This study shows the possibility of using the OsGATA rice transcription factor in transgenic lines of high-yielding wheat cultivars to increase their tolerance to salinity, which was confirmed using physiological and biochemical methods according to standard protocols. Wheat plants were grown in an artificial climate under optimal growing conditions. Genetic transformation methods were used to introduce the GATA gene into the genome of the used wheat genotypes. Transgenic lines were selected on selective media under in vitro conditions.

The results of the experimental work showed that the expression of the GATA gene under salt stress may be responsible for the increased compartmentalization of Na+ in the vacuole, which provides improved salt tolerance. As a result of the experiment, collections of T1 transgenic wheat lines from cvs. ‘Zlata’, ‘Emir’ and ‘Agata’ expressing the GATA gene were obtained and studied for salt tolerance. Lines Zl.01, Zl.02, Zl.03 and Ag.02 were selected with PCR. Under NaCl salinity conditions, some of the transgenic lines showed a statistically significant increase in salinity resistance. The results of the study laid the foundation for studying GATA genes in wheat and for producing salinity-tolerant lines without growth defects or reduced productivity.

Background. Comparing the characteristics of primary photosynthetic processes in photosystem II (PSII) in the leaves of two oat (Avena sativa L.) subspecies will help to understand their genetic differentiation. Comparisons between naked and covered oats to assess the efficiency of energy flows within PSII and its relation to useful agronomic traits have not been previously made but can have an effect on their cultivation practices.

Materials and methods. Two-week-old plants of 16 covered and 17 naked oat genotypes were assessed for rapid chlorophyll α fluorescence using a Fluor Pen FP 110/S fluorometer. Data on the yield structure were obtained in 2021. The data were processed statistically using descriptive statistics, correlation (Excel 2013) and cluster (StatSoft Statistica 10; Ward's method) analyses.

Results. The groups of oat genotypes differed significantly in the absolute magnitude of adsorbed (ABS/RC) and trapped (TRo/RC) light energy flows, which were higher in naked oats (by 7.8 and 7.4%, respectively). The efficiency of electron transfer from plastoquinone Q_B to PSI in naked oats exceeded that in covered oats by 8.2%. For the whole set of genotypes, a statistically significant correlation of grain yield with the PIABS performance index (r = 0.403), light energy adsorption (r = -0.477) and its utilization at the reaction centers of PSII (r = -0.452) was manifested. The performance indices (PI_ABS and PI_{ABS_total}) positively correlated with part of grain in total biomass (0.571 and 0.418, respectively) and were higher in covered oats (by 28.2 and 21.9%, respectively).

Conclusion. The existence of significant differences was shown between covered and naked oats according to six of the nine evaluated structural and functional parameters of the PSII leaf functioning. The results of the cluster analysis demonstrated the tendency to the grouping of genotypes by the presence/absence of grain hullness.

Background. Environmental testing is the first stage of wheat breeding, the purpose of which is to identify wheat samples suitable for local environments and capable of forming a fairly stable yield and high-quality grain. The proposed study presents the test results for spring bread wheat cultivars of Russian breeding grown in arid environments of Northern Kazakhstan in order to preserve their yield and baking qualities.

Materials and methods. The material of the study included 15 spring bread wheat cultivars. Protein and gluten content and the quality of gluten were determined using an infrared analyzer; the physical properties of the test were assessed using a Chopin alveograph and Brabender farinograph.

Results.  As a result of biochemical assessment, increased protein and gluten content and grain weight were observed in cvs. ‘Tyumenskaya 30’, ‘Aviada’, ‘Lutescens 585’, ‘Serebrina’, and ‘Tyumenets 2’. Dough deformation energy (W) characteristic of high-quality wheat and the balance in the P/L ratio (elasticity/elongation) were shown by cvs. ‘Tyumenskaya 33’ (290 a.u.; 1.15 P/L), ‘SKENT-3’ (307 a.u.; 0.89 P/L), and ‘Lutescens 585’ (374 a.u., 1.10 P/L). In laboratory baking, the volume of bread ranged from 620 ml (‘Tyumenskaya 27’) to 768 ml (‘Tyumenskaya 29’) with an average value of 707 ml. A baking quality analysis of the cultivars grown in the Northern Trans-Urals and Northern Kazakhstan demonstrated that the conditions in Northern Kazakhstan were more favorable for obtaining bread with an increased volume. On the basis of environmental tests and an assessment of a set of biochemical and technological indicators, cvs. ‘SKENT-3’ and ‘Tyumenskaya 29’ were selected. It makes sense to continue studying wheat cultivars that can be sources and donors of high-quality grain for the development of cultivars for the arid steppe of Northern Kazakhstan.

Background. Bitter melon (Momordica charantia L.) is a vegetable and medicinal crop new for Russia. Its high heat demand is the main factor limiting the possibilities of its cultivation in a temperate continental climate. Evaluation and selection of more cold-resistant accessions is required for breeding new cultivars and expanding production. Previously obtained data attest to a possibility of assessing cold hardiness in the mature male gametophyte phase in vitro.

Materials and methods. Eight bitter melon accessions, including parent forms, F₁  hybrids and cv. ‘Gosha’, were grown in the unheated film greenhouse of the Central Siberian Botanical Garden, Novosibirsk (54°49’ N, 83°06’ E) for evaluation and selection for cold resistance. The ratio of pollen germination in vitro on a 15% polyethylene glycol solution with a molecular weight of 6000 (PEG 6000) with the addition of boric acid (0.006%) at a temperature of 10°C for 24 h to the same indicator at 25°C / 3 h (in %) was used as a criterion of cold resistance.

Results. The cultivar ‘Gosha’, the accession Okinawa green from Japan, and the F₁ hybrid (Feng Guang × Okinawa green) had the highest cold resistance, with the values of 59.7; 53.8 and 48.2%, respectively. The inheritance of cold resistance in F₁ , assessed by the pollen germination index, depending on the crossing combination, changed from intermediate in two hybrids [F₁ Feng Guang × Gosha) and F₁ Feng Guang × Okinawa green)] to overdominant (positive heterosis) in the hybrid F₁ (Feng Guang × Okinawa white).

Background. Climate change leads to the worsening of cotton cultivation conditions in traditional cotton-producing countries, which, in its turn, can produce a positive impact on cotton cultivation in Russia. Assessment of the variability of fiber quality parameters in breeding lines and the effect of weather conditions in the east of Stavropol Territory will help to identify breeding trends and agricultural practices for this area.

Materials and methods. The fiber produced in 2009, 2012, 2014, 2018 and 2019 by 30 breeding lines grown at Prikumskaya Experimental Breeding Station (Budennovsk, Stavropol Territory) was analyzed under the HVI system in Moscow and Kamyshyn. We compared the variability of fiber quality parameters by sampling over the years of research and conducted ANOVA and correlation analyses of the quality traits and temperature and rainfall indicators. Excel 2016 and Statistica 7 were used.

Results and discussion. An analysis of the variability in individual fiber quality parameters showed that they reacted differently to changing weather; particularly sensitive were fiber strength and micronaire. A strong negative correlation was observed between these characters (r = –0.82), and they were most significantly affected by the temperature and precipitation in August. A hot and dry August contributed to the formation of fiber type 1–3, corresponding to the fiber of Egyptian cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.), in plants with habitus and earliness of G. hirsutum L. Under relatively cool and humid conditions of 2009 and 2012, the fiber of most lines was typical for the upland type. Knowledge of the relationship between fiber quality and weather conditions during the fiber development period will help to predict the quality of cotton fiber in advance and prognosticate its utilization.

