Background. Saposhnikovia (Saposhnikovia Schischk.) is a monotypic genus occurring in the south of Eastern Siberia, the Far East, Mongolia, Manchuria, and Korea. Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz.) Schischk. grows in Baikal Siberia and Transbaikalia, but does not occur in the Cis-Baikal Region. Roots, grass and fruits of S. divaricata are used in Oriental medicine as an anti-inflammatory and antipyretic agent. The species is promising for introduction into domestic medical practice. Currently, its area of distribution is rapidly shrinking due to the uncontrolled collection of roots for medicinal purposes. Plant introduction studies can solve the problem of sustainable utilization and conservation of the species.

Materials and methods. Ontogenetic features of S. divaricata were studied in the experimental field of Irkutsk State Agrarian University for three years. The age composition of the species was analyzed according to T. A. Rabotnov’s methodology, taking into account the publications by L. B. Zaugolnova with coauthors and E. L. Nukhimovsky.

Results and conclusions. S. divaricata is an aboveground two-seeded semi-deciduous plant; its seed germination rate is 87– 90% in the laboratory, and 85–88% in the field. Its plants in the first year of their life pass through the stages of the pregenerative period and proceed into the winter season in a virginal state. About 6% of the plants enter the generative state in the second year of life, and all the rest do it in the third year. The highest root weight was recorded in virginal plants in their second year of life (12.48 g). S. divaricata is a species of mediocre prospects for introduction into the environments of the Cis-Baikal Region.

Carrot is a crop cultivated worldwide. That is why a study of the Daucus carota L. diversity maintained at VIR is of interest, since it helps to assess its potential for breeding practice and genetic research. Presently, carrot is represented in the VIR collection by 3,227 accessions, 236 of which are wild carrots from 33 countries. Morphological characters of 183 wild carrot accessions were studied for seven years (2016–2022), and taxonomic affiliations were ascertained for 106 of them. The material was delivered from Eurasian and African countries.

The VIR herbarium (WIR) contains carrot specimens brought by collecting missions from various countries. In total, the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) launched 66 collecting missions whose objectives included wild carrots as one of the priorities. Those expeditions explored the territories of Russia, Europe, Asia, America, and Africa. The herbarium now contains 323 carrot specimens, with 249 belonging to the wild D. carota species. Intraspecific taxa of D. carota are represented. The herbarium of cultivated carrots consists of 74 specimens.

The studied 106 wild carrot accessions from the VIR collection were identified, herbarized, arranged, incorporated into the WIR database, and placed into the permanent herbarium collection. As a result of this work, the WIR herbarium now contains 351 wild D. carota specimens, while the collection of cultivated carrots has been replenished with 4 accessions requiring verification.

Background. The need to increase the genetic diversity of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is determined by its value and cultivation scope, which is especially important in the context of the changing climate.

Material and methods. The study was carried out in 2021 and 2022 at the experimental site of the Lake Kuchak biostation located in Nizhnetavdinsky District, Tyumen Province (57°20ʼ57.3”N, 66°03ʼ21.8”E). Mutant forms were obtained by treating seeds of accessions ʻZernogradsky 813ʼ, Dz02-129 and C.I. 10995 with solutions of the chemical mutagen phosphemide at concentrations of 0.002% (2·10^–3 М) and 0.01% (1·10^–2 М). The mutants of the fifth (M₅) and sixth (M₆) generations were evaluated for a set of traits valuable for breeding in comparison with the original forms and reference cultivars ʻAchaʼ and ʻAbalakʼ. The main productivity characters were analyzed in the laboratory, and breeding indices were calculated (ear potential index, Canadian index, ear linear density index, Mexican index, plant productivity index, and Finnish-Scandinavian index).

Results and conclusion. Most of the studied mutants under moisture deficit and elevated temperature conditions were superior to the original forms in their productivity characters. Mutant plant samples with stable manifestation of those traits, irrespective of the growing season conditions, were selected. Assessment of the genotype–environment interaction using breeding indices made it possible to identify promising mutants for inclusion in breeding programs. Correlation analysis helped to identify indices closely related to grain yield: Canadian index (r = 0.85), Mexican index (r = 0.76), and plant productivity index (r = 0.70). They can be recommended for selection of stress-resistant barley forms.

Background. The results of a study on the drought resistance of cherry plum hybrid forms are presented. Water retention capacity of leaves and chlorophyll fluorescence were measured under the simulated conditions close to the dry wind season.

Materials and methods. The water regime parameters were studied for five cherry plum genotypes in 2021 and 2022. Leaves of four hybrid forms developed at the Nikita Botanical Gardens and the reference cherry plum hybrid cultivar ‘Rumyanaya Zorka’ (Prunus rossica Erem.) were taken into the experiments. Using the guidelines by G. N. Eremeev and A. I. Lishchuk, a series of experiments on controlled leaf wilt at the air temperature of +27°C and relative humidity of 30% were conducted on cherry plum to assess the functional state of the photosynthetic apparatus during the development of water stress under dry wind conditions. The experiments were carried out in a Binder climate chamber. Chlorophyll fluorescence was measured using a portable Floratest fluorometer. The measurements were based on the parameters of the chlorophyll fluorescence induction curve (CFI) obtained on native leaves. The leaves of cv. ‘Rumyanaya Zorka’ in the state of complete watering served as the reference.

Results and discussion. Dependence was identified between chlorophyll fluorescence and moisture content in the leaves of the studied samples. The hybrids were found to respond to drought in different ways. A relatively increased ability to retain moisture during dehydration was observed in form 12/26 whose leaves gave off moisture more slowly and restored their turgor better. It is promising for cultivation in areas with insufficient water supply. Form 99/36 had the lowest potential drought resistance. Forms 99/14 and 9/28 occupied an intermediate position.

Background. Potato breeding involves planned artificial hybridization between previously selected parental lines. A way to make potato breeding more efficient is to use the diversity of the germplasm and broaden the gene pool of parental lines. Interspecific potato hybrids originated on the elite potato germplasm display a set of valuable traits. The current challenge is to assess the performance of potato hybrids under specific soil and climate conditions to clarify their breeding value.

The objective of the study was to evaluate potato hybrids in the environments of Kamchatka Territory according to a set of traits, identify the best parental lines, develop new hybrid combinations, and select promising breeding material.

Materials and methods. Eleven potato hybrids from VIR were studied over three years (2020–2022) in the fields of Kamchatka Research Institute of Agriculture. The hybrids were benchmarked against two reference potato cultivars, ‘Fresco’ and ‘Vulkan’, belonging to the early and mid-early maturity groups, respectively. Crosses between the hybrids and 28 potato cultivars were carried out in the greenhouse. The new hybrid material was tested in a preliminary trial nursery for yield and earliness.

Results. Hybrid 117-2 was better in yield (899 g/plant) than cvs. ‘Vulkan’ and ‘Fresco’ (700–739 g/plant). Hybrids 94-5, 99-10- 1, 8-1-2004, 8-3-2004, 8-5-2004, 135-3-2005, 135-5-2005, 99-6-6, and 134-2-2006 in most traits matched the potato cultivars, manifesting good berry formation and seed setting when crossed. Out of 140 crosses between 11 hybrids and 28 cultivars, 35 crosses between 10 hybrids and 13 cultivars were successful. Most hybrