Background. With the increasing anthropogenic impact on nature, conservation and renewal of rare and endangered plants in natural cenoses is an urgent problem. Quality assessment, identification of full-fledged plump seeds, and determination of their viability is the way to develop reproduction technologies and provide a possibility of repatriating these species to their natural habitats. Collecting and studying natural flora species in botanical gardens helps to save biological resources of useful species and recommend them for urban landscaping.

Materials and methods. X-ray techniques were used to analyze seed quality and viability of rare species in the flora of Yakutia: Adonis sibirica Patrin, Phlojodicarpus sibiricus (Steph. ex Spreng.) Koso-Pol., Iris laevigata Fisch. et C.A. Mey., Iris sanguinea Donn, and Paeonia anomala L. Methods developed for the application of microfocus radiography to fruits and seeds were used in the X-ray analysis.

Results. Seed quality was assessed according to guidelines. It was shown that fruits and seeds of the studied species developed under the conditions of Yakutia were full-fledged (plump), but due to the presence of a morphophysiological type of dormancy in them, they could germinate only after a cold or multistage stratification.

Conclusion. Assessment of reproductive diaspore quality and viability in rare and endangered plant species of Yakutia will make it possible to develop technologies for increasing their seed germination rates and restoring the natural populations of these species.

Background. Clonal micropropagation is a biotechnological method for plant multiplication. The existing data on the structure of organs in vitro, genetic stability, and essential oil composition are limited for Hyssopus officinalis L., so this study was aimead at investigating these aspects under a short period of in vitro culturing.

Materials and methods. Plants of Hyssopus officinalis ʻNikitskiy Beliyʼ cultivated ex situ, in vitro and ex vitro were analyzed. Conventional methods were applied to study plant anatomy, ploidy level, and relative DNA content, as well as to extract and analyze essential oil. Statistical analysis was performed using the Past 4.03 software.

Results. According to the results obtained, with 6-BAP introduced into MS nutrient medium in optimal concentrations (0.3– 0.5 mg/L), the general in vitro structure of leaf blades in the developed microshoots was similar to those in ex situ plants, while the qualitative and quantitative changes observed were induced by the effect of specific culturing conditions and plant rejuvenation. The analysis of the ploidy level and relative DNA content in the nuclei isolated from the leaf tissue cells of the microshoots ex vitro after adaptation revealed no changes compared to the ex situ leaf parameters. The mass fraction of essential oil and its component composition in the mother plants and ex vitro regenerants were similar.

Conclusion. Cultivation of Hyssopus officinalis ʻNikitskiy Beliyʼ microshoots on MS nutrient medium with 6-BAP optimal concentrations promotes morphogenesis without significant deviations in the ploidy level, relative DNA content, essential oil yield, or its component composition. The developed protocol for clonal micropropagation of Hyssopus officinalis ʻNikitskiy Beliyʼ provides clones identical to the ex situ plants.

Background. The change of temperature conditions is cyclic by nature. Since the 1970s this process has been intensifying several times faster towards global climate warming. The effect of high temperature and drought is expected to lead to undesirable consequences for the economy, a decrease in yields, and a threat to food security. This aspect requires an assessment of the ongoing climate changes and identification of the causes that induce the response of plants to them.

Materials and methods. The zoned millet cultivar ‘Gorlinka’ served as the material for this study. Variability was assessed from 2001 through 2019 for such characters as the duration of the growing season, grain yield, grain size, and plant height. The cultivar was tested according to VIR’s guidelines. Statistical data processing was performed using Microsoft Excel.

Results and conclusion. The climate change in the southern part of the East European Plain (Tambov Province) from 2001 to 2019 towards warming in June under sufficient moisture (HTC = 1.26) did not significantly affect the duration of the growing season or grain yield of cv. ‘Gorlinka’.

Background. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is an important source of nutrients, such as starch, protein, and various dietary fibers. β-Glucans are soluble fibers found in high amounts in oat and barley grain, so they are becoming increasingly interesting due to their numerous functional and bioactive properties. The increased interest in β-glucans as a dietary supplement and a functional component of food calls for a convenient, inexpensive and affordable method for quantitative determination of these compounds.

Materials and methods. An overview is given on the existing techniques for determining and isolating β-glucans in cereals: IR spectroscopy, enzymatic, colorimetric, and alkaline-enzymatic methods. Their advantages and disadvantages are shown. The disadvantages of the methods considered include high costs of reagents and equipment, duration of performance, and labor intensity.

Results. This study promotes the weight method for isolation and quantitative determination of β-glucans in the grain of covered and naked barley. It is based on the modified alkaline method adapted to barley; we developed it earlier for oat grain. The amount of β-glucans in the grain of the studied barley accessions ranged from 4.12±0.23% to 5.34 ± 0.31% for naked cultivars, and from 3.57 ± 0.18% to 4.29 ± 0.32% for covered ones.

Conclusion. Based on the conducted research, optimal conditions for the isolation and quantitative determination of β-glucans from barley grain were selected: centrifugation modes, temperature and extraction ratio, concentration of compounds, precipitation and drying procedures. The main advantage of the described method is its accessibility and practical applicability when conducting mass analysis, including studying a collection of cereal crops.

Taraxacum kok-saghyz (TKS) is one of the most promising rubber plants in the world. The question of how irrigation affects its yields and biochemical composition has not yet been studied well. The effects of irrigation frequency on the growth and yield of Taraxacum kok-saghyz were analyzed. According to the obtained results, it was established that an increase in irrigation frequency (extension of the watering interval) gradually decreased TKS rubber and total sugar yields. With the soil water content increasing from 22.8 to 38.9%, TKS rubber and sugar yields were changing in line with a cubic polynomial equation. Regular watering once every 6 days maintains soil moisture at a level above 28.0%, which makes it possible to increase the yield of Taraxacum kok-saghyz while enhancing the water-use efficiency under the conditions of Northeastern China (Harbin).

Background. In recent years, an increase has been observed in the share of sunflower seeds in the confectionery and food industries. There are 30 cultivars and only 3 hybrids for confectionery use among 839 zoned sunflower cultivars and hybrids listed in the State Register for Selection Achievements Admitted for Usage in 2023. Thus, the development of source material for breeding large-seeded cultivars and hybrids remains a relevant task.

Materials and methods. The studied material included 90 accessions selected for their large seed size from VIR’s sunflower collection. The following characters were assessed: 1000 seed weight, days from sprouting to maturation, plant height, head diameter, cypsela color and size, and resistance to downy mildew. DNA markers were used to identify accessions with the Rf1 gene and CMS.

Results. Accessions k-2818 (Primorsky Territory), k-3633, k-3748, k-3782 (China), and k-3578 (Ukraine) were the best in 1000 seed weight. Russian cvs. ‘Alekseyevsky Krupnoplodny 2’ (k-3552), ‘Gyar-Gyar’ (k-1589), ‘SPK’ (k-3426), and ‘Lakomka’ (k-3526) confirmed their large seed size. The sterile type of cytoplasm was identified in 12 accessions. Fourteen accessions with fertile cytoplasm had diagnostic markers of the nuclear Rf1 gene.

Conclusion. The large-seeded cultivars developed at VNIIMK, ‘SPK’, ‘Lakomka’, and k-3782 from China were the best not only in their large seed size but also in downy mildew resistance. As a result of long-term studies, a trait-specific collection was established for the large seed size trait. It included 90 accessions that can be used in the development of confectionery cultivars. Large-seeded sunflower accessions carrying the Rf1 gene were identified. Some of them became the ancestors of donor lines for both pollen fertility restoration genes and large seed size.

Background. Adaptation of spring bread wheat cultivars to climate change requires a study of the factors affecting the length of their growing season in various environments. An attempt is made to analyze regularities in the effect of ecogeographic conditions on the correlations shown by the duration of the growing season and interphase periods in spring bread wheat genotypes.

Materials and methods. Correlation coefficients were studied for the impact of the environment and temperature on the duration of the interphase periods from sprouting to heading (SH) and from heading to yellow ripeness (HR) versus the period from sprouting to yellow ripeness (SR) in VIR’s wheat collection across 18 sites located in Russia and Uzbekistan from 41 to 60°N and from 30 to 135°E. The effect of the genotype and year on SH and HR was studied, and agrometeorological regression models of SH and HR were constructed, based on the data obtained during the studies of the collection in St. Petersburg in 1945–2021.

Results. For the sites below 52–54°N, the SR/SH correlation coefficient was generally higher than SR/HR, and in the upper latitudes it was vice versa. The change in the ratio of coefficients occurred due to an increase in the interannual variability of HR at lower temperatures. The effect of HR on SR became greater than that of SH at temperatures below 18°С during HR. The data of a long-term study in St. Petersburg demonstrated that the effect of the genotype on SH was 18.9%, with 68.9% of the year, and the effect of the factors on HR was 4.1 and 71.3%, respectively. Regression models showed that HR was determined by temperature for at least 81%, while SH had a lower coefficient of determination by weather (56%).

Conclusion. Ranking of wheat genotypes according to their heading time reflected their differentiation in earliness. A significant contribution of HR was conspicuous under temperatures below 18°C after heading at latitudes above 52–54°N.

Background. An important task is to search for and select highly self-fertile cultivars for plant breeding programs and for setting single-cultivar plantings in commercial horticulture.

Materials and methods. Cultivars were assessed for their self-fertility levels at Pushkin and Pavlovsk Laboratories of VIR in 2019–2022. Thirty black currant cultivars of eight genetic groups served as the research material. Their levels of self-fertility were tested using conventional techniques. Free pollination served as the control. The resulting data were analyzed according to the main indicators crucial for precise characterization of a cultivar’s self-fertility level: fruit setting rate, berry weight, seed yield, and fertilization effectiveness. The data were statistically processed using Microsoft Excel and the guidelines by B. A. Dospekhov. Fruit setting rate, berry weight, seed yield and fertilization effectiveness were considered for each pollination variant.

Results and conclusion. Cultivars with high and stable self-fertility levels were identified as potential valuable sources for breeding programs: ‘Partizanka Bryanskaya’ (k-45548), ‘Ben Gairn’(k-45524), ‘Litvinovskaya’ (k-45542), ‘Mushketer’ (k-45544), ‘Raduzhnaya’ (k-45549), ‘Ben Lomond’ (k-32611), and ‘Vertikal’ (k-45528). Cvs. ‘Partizanka Bryanskaya’ (k-45548), ‘Ben Gairn’ (k-45524), ‘Mushketer’ (k-45544), and ‘Vertikal’ (k-45528) may be used in single-cultivar plantings because they are able to set the same number of berries under natural self-pollination and free pollination. Natural self-pollination (autogamy) led to a decrease in the size of berries and the number of seeds in them. An increase in the main self-fertility indicators was observed under artificial self-pollination and free pollination.

Background. Improving the grain quality of modern spring bread wheat cultivars is a highly relevant task of breeding. To solve this problem, old and local wheat varieties (landraces) are of considerable interest. A rich collection of them is available among the plant genetic resources preserved at VIR. With this in view, the aim of this research was to identify sources of high protein, gluten, macro- and micronutrient content out of the landraces from the VIR collection for improvement of wheat grain quality through breeding.

Materials and methods. Field and laboratory research were conducted in the experimental field of Omsk State Agrarian University under the conditions of the southern forest-steppe of Western Siberia in 2020–2021. Sowing was carried out on fallow on conventional sowing dates. Mineral composition in the grain of the studied landraces was analyzed at the Kurchatov Genomic Center, Novosibirsk, using atomic absorption spectrometry techniques.

Results. The research results showed that landraces from different regions of Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan were characterized by high levels of protein (18.4–18.8%) and gluten (35.9–36.0%) in grain. Landraces from Kazakhstan had low Zn content (on average 38.3 mg/kg), while those from Kyrgyzstan, on the contrary, had high content of Zn (41.9 mg/kg) and Fe (55.1 mg/kg), and landraces from Tajikistan had high K content (3820 mg/kg). A positive relationship between the concentrations of Mg, Mn, Fe, and Zn was found in the grain of wheat landraces.

Conclusion. Wheat landraces are of interest as genetic resources for the development of high-protein cultivars with improved nutritional value of grain for the milling and breadmaking industries.

Background. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is one of the key food crops, ranking fourth in the world in terms of sown area and production among cereals. Often, one of the main factors that reduces yield and product quality is the spread of fungal pathogens in commercial crops. Powdery mildew (causative agent: Blumeria graminis (DC.) Golovin ex Speer f. sp. hordei Marchal) is considered one of the most common and harmful among barley diseases. Plant resistance to B. graminis limits the spread of the disease, and the development of resistant cultivars prevents a decrease in plant productivity. The specificity of the host–pathogen relationship and the loss of efficiency in many genes determine the need for a continuous study of previously unexplored local barley forms and a search for new, most effective resistance genes.

Materials and methods. The genetic control of juvenile resistance to B. graminis was studied in 14 accessions of spring barley from the Ethiopian (Abyssinian) center of crop origin. The natural population of the pathogen served as infectious material for infecting barley. The intensity and nature of sporulation as well as the qualitative reactions of plant tissues in response to the penetration of the fungus (necrosis and chlorosis) were accepted as indicators of resistance in the accessions. Powdery mildew resistance was assessed under laboratory and field conditions. The genetic control of the resistance trait was studied using the method of hybridological analysis followed by statistical processing.

Results and conclusions. Barleys from the Ethiopian center of morphogenesis are characterized by great genetic diversity. Studying the inheritance of juvenile resistance to powdery mildew made it possible to ascertain the monogenic control of the trait in all studied forms. Ten barley accessions with one effective recessive resistance allele and four with the dominant control of the trait may be recommended for immunity-targeted breeding.

Background. Studying wild-growing grapevines is of interest because it expands the knowledge on the genetic diversity within the gene pool and helps to search for new resistance sources. One of the main differences between wild vines and cultivars is the type of their reproductive system: wild grapes are represented by cross-pollinated dioecious vines, while cultivated ones are, with rare exceptions, hermaphrodites capable of self-pollination. A DNA marker applicable to determine the grape flower sex has been identified.

Materials and methods. The VVIB23 DNA marker to the Sex gene determining the flower sex was used to study 36 genotypes of wild-growing grapes selected in 2019–2021 within the Utrish Nature Reserve near Gelendzhik and the Krasny Les State Nature Reserve on the right bank of the Kuban River. PCR technique was applied, and the results were evaluated on a Nanofor 05 genetic analyzer.

Results. The studied grapevine accessions were found to be variable for the VVIB23 SSR locus: 7 types of alleles were identified. Alleles corresponding to the male flower type were present in 14 genotypes, and those corresponding to the female type in 21. A PCR fragment whose size, according to the published data, correlated with hermaphroditism was not found, which is typical for wild genotypes. The DNA marker analysis failed to determine the flower sex of one accession.

Conclusion. The results of the DNA marker analysis showed that the studied wild-growing grapevine genotypes were dioecious forms

Background. Fire blight (Erwinia amylovora (Burill) Winslow et al.) is a dangerous disease of fruit crops. In the Russian Federation, fire blight is one of the quarantine diseases. Apple resistance to fire blight is controlled polygenically. However, the data on the genotypes of Malus Mill. wild species and varieties in the context of individual resistance loci are scarce. The purpose of the research was studying the genetic collection of apple wild species according to the FBF7 fire blight resistance locus to identify promising sources of resistance to E. amylovora.

Materials and methods. The materials of this study included 23 wild and two cultivated apple-tree species (50 accessions) from the genetic collection of the I.V. Michurin FSC. The FBF7 QTL for fire blight resistance was identified with the flanking SCAR-markers AE10-375 and GE-8019, and SSR-marker CH-F7-Fb1.

Results and conclusion. The GE-8019 marker was identified in 50.0% of the apple accessions, AE10-375 in 76.0% of the accessions, and CH-F7-Fb1 in 30.0%. Inter- and intraspecific polymorphism of the Malus genus was revealed for the analyzed resistance locus, as well as for individual DNA markers linked to the FBF7 QTL. The GE-8019 and AE10-375 markers flanking the FBF7 QTL were found in 42.0% of the studied genotypes. Meanwhile, three diagnostic markers (GE-8019, AE10-375, and CH-F7-Fb1) were identified only in 7 accessions: M. × robusta var. persicifolia (Carr.) Rehd. (к-41279), M. × cerasifera var. hiemalis Spach. (к-2342) (Ser. Baccatae), M. sylvestris (L.) Mill. (k-73 and k-123), M. × spectabilis var. albi plena (Ait.) Borkh. (к-2416) (Ser. Malus), M. × sargentii (Rehd.) Langenf. (k-2428) (Ser. Toringonae), and M. coronaria (L.) Mill. (к-2336) (Ser. Coronariae). These forms are promising genetic sources of resistance to E. amylovora.

Background. Cowpea is an important legume crop of great nutritional and economic value, ranking fourth in the world among leguminous crops in the area of cultivation. This crop is known to tolerate high temperatures and droughts, so new cowpea cultivars adapted to the local arid conditions of the Lower Volga are of considerable interest.

Materials and methods. Mass and individual selection techniques were applied to develop new cultivars from cowpea landraces held in the VIR collection. Selection was carried out at Astrakhan Experiment Station of VIR in 2012–2018, and variety trials took place in 2019–2021.

Results. Cvs. ‘Samma Nova’ and ‘Pasta Grin’ were released for vegetable use. The pod yield of ‘Samma Nova’ is 12.18–14.85 t/ha, seed yield is 0.92–1.14 t/ha, protein content is 28.8% in seeds and 27.1% in pods, and its growing season is 57–66 days. The cultivar is bushy, with synchronous pod and seed maturation, suitable for mechanized cultivation. The pod yield of ‘Pasta Grin’ is 24.68–25.84 t/ha, seed yield is 0.82–1.04 t/ha, protein content is 29.1% in pods and 23.6% in seeds. It is a mid-season cultivar, with a rambling stem, intended for growing on a trellis. Both cultivars significantly exceeded the reference (cv. ‘Sibirsky Razmer”) in most of the studied indicators. The breeding work with cowpea accessions showed that pod harvesting at the commercial ripeness stage stimulated plants to develop new pods, which extended the duration of fruiting and increased productivity. The maximum number of pods in all studied cultivars was formed in the first 20 days of the fruiting period.

Conclusion. In 2022, according to the results of competitive and local trials, cvs. ‘Samma Nova’ and ‘Pasta Grin’ were included in the State Register for Selection Achievements (National List). The zones of cultivation and seed production for these cultivars are Astrakhan and Volgograd Provinces, Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, and the Republic of Crimea.

Background. Grain quality indicators of winter rye cultivars were analyzed in connection with the size-dependent fractional composition of their grain in the Lower Volga environments.

Materials and methods. The research material included 22 cultivars developed at various Russian scientific institutions, 3 Belarusian ones, and 3 cultivars bred at the Federal Center of Agriculture Research of the South-East Region. Comparative trials were conducted in 2021–2022 on 13.2 m² plots in two field replications. The following grain quality indicators were studied: grain test weight, 1000 grain weight, size-dependent fractional composition, Hagberg falling number, amylogram peak height, starch gelatinization temperature, protein content, and rheological properties of the meal/water slurry.

Results. Protein content was recorded at a level of 9.98–10.85%, while the starch gelatinization temperature was high due to the June air temperatures higher than the norm. Significant differences among the cultivars were found in the fractional composition of grain: 12 forms were identified with medium viscosity of the meal/water slurry and the fine-grain fraction content up to 30% of the total weight.

Conclusions. There is a positive significant correlation between the five studied indicators characterizing the rheological properties of the meal/water slurry made from the grain of winter rye cultivars and the grain fraction composition (0.82*–0.91*).

Taxonomic studies were carried out in the collection of cultivated potato species kept in the Herbarium of Cultivated Plants of the World, Their Wild Relatives, and Weeds (WIR). It allowed us to proceed with typifying the names of intraspecific taxa within Solanum andigenum Juz. et Buk., belonging to three geographical groups: Colombian, South Peruvian, and Bolivian. The WIR herbarium collections comprise the taxonomic diversity of cultivated potatoes described by Russian taxonomists and based on the study of plant materials collected in South America during the expeditions organized by N. I. Vavilov in the late 1920s – early 1930s. Verification of protologs and herbarium specimens resulted in locating herbarium sheets that appeared to be syntypes of six varieties and eleven forms. Lectotypes were also designated for the following three forms: S. andigenum f. huaman-uma Buk. et Lech., S. andigenum f. lecke-umo Buk. et Lech., S. andigenum f. pacus Lech.

Background. The development of genetic certificates and nomenclatural standards for newly released cultivars of Malus domestica Borkh. (apple tree) ensures an opportunity to preserve the original and authentic genetic and morphological information on domestic cultivars promising for the south of Russia. The purpose of this study was to develop genetic certificates and nomenclatural standards for 7 apple-tree cultivars developed at the North Caucasian Federal Scientific Center of Horticulture, Viticulture, Wine-making (NCFSCHVW), five of which were released jointly with the All-Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding (VNIISPK).

Materials and methods. The materials included apple-tree cultivars resistant or immune to scab (Venturia inaequalis (Cooke) G. Winter) from the NCFSCHVW collection stock. Conventional herbarization and DNA fingerprinting methods were used. For cultivar certification, an improved technique of DNA sampling and 12 microsatellite markers were applied.

Results. Unique DNA profile certificates and nomenclatural standards were produced for 7 apple-tree cultivars: ‘Vasilisa’, ‘Karmen’, ‘Krasny Yantar’, ‘Soyuz’ and ‘Rassvet’ (with the Rvi6 gene) released jointly by the NCFSCHVW and VNIISPK, plus ‘Zolotoye Letneye’ and ‘Feya’ developed at the NCFSCHVW. The apple-tree herbarium specimens were placed for perpetual storage in the WIR Herbarium of the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR).

Conclusion. The results obtained are promising for identification and authenticity verification of new domestic apple-tree cultivars during their reproduction and cultivation.

Background. Yellow rust incidence on Triticum L. has been observed to surge up in Dagestan in recent years, facilitating selection of highly resistant genotypes. Information on the effectiveness of Yr genes and the pathogen’s virulence and racial composition is needed to interpret field assessment data correctly. The objective of this study was to describe the virulence of the Dagestan population of Puccinia striiformis West. at the seedling stage, evaluate the resistance of differentiators to yellow rust in the field, and identify invasive PstS1 and PstS2 races.

Materials and methods. Leaves with urediniopustules were collected from bread wheat accessions at Dagestan Experiment Station of VIR (DЕS VIR) in 2020–2022. Virulence was analyzed in the laboratory using 14 AvYr lines (Avocet NIL) and 15 differential wheat cultivars. Age-specific resistance of virulence testers under high natural infection pressure was studied in the field of DES VIR. A set of SCAR markers (SCP19M24a1, SCP19M24a2, SCP19M26a1, and SCP19M26a2) were used to identify invasive races.

Results and discussion. Avocet lines with Yr5, Yr10, Yr15, Yr24, and Yr26, and cv. ‘Moro’ (Yr10, YrMor) manifested resistance to all isolates. Virulence to Yr17 was detected only in the isolates from cvs. ‘Graf’ and ‘Svarog’ carrying this gene, and ‘Siete Ceros’. The Dagestan collection demonstrated high genetic diversity. Common phenotypes were identified on cv. ‘Graf’ in 2021 and 2020. There was no temporal differentiation between pathogen collections in the years of testing. High field resistance to yellow rust was recorded in lines with Yr5, Yr8, Yr10, Yr15 and Yr24, and in cvs. ‘Moro’, ‘Compair’, ‘Carstens’ and ‘Spaldings Prolific’. Cvs. ‘Reichersberg 42’ and ‘Heines Peko Vilmorin 23’ were resistant in 2020 and 2022, and moderately affected (up to 10%) in 2021. Molecular analysis identified all three isolates belonging to the invasive PstS2 group on cv. ‘Siete Cerros’ and L 650 in 2021, and cv. ‘Vassa’ in 2022.

Background. The most effective and environmentally safe way to combat wheat diseases is to produce cultivars resistant to their pathogens. For this purpose, old landraces are often used as genetically diverse sources of traits important for breeding. In the process of wheat breeding for resistance to tan spot caused by the fungus Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Died.) Drechs. (abbr. Ptr), selection is carried out against the dominant allele of Tsn1, the gene of sensitivity to the toxin Ptr ToxA, which induces necrosis and represents the main pathogenicity factor of Ptr controlled by the ToxA gene. The aim of the study was to characterize a set of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) accessions from the VIR collection for resistance to various Ptr populations, genotype these accessions using Xfcp623 – a DNA marker of the Tsn1 gene, and identify sources of tan spot resistance.

Materials and methods. Sixty-seven accessions of winter bread wheat landraces were studied. Seedling resistance to two Ptr populations was assessed using a 5-point scale adopted at VIZR. The allelic state of Tsn1 was identified by PCR.

Results. Dominant alleles of Tsn1 were found for 55% of the studied accessions. Seventeen accessions were resistant or moderately resistant to two Ptr populations and an isolate from Krasnodar Territory previously used for their characterization. Nine of them had the tsn1tsn1 genotype, and 8 had Tsn1Tsn1. The accessions mainly belonged to three agroecological groups proposed by N. I. Vavilov: “steppe winter bread wheat (Banatka wheats)”, “North European forest awnless bread wheats (Sandomirka wheats)”, and “Caucasian mountain winter bread wheat”.

Conclusion. The identified 17 accessions resistant to Ptr are potential breeding sources of resistance. In the studied set of accessions, no significant relationship was found between the allelic state of the Tsn1 gene in the accession and its response to the infection with pathogen populations, including isolates with the ToxA gene.

Background. The use of barley cultivars resistant to greenbug (Schizaphis graminum Rondani) is an effective, economical and ecology-friendly way to control the dangerous phytophage. The insect is able to overcome the resistance of the host plant, which necessitates a relentless search for new genes to ensure reliable protection of barley fields from the pest.

Materials and methods. Resistance to the Krasnodar greenbug population was assessed in 345 barley accessions from the Asian part of Russia. Besides, resistance to S. graminum was studied in cv. ‘Post’ (carrier of the Rsg1 gene), a pure line derived from cv. ‘Onokhoisky’ (k-16626, Buryatia) heterogeneous for this trait, and landraces from Mongolia (k-3885, k-3904, and k-4080). Juvenile plants were infested with aphids in the laboratory, and when a susceptible control died, the damage to experimental barley accessions was assessed using a scoring scale. Genetic control of greenbug resistance in the line derived from cv. ‘Onokhoisky’ was studied using the insect’s test clones and an analysis of the segregation in F₂ hybrids from crossing the resistant line with cv. ‘Belogorsky’ susceptible to the aphid, when the plants were infested with the Krasnodar population of the phytophage and with clones of S. graminum.

Results and conclusions. We identified 7 accessions heterogeneous for aphid resistance. Among them, plants with a high level of greenbug resistance were found in three landraces from Tuva (k-14714, k-14718, and k-14733). Resistance was also clearly expressed in the line derived from cv. ‘Onokhoisky’. This cultivar is protected by a dominant allele that differs from the previously identified Rsg1, as well as from the alleles found in Mongolian landraces k-3904, k-4080, and k-3885. ‘Onokhoisky’ also has genes with low expressivity, which manifest themselves when the main gene for resistance to S. graminum appears ineffective.

Background. The grape is one of the most economically significant berry crops: its cultivation area covers over 6.7 million hectares. Due to certain biological characteristics of grapes, such as a long juvenile period (5–8 years), a high degree of genomic heterozygosity, and the frequently encountered phenomenon of inbred depression, when homozygotization during hybridization leads to a loss of viability and production characteristics of the cultivar, vegetative propagation becomes the basis for grape reproduction and industrial cultivation. Microclonal propagation is the foundation for rejuvenation and revitalization of modern vineyards. Developing approaches for microclonal propagation of elite industrial grape cultivars remains a relevant task for the modern wine industry.

Materials and methods. The industrial grape cultivars ‘Malbec’, ‘Merlot’, ‘Chardonnay’, and ‘Riesling’ from the field collection of the All-Russian National Research institute of Viticulture and Winemaking “Magarach” were used for the work.

Results. This research succeeded in devising a universal, one-stage protocol for the microclonal propagation of elite industrial grape cultivars, such as ‘Merlot’, ‘Chardonnay’, ‘Malbec’, and ‘Riesling’, making the production of plants ready for adaptation into the soil (ex vitro) within 1 months after rooting.

Conclusion. The use of the microclonal propagation protocol developed in this study for industrial grape cultivars will reduce labor costs and shorten the time required to obtain a plant ready for adaptation to open ground two to three times.

Currently, hybrid table beet seeds make up a significant part of the seeds sold in the world due to their high synchrony, root uniformity, and the effect of heterosis. Heterosis breeding of table beet in Russia is developed insufficiently. One of the reasons is the lack of a well-studied homogeneous linear material. Another reason is a long and labor-consuming process of obtaining parent components for classical crossing due to a 2-year cycle of crop development, a pronounced self-incompatibility system, and inbreeding depression. In vitro production of doubled table beet haploids makes it possible to obtain homozygous material in a short time. It can be used in breeding programs as an alternative to traditional inbred lines. Therefore, introduction of the haploidization technology into the table beet breeding programs is of great importance. This article discusses various approaches to the production of doubled beet haploids and describes crucial achievements, major problems, and the ways to solve them. Methods for producing doubled haploids of table beet has not been studied profoundly enough, so they require additional in-depth research aimed at improving their efficiency and reproducibility.

The genetic base of compactness has been an area of active research in recent years, with several genes and mutations identified to be associated with the appearance of dwarf phenotypes. Understanding the functions of these genes and the underlying mechanisms of dwarfism in cucurbit crops is essential for developing new cultivars with improved yield and fruit quality. This study presents current data on genes and mutations associated with the evolvement of compact phenotypes in cucurbit crops. The review includes examples of mutant compact phenotypes and their associated genes in representatives of the Cucurbitaceae family, such as Cucurbita maxima Duch., Cucurbita pepo L., Cucurbita moschata Duch., Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai, and Cucumis melo L. The review provides up-to-date information on the genetic and molecular bases of compact phenotype formation, as well as molecular markers for detecting known genes associated with reduced plant size.

Proceedings on Applied Botany, Genetics and Breeding is the oldest specialized journal in Russia. It has been published in St. Petersburg with supplements since the early 20th century up to the present day. In 2023, the journal celebrated its 115th anniversary. The journal Bulletin of Applied Botany was founded in 1908 by Robert Regel, Head of the Bureau of Applied Botany, the Russian botanist who laid the foundations of applied botany in Russia. The journal rightfully occupied a leading place among Russian scientific periodicals and acquired the core authority in applied botany and breeding within Russia. During the interwar period of Soviet Russia and the USSR (1917–1940), the journal was headed by the world-famous Russian scientist Academician Nikolay Vavilov, a public figure and official, a recognized expert in the field of plant genetics, breeding, cultivation, and immunology.

Since 1908, publicly available original or translated articles recounting the current (at the time of publication) state of knowledge in various sectors of applied botany and plant breeding have been published in the form of supplements to the Proceedings.

Supplements were published from 1908 through 1937. The only exception in the postwar Soviet period was the publication of the collection of guidelines entitled Methods for the Comprehensive Study of Photosynthesis in 1969, formatted as a special supplement to volume 40. Fundamental publications by Russian and foreign authors were noticed by domestic readers much faster when they appeared as supplements to a well-known journal that contained original articles, research results on individual crops, summaries and reviews in the field of applied botany, plant breeding and genetics.

Academician Nikolay Vavilov, who headed the editorial committee, impelled all of his staff members, without exception, to publish their research findings first in the Proceedings, and only after that in other editions.

Supplements 1–21 were published under the editorship of Robert Regel, and beginning from supplement 22 under the editorship of Nikolay Vavilov. Following the consecutive numbering on the supplements, 84 supplements should have been published, plus an additional one to volume 40, but de facto not all of the announced supplements appeared in print.

The mission undertaken by the Editorial Board of the Proceedings on Applied Botany, Genetics and Breeding for the journal’s 115th anniversary was to present a complete list of supplements to the journal in order to familiarize the scientific community and other readers with the books published as supplements in 1908–1937. It is seen as a good opportunity to trace how the prioritized research topics in the fields of botany, plant breeding and genetics changed over a century and to encourage readers to get acquainted with the primary sources, browsing through the old pages of VIR’s journal.

The list was compiled by the staff members of VIR’s Library and Publishing Department: Irina V. Kotelkina, Elena A. Sokolova (Dr. of Biol. Sci.), and Anton G. Krylov.