This paper reports the chemical constituents and the antibacterial activity of essential oils from the leaves, rhizomes, and fruits of Amomum longiligulare T.L. Wu (Zingiberaceae) obtained by microwave-assisted hydrodistillation. The essential oils were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry techniques. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values were measured by the broth microdilution assay. The oil yields of leaves, rhizomes and fruits from A. longiligulare were 0.23%, 0.27% and 1.93% (v/w), respectively, calculated on a dry weight basis. The leaf essential oil comprised mainly α-humulene (28.4%), α-pinene (24.9%), β-caryophyllene (17.3%), humulene epoxide II (7.3%), and β-pinene (4.7%). The major compounds of the rhizome essential oil were β-caryophyllene (28.7%), bicyclogermacrene (17.1%), humulene epoxide II (10.5%), camphene (7.9%), and α-pinene (5.7%). Camphor (40.7%) and bornyl acetate (34.2%) were the main constituents of the fruit oil. The essential oils demonstrated antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with the MIC values ranging from 200 to 400 μg/mL. In summary, the A. longiligulare essential oils are a source of promising antibacterial agents. This is the first report on the chemical composition and antibacterial activity of A. longiligulare essential oil obtained by microwave-assisted hydrodistillation.

Background. Development of early-ripening high-yielding cultivars of spring bread wheat is a complicated and difficult process. Striving for higher yields has triggered a trend to prolong the growing season pf the cultivars released by the Tatar Research Institute of Agriculture (TatRIA). Our breeding efforts to produce early cultivars, based on using an early-ripening sample as one of the parents, were unsuccessful. This paper presents a search for solutions to the said problem.

Materials and methods. We studied spring bread wheat accessions from the collections of the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) and Baicheng Academy of Agricultural Sciences (China) as well as promising lines developed by TatRIA. The study of the material was based on conventional spring bread wheat breeding methods. Phenological phases of wheat development were identified using the Zadoks scale.

Results. An ambiguous role played by the vernalization response (Vrn) and photoperiod sensitivity (Ppd) genes in wheat earliness was shown, which is consistent with the data repeatedly presented in other publications. We identified accessions with the shortest period from sprouting to heading. Under our climate conditions, the earliest cultivars were those from Novosibirsk Province, Russia, and the North-Eastern China, where wheat development from sprouting to heading lasted 36–46 days.

Background. Dark color of barley grain (Hordeum vulgare L.) can be caused by the synthesis and accumulation of two types of polyphenolic pigments – anthocyanins and melanins, which perform important functions in plant life, participating in the regulation of growth and development, and protecting plants from adverse environmental conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the diversity of barley in the VIR collection in the context of grain color.

Materials and methods. To analyze the pigment composition of the grain, 150 barley accessions with colored grains were selected from the VIR collection. Anthocyanins and melanins in grain husk were identified using qualitative reactions.

Results and discussion. It was shown that in 60% of the accessions the dark color of their grain was induced by independent accumulation of melanin, while the accessions characterized by accumulation of only anthocyanins, and those with combined accumulation of anthocyanins and melanins, were 14.6% and 14%, respectively. For 11.3% of the accessions the presence of anthocyanins and melanins in grain husk was not found; their pigmentation could presumably be associated with an increased content of other polyphenolic pigments – proanthocyanidins. Accessions with melanin in grain predominated in all identified geographic groups, while other types of pigmentation were most evenly represented in the regions with the widest genetic diversity of barleys – Africa, East Asia, and the Middle East.

Conclusion. Dark pigmentation of barley grain was shown to be mainly associated with the accumulation of melanin, and this type of pigmentation prevails in all geographical regions identified. The results obtained made it possible to describe the barley collection more fully and expand the possibilities of its utilization.

Background. Due to the global climate warming trend, the breeding of new drought-resistant cultivars of spring bread wheat remains a priority task for Western Kazakhstan breeders. However, an increase in resistance is often accompanied by a decrease in genotype productivity, and searching for an optimal combination of these characteristics is a trend in contemporary plant breeding.

Materials and methods. In 2017–2019, 175 spring bread wheat accessions from the collection of the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) and locally developed contemporary cultivars were studied under the conditions of Aktobe Agricultural Station. The field study was carried out according to VIR’s guidelines. To assess the drought tolerance of the accessions, the following indices were used: mean productivity (MP), stress tolerance (TOL), yield stability index (YSI), drought resistance index (DI), and stress tolerance index (STI).

Results and discussion. Drought tolerance indices were calculated for all accessions using yield data in the driest (2019) and more favorable (2017) year. The total score of ranks for all indices was calculated for each accession. The total score correlated most strongly with the yield in an unfavorable year. As a result, 20 cultivars with the best total scores were identified, including 11 accessions bred in Aktobe Region, the reference cultivar, and promising accessions from other countries.

Conclusion. The cultivars identified according to a set of indices are promising in terms of their use in breeding for drought resistance under the conditions of Aktobe Region. The proposed index system makes it possible to combine assessments of different drought tolerance aspects.

Background. Soil toxicity of Al is associated with severe changes in plant root morphology that limit the uptake of water and mineral nutrients. Long-term exposure to Al results in deficiencies in some important nutrients, such as phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron. Thus, the joint study of plant resistance to the effects of Al and the accumulation of micronutrients in the oat grain is relevant.

Materials and methods. Thirty oat accessions of Russian and French origin from the VIR collection served as the research material. They were represented by cultivars with different levels of breeding improvement: landraces (early 1920s), cultivars developed by primitive breeding (1920–1930s), and modern improved cultivars.

Results. Oat cultivars with different breeding improvement levels demonstrated significant differences in the content of micronutrients and aluminum tolerance. Among the studied accessions, landraces and modern improved cultivars showed a tendency towards medium or high Al tolerance, the group of primitive cultivars from Russia had the lowest Al tolerance, while primitive cultivars from France demonstrated the highest average resistance (0.5–1.9).

Conclusion. The content of Fe and Zn was influenced by the geographic origin of genotypes. The concentrations of different micronutrients positively correlated with each other. Strong correlations were recorded between the contents of Zn and Fe (r = 0.81), and between Zn and Mg (r = 0.75). There was a positive correlation between the content of micronutrients and the resistance to crown rust (0.38 to 0.50). High content of the studied set of micronutrients was registered in such improved cultivars from France as the naked ‘Avoine Nue Renne’, ‘Chantilly’, ‘Negrita’ and ‘Noire de Michamps’, plus the Russian improved naked cultivar ‘Gavrosh’. Among them, ‘Chantilly’ was distinguished for its yield, and the naked ‘Gavrosh ‘for its high tolerance to aluminum.

Background. Pea (Pisum sativum L.) is a valuable leguminous crop of worldwide importance. The main problem of modern plant breeding is a decrease in the genetic diversity of crops, including pea. One of the ways to increase genetic polymorphism is the use of chemically induced mutagenesis. Sodium azide (NaN₃) is a highly effective chemical mutagen successfully used in mutation breeding to increase the productivity of cultivated plants and enrich them with new useful traits. We used it to obtain new pea breeding material.

Materials and methods. Experiments were carried out to obtain pea mutants using sodium azide at the concentrations of 1, 5 and 10 mM and the exposure time of 3 and 9 h. Molecular genetic polymorphism of the М₂ plants and the original cultivar was assessed using 10 SSR markers from the microsatellite genomic library (Agrogene®, France).

Results. Optimal concentrations of sodium azide and the duration of seed treatment with it were identified: 1–5 mM for 3 h. Sixteen mutant populations were obtained; in ten of them a change in the leaf type was found. An analysis of the yield structure components revealed a significant superiority (p < 0.05) over the initial cultivar ‘Pamyati Khangildina’ in the mutant populations No. 1, No. 5, No. 9, No. 10, No. 15 and No. 16 in the number of seeds per pod, No. 9 and No. 16 in the weight of 1000 seeds, and No. 16 in the weight of seeds per plant. A dendrogram constructed on the basis of the SSR analysis data showed the degree of differences between the M₂ populations of pea plants and the initial cultivar ‘Pamyati Khangildina’.

Conclusion. The obtained mutant populations are planned to be used in pea breeding as sources of high seed numbers in pods, seed yield, seed weight per plant, and large seed size. A microsatellite analysis with 10 SSR markers revealed differences among the M₂ mutant populations at the genetic level and made it possible to identify them.

Background. In order to fully reveal the advantages of a cultivar and use it effectively in production, it is necessary to ensure high sowing and varietal qualities of seeds, which requires improvement in breeding and seed production. Biotechnological methods are increasingly used in initial seed production. High efficiency was shown by the method of electrophoresis of seed storage proteins – prolamins. The aim of this study was to assess the biotype composition and allelic state of the prolamin-coding loci in the new spring oat cultivar ‘Tobolyak’ for its further use in initial seed production.

Materials and methods. In 2021, 1519 families of cv. ‘Tobolyak’ were studied using the method of native electrophoresis. Three grains from each family were selected for analyses by random sampling. Electrophoresis was carried out in vertical plates of 13.2% polyacrylamide gel at a constant voltage of 500 V for 4.5–5.0 hours.

Results and conclusion. The study of cv. ‘Tobolyak’ families resulted in identifying 13 types of avenin patterns with a frequency of occurrence from 96.36 to 0.07%. A new block of avenin components controlled by the allele of the Avn B locus was described. Number 8 was assigned to this block. It was established that cv. ‘Tobolyak’ had been developed by crossing a minor biotype of cv. ‘Taezhnik’ (Avn 4.4.2) with the first biotype of cv. ‘Orion’ (Avn 2.8.2). The basis of cv. ‘Tobolyak’ was one genotype with the Avn 4.8.2 avenin formula. The remaining biotypes arose as a result of crossing the biotypes of cvs. ‘Taezhnik’ and ‘Orion’ as well as through mechanical contamination. To maintain the genetic stability of cv. ‘Tobolyak’, it is recommended to use only families of the first biotype in the process of original seed production.

Background. Heterosis is one of the most important and promising plant breeding trends. Its development will make it possible to obtain hybrids with high adaptability and a high heterosis effect in their quantitative and qualitative characteristics.

Materials and methods. The studies were carried out under dry conditions of the Volgograd Trans-Volga region in 2019–2020. Heterotic hybrids of table watermelon served as the research material, and hybridization and inbreeding as research methods. The heterotic F₁ hybrid of watermelon Barkhan was used as the reference.

Results. The characteristics of heterotic watermelon hybrids were compared with the parental forms and the Barkhan F₁ reference. The length of the growing season in heterotic hybrids was inherited intermediately. In the average fruit weight, the reference was exceeded by the hybrids ChmsMt and ChmsFt by 1.1 kg. The highest average yield for the two years of research was observed in the F₁ hybrids ChmsNts (24.3 t/ha), ChmsFt (24.1) and ChmsMt (23.1) (reference: 20.8 t/ha). The inheritance of fruit weight according to the principle of overdominance occurred in the F₁ hybrids ChmsMk, ChmsRn, ChmsNts and ChmsMt. In their fruit weight, the same hybrids showed positive indices of hypothetical and true heterosis. The F₁ hybrids ChmsFt, ChmsNts and ChmsIR demonstrated high degrees of dominance in yield (1.8 to 5.0%). The index of hypothetical heterosis had positive results in all studied heterotic watermelon hybrids. Negative true heterosis (–0.49%) was observed in two F₁ hybrids, ChmsRn and ChmsPH. The remaining watermelon hybrids had positive true heterosis indices that ranged from 2.4% in ChmsIR to 11.06% in ChmsFt.

Conclusion. As a result of the studies, heterotic hybrids of watermelon, developed on the basis of the sterile mother line Chms, were identified for high indices of true and hypothetical heterosis in fruit weight and yield parameters.

Background. Awnless brome   (Bromopsis inermis (Leyss.) Holub) is a perennial herbaceous plant used as feed in animal husbandry, for phytomelioration, and as a component of grass mixtures to make a durable natural cover for landscaping. Studying the genetic diversity of this species and selecting the best accessions will help to develop new cultivars capable of productive longevity.

Materials and methods. In 2017, a new cultivar of B. inermis called ‘Gvardeets’ was submitted to the State Variety Trials. It was developed using chemical mutagenesis followed by multiple selection from cv. ‘Sverdlovsky 38’ at the Research Institute of Agriculture for the Northern Trans-Ural Region, a branch of Tyumen Scientific Center. During the growing seasons of 2012–2020, the cultivar was compared in the field according to the main productivity indicators with the reference cvs. ‘Langepas’ and ‘Sverdlovsky 38’. Observations were performed according to the guidelines for the study of fodder crops.

Results and conclusions. The new cultivar ‘Gvardeets’ is mid-season: it takes 50–60 days for its plants to develop from spring regrowth to the beginning of mowing and 95–110 days to harvesting. The plants are erect, 115–145 cm high; foliage content is 38–50%. Protein content in dry matter is 7.0–12.0%; fiber content, 28.2–34.0%. It has a good yield: the harvest of green mass for 9 years averaged 22.8 t/ha; hay, 7.7 t/ha; seeds, 0.19 t/ha, which is higher the original cv. ‘Sverdlovsky 38’ (♀) by 13, 12 and 16% and the productive cv. ‘Langepas’ by 6, 7 and 5%, respectively. It is winter-hardy, resistant to lodging, technology-friendly, and well adaptable to adverse environmental conditions, which ensures its high value for practical use. It was designed for hayfields and pastures. According to the results of the State Variety Trials, in 2021 it was commercialized for the Volga-Vyatka (4), West Siberian (10), and East Siberian (11) regions of Russia.

Background. Representatives of the Opuntia Mill. genus (Cactaceae), growing in natural habitats in South and North Americas, Mexico, Western India, and the Galapagos Islands, are widely used as ornamental, food and medicinal plants in different regions of the world. Many species have naturalized, and at least 27 species (or 14%) are invasive plants, thus posing a threat to local species and plant diversity. The largest numbers of naturalized species were observed in Spain, South Africa, and Australia. Studying the distribution of Opuntia Mill. representatives over Crimea is relevant because eight naturalized representatives of the genus have already been found in the region.

Materials and methods. The information about Opuntia engelmannii Salm-Dyck var. lindheimeri (Engelm.) U. Guzman & Mandujano, O. fragilis (Nutt.) Haw., O. humifusa (Raf.) Raf., O. macrorhiza Engelm., O. phaeacantha Engelm. f. rubra Späth., O. polyacantha Haw., O. tortispina Engelm. & J.M. Bigelow, and O. tunoidea Gibbes is based on the research carried out in 2007–2021. Vegetation classification units were identified on the basis of geobotanical studies.

Results. General characteristics and distribution of eight Opuntia representatives in natural and cultigenic areas are presented. It has been established that prickly pears were originally planted intentionally in Crimea, but later they spread in anthropogenically disturbed and seminatural biotopes, assigned to nine classes of vegetation (Quercetea pubescentis, Festuco-­Brometea, Sedo-­Scleranthetea, Koelerio-­Corynephoretea, Artemisietea vulgaris, Asplenietea trichomanis, Cisto­-Micromerietea julianae, Thero­-Brachypodietea, and Pegano harmalae­-Salsoletea vermiculatae). Opuntia humifusa and O. engelmannii var. lindheimeri have the widest distribution in Crimea. All species reproduce by seeds and vegetatively. The text is illustrated with photographs of the species and schematic maps of their distribution over the Crimean Peninsula.

Background. The genus Juniperus L. is the most numerous in the family Cupressaceae Bartl. and includes about 75 species. There are from 7 to 10 species of this genus in Kazakhstan. All types of juniper are widely used in folk medicine and play an important ecological role. The purpose of our work was to study the current status, systematics and distribution of juniper species. This will help to clarify and expand the information on the current location of Juniperus species in Kazakhstan and will be used in the future to study intra- and interspecific genetic diversity of the genus.

Materials and methods. To study the distribution and make a conspectus of the Juniperus spp. growing in Kazakhstan, floristic reports, materials of plant explorations and the herbarium collections for the period from 1890 to 2021 obtained from the herbarium of the Institute of Botany and Phytointroduction (AA), herbarium materials of the Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology as well as the digital herbarium of the Lomonosov Moscow State University – Depository of Living Systems “Noah’s Ark” (MW) were analyzed.

Results. As a result of the study, 630 herbarium sheets were processed and 70 locations of 7 juniper species growing in Kazakhstan belonging to 2 sections – Juniperus (=Oxycedrus Endl.) and Sabina Endl. – were identified. A conspectus of 7 juniper species identified during the analysis of the three above-mentioned herbarium collections was made. The main division of species is observed in the context of administrative and floristic regions of Kazakhstan. The greatest species concentration occurs in Southern, South-Eastern and Eastern Kazakhstan. The results of the study contribute to the inventory and search for previously forgotten places of growth for the genus Juniperus. Besides, the continuation of comprehensive botanical and molecular genetic studies on junipers will help to examine and preserve the genetic diversity of the species and conserve forest bioresources.

Background. Wild irises are promising for cultivation and use in breeding practice. Many of them are included in Red Lists, as they disappear under the impact of anthropogenic factors. It is biologically important to study their morphometric and reproductive parameters, so that the most stable and highly ornamental species could be recommended for expanding the range of flower plants.

Materials and methods. Biological features of four Iris L. species rarely occurring in the Southern Urals: I. pseudacorus L., I. pumila L., I. scariosa Wild. ex Link, and I. humilis Georgi, were studied in 2012–2017 in 23 natural and 4 introduced cenopopulations. Individual parameters were compared for 25 medium-age plants from each cenopopulation in their mass-flowering and fruiting phase according to 11 biometric parameters using conventional methods. Statistical significance of the differences was assessed using Student’s t-test.

Results. Comparison of morphometric parameters of four rare Iris spp. naturally occurring and introduced in Bashkortostan during six years of research showed significant differences between cenopopulations at a 5% significance level for most traits of I. pumila and I. pseudacorus. As for I. scariosa and I. humilis, differences were mostly insignificant (at t_fact< 2.064). Mean values of most reproductive parameters for I. scariosa, I. humilis and I. pseudacorus were significantly lower under introduction conditions than in natural populations. Under cultivation, seed productivity of I. pumila increased. Variability of most morphometric features of the studied irises was within normal response limits for the studied species. When cultivated in the environments of the Bashkir Cis-Urals, they bloom and bear fruit every year, except for I. humilis.

Conclusion. Of the four rare Iris spp., I. pumila is recommended for landscaping settlements in the South Urals as the most stable species.

The International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants promotes uniformity, accuracy, and stability in the naming of agricultural, forestry and horticultural plants. It governs the nomenclature of such categories as Cultivar, Group and Grex, and provides stability in the rules of their naming avoiding or rejecting the use of names that may cause errors or ambiguities. The first edition of the Code was published in 1953. Currently, the ninth edition of the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants is relevant (International Code…, 2016).

The first translation of the Code into Russian was made on behalf of the All-Union Botanical Society by Professor Ya.I. Prokhanov and published in 1957. The work on the Russian translation of the ninth edition of the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants was initiated by the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources. The scientific translation was carried out by I.G. Chukhina (VIR), S.R. Miftakhova (VIR), and V.I. Dorofeyev (BIN RAS). All parts of the Code, including the Preamble, Principles, Rules, Recommendations, Examples and Appendices, are published in the five issues of the Vavilovia journal.

Background. A significant reduction in the yield of barley may be provoked by powdery mildew (causative agent: Blumeria graminis (DC.) Golovin ex Speer f. sp. hordei Marchal). A vast majority of cultivars approved for use in Russia are susceptible to the pathogen. Including genotypes protected by previously unused resistance genes into breeding practice is necessary to ensure the national food security. Barley landraces could become a fairly rich source of replenishment for the bank of effective pathogen resistance genes.

Materials and methods. The study covered 950 barley accessions from the East Asian center of crop origin and domestication: 449 accessions from Japan, 313 from China, 173 from Mongolia, and 15 from Nepal. The experiments were carried out on young plants in a climatic chamber under artificial infection conditions. The northwestern (Pushkin, St. Petersburg) population of B. graminis served as an inoculum. Plant resistance was assessed using a scoring scale. The resistance of the selected forms was assessed twice.

Results and conclusions. Significant variability of barley accessions from the countries of East Asia in their resistance to powdery mildew was observed. Symptoms of the disease were not found on plants of 16 studied forms. Weak or moderate development of the B. graminis mycelium was recorded for 21 accessions. Twenty-seven accessions were heterogeneous in the studied trait. Various levels of resistance were identified in 64 studied accessions (6.73%), among which 44 represented cultivars and breeding lines, and 20 were landraces. The percentage of accessions susceptible to the studied population of the pathogen was 93.27%.

Background. Among the weeds of the Solanaceae family, a potential viroid infection reservoir, black nightshade (Solanum nigrum L.), is ubiquitous in Russia.

Materials and methods. Molecular diagnostics of the viroid was performed using RT-PCR with the P3/P4 primers specific for PSTVd and 6Pospi F/R specific for the Pospiviroidae family of viroids. The amplification products were cloned and sequenced, and the nucleotide sequences were deposited in the GenBank database.

Results. RT-PCR showed that 80–100% of plants were infected with PSTVd. The cDNA amplicons of two plants from Nizhny Novgorod (Sn1 and Sn2) and one plant from Tula Province (Sn3) were cloned (3 clones each) and sequenced. An analysis of the nucleotide variability in the clones revealed significant genetic differences between the PSTVd strains, independent of the geographical origin. Mutations U120C and U192C, compared with the reference strain VP35 (LC523658), were found in all 9 clones. The Sn1 isolate was close to the “potato” VP35 isolate and differed from it only by three mutations. The Sn2 isolate was represented by three identical clones and differed from VP35 by nine mutations, while Sn3 had 22 mutations in the region of 49–310 nucleotide positions in total for three clones. After artificial infection of healthy S. nigrum plants in a greenhouse, the presence of PSTVd in infected plants was confirmed and it was proved that the viroid was transmitted by seeds to plants of the next generation.

Conclusion. For the first time in externally healthy plants of S. nigrum, widely distributed in the potato fields of Russia (Nizhny Novgorod and Tula Province), the potato spindle tuber viroid, PSTVd, was detected. It was proved that the viroid was preserved in the seeds of S. nigrum and transmitted to their progeny. Genetic heterogeneity of PSTVd strains from S. nigrum plants was found. Two mutations, U120C and U192C, were common for all tested clones of PSTVd strains.

Background. Digital technologies are increasingly used in agriculture to solve a variety of problems. However, in horticulture and industrial production of fruit and berry crops, qualitative evaluation and scoring of the most important morphological indicators of fruits are still common, and measurements are carried out manually. The aim of this study was to develop an algorithm for using the ImageJ package for quick and accurate measurements of the size and shape of berries.

Materials and methods. The material included 190 berries of 3 blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L.) cultivars: ‘Amazonka’, ‘Lazurit’, and ‘Lenita’. The berries were laid out on a white sheet of paper with a ruler on top of the glass and photographed with additional lighting from below. The analysis of the obtained images was carried out using the public domain package ImageJ (v. 1.51k) and included automatic search for objects and their measurement by 7 indicators: area, perimeter, maximum and minimum Feret diameters, aspect ratio, circularity, and surface roundness (1-Solidity). Statistical analysis included the calculation of the minimum, maximum and mean values with a nonparametric 95% CI (bootstrap, percentile method), comparison of cultivars using the Kruskal–Wallis test, and search for the most typical objects based on the results of a between-group PCA.

Results. It was shown how the size and shape indicators from the ImageJ package related to classical measurements in pomology, including length, diameter, and berry shape index. For all indicators, the differences between cultivars were highly statistically significant (p < 0.001). The prospects of using the surface roughness index for quantitative characterization of the degree of deviation of fruits from their natural shape due to mechanical and other deformations are discussed.

Conclusion. The results of the automatic image analysis in the ImageJ package can be used in horticulture, breeding, and production of fruits and berries.

Since 1961, VIR has been publishing the series Catalogue of the VIR Global Collection, which had the original name Catalogue–Directory of the VIR Global Collection. Since 2018, the edition notice for each issue and the abstract have been presented concurrently in Russian and English. The name of the series in English is Catalogue of the VIR Global Collection.