (–0.11 kernels), 1000 grain weight (–1.7 g) and grain weight per spike (–0.08 g), but higher grain weight per tiller spike (+0.11 g), compared to sister lines with a hollow stem averaged over two years. Stem solidness had no negative effect on yield or grain quality. Eleven cultivars with a solid stem index higher than 15 points were identified (‘Ershovskaya 33’, ‘Izera’, ‘Kvintus’, ‘KWS Akvilon’, ‘Tybalt’, ‘Cunningham’, ‘KW 240-3-13’, ‘KWS 3.13’, ‘Lillian’, ‘Sparrow’, ‘WW-4’).
Conclusion. Stem solidness significantly decreases the damage from wheat stem sawfly and has no negative effect on yield or gluten and protein content in grain. The abovementioned cultivars with a solid stem are recommended for use in breeding for resistance to wheat stem sawfly. 

Background. Resistance to pathogens is an important breeding trait of a cultivar. Red stele root rot (Phytophthora fragariae var. fragariae Hickman) is a dangerous root disease. Revealing the patterns of resistance inheritance and identifying promising genotypes is an important stage in the development of strawberry cultivars resistant to red stele root rot. The purpose of the study was to identify patterns of inheritance for the SCAR-R1A marker, linked to the Rpf1 red stele root rot resistance gene, in the strawberry hybrid combinations.
Materials and methods. The target materials were the strawberry cultivars ‘Bylinnaya’, ‘Olimpiyskaya Nadezhda’, ‘Privlekatelnaya’ and ‘Feyyerverk’, and hybrid seedlings of the cross combinations Bylinnaya × Olimpiyskaya Nadezhda, Bylinnaya × Feyyerverk, Olimpiyskaya Nadezhda × Bylinnaya, Privlekatelnaya × Bylinnaya, and Feyyerverk × Bylinnaya. The Rpf1 gene was identified with the marker SCAR-R1A.
Results and conclusion. For the hybrid combination Bylinnaya × Olimpiyskaya Nadezhda, the percentage of seedlings with an Rpf1 resistance allele was 33.3%. For the combination Bylinnaya × Feyyerverk, their percentage was 37.2%; for Olimpiyskaya Nadezhda × Bylinnaya, 39.4%; for Privlekatelnaya × Bylinnaya, 39.6%; and for Feyyerverk × Bylinnaya, 36.2%. The average percentage of seedlings with an Rpf1 allele for the studied combinations was 37.1%. Assessment of the compliance between the observed segregation and theoretical one according to the χ2  criterion confirmed the monogenic character of the studied trait and the Mendelian ratio of inheritance frequencies for the marker fragments of the Rpf1 gene as 1 : 1. Therefore, all identified seedlings with an Rpf1 allele are characterized by a heterozygous genotype. Strawberry hybrids promising for breeding were identified: 62-41 (Bylinnaya × Feyyerverk), 65-17, 65-24 (Olimpiyskaya Nadezhda × Bylinnaya), and 69-29 (Feyyerverk × Bylinnaya).

Legumes are a rich source of many different biologically active substances, such as fiber, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is the third most important leguminous plant in the world: it has high nutritional value and is a source of a wide range of bioactive compounds. Bioactive peptides of chickpea seeds have antioxidant, ACE-inhibiting, cholesterollowering, antihypertensive, antimicrobial, antithrombotic, immunomodulatory, and opioid activities as well as the ability to bind minerals. But despite the benefits and high nutritional value, chickpea seeds contain antinutrients that reduce their nutritional and biological advantages. These antinutritional factors include condensed tannins, raffinose, and phytic acid. Research has shown that cooking, pregermination or fermentation can effectively reduce the indigestible content of chickpea seeds. For this purpose, it is recommended to use certain physical, chemical or biological methods: heat treatment, soaking and/or germination, enzymatic hydrolysis, irradiation, etc.
This review article presents the world’s results of research aimed at studying bioactive chickpea peptides derived from chickpea seeds and ways of their formation as well as methods for elimination of antinutritional factors.

Crown rust is the most harmful disease of oat (Avena sativa L.) around the world. The purpose of this review is to analyze and generalize the available information about DNA markers developed for oat breeding for resistance to crown rust. The review reveals the mechanisms of the A. sativa resistance to the fungus Puccinia coronata Corda f. sp. avenae Erikss. which causes crown rust disease. Special attention is paid to the race-specific resistance caused by the action of Pc genes and the nonspecific resistance controlled mainly by the loci of quantitative traits. Strategies for creating resistant genotypes and the role of molecular markers in oat breeding for crown rust resistance are discussed. Currently, research is focused mainly on the search for and development of molecular markers related to the oat race-specific resistance to P. coronata.
The article presents the technological advantages and disadvantages of the existing DNA markers. KASP, TaqMan and HRM markers are currently the most promising technologies for identifying crown rust resistance genes. The validated SCAR and STS markers for the Pc39, Pc68, Pc91, Pc94 genes are recommended as the most available for implementation in practical oat breeding. The results of recent studies on identifying loci of nonspecific resistance to P. coronata are also presented. In general, the use of DNA markers has significant potential for creating oat genotypes resistant to crown rust under present-day conditions. DNA markers of various types are recommended for practical use, in particular for pyramiding genes and increasing the resistance period of new cultivars. Introduction of DNA markers into oat breeding will increase with the growth of molecular genetic data and the improvement of technologies for identifying genes and loci associated with both race-specific and nonspecific resistance of oat to P. coronata.

This review examines the issues of ex situ conservation of Rubus L. genetic resources in the world’s genebanks and various institutions in different countries. The most urgent among the studied problems are the issues of preserving interspecific and intraspecific diversity and its sustainable utilization in breeding programs. The main attention is paid to pomologically important subgenera – raspberries Idaeobatus Focke (= Batidaea (Dumort.) Greene) and blackberries Rubus (= Eubatus Focke).
Detailed information is provided on the composition and size of field, in vitro and cryogenic collections as well as seed collections. Specific features of conserving the genus’s genetic resources in collections of different types are analyzed. Information on collections of the genus preserved in the Russian Federation, unavailable in international databases, is summarized. Particular attention is paid to the collection of raspberries and blackberries held by the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR), including the history of its formation and the current state.
VIR’s clonal genebank currently preserves 359 accessions of Rubus L., belonging mainly to the subgenera of raspberries (Idaeobatus) and blackberries (Rubus): 209 of these accessions are maintained in the field collection, and 150 in the in vitro collection. Raspberry cultivars developed through breeding dominate in the VIR collection – 170 accessions, among which 126 have been released by domestic breeders. Wild species are mainly represented by those collected in the Russian North – 49 clones of red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) and 6 of cloudberries (R. chamaemorus L.) – and in the Caucasus (35 accessions of 26 species). The data on the species diversity of the genus in Russian natural flora are presented and the strategy of replenishment, study and conservation of Rubus L. genetic resources at VIR’s genebank is discussed.

On April 2, 2022, the national and international scientific communities who specialize in wheat breeding and agricultural producers in the wheat sector celebrated the birthday jubilee of Acad. Lyudmila A. Bespalova, a renowned breeder and head of the Department of Wheat and Triticale Breeding and Seed Production at the P.P. Lukyanenko National Grain Center.
The main result achieved by L.A. Bespalova’s team is more than 170 cultivars of various wheat species and triticale, including over 100 bread wheat cultivars that supply about 10% of worldwide grain harvests of this staple crop, most important for the existence of mankind. The team succeeded in commercializing their competitive wheat cultivars with unique combinations of agronomic traits (grain quality, adaptability to abiotic and biotic stressors, short growing season, etc.) because they developed and implemented a new industrial breeding system, unmatched in the world. In its essence, the approach developed under the leadership of L. A. Bespalova at the P.P. Lukyanenko National Grain Center is a practically proven strategy of the new “green revolution” capable of ensuring the global food security.

This article examines French–Soviet scientific cooperation focusing on the example of interactions between the Plant Introduction Bureau of the Institute of Plant Industry and French seed production companies. Objectives of the Bureau and the scope of its plant introduction activities are shown. Despite the importance of the Plant Introduction Bureau, its work encountered a number of obstacles. For example, the seed exchange was impeded by organizational problems, such as the neglect of delivery terms by the USSR Trade Office in France or by transport companies, and by financial constraints. There were also ideological conflicts, initiated by A. K. Kol and later by G. N. Shlykov, the heads of the Plant Introduction Bureau. Moreover, scientific links between the USSR and France were aggravated by the political situation in the world, where the USSR and France could not be regarded as allies. Despite these problems, the period from 1926 through 1933, when Nikolai Vavilov was Director of the Institute of Plant Industry, is considered the most productive in terms of cooper cooperation between the Plant Introduction Bureau and French seed production companies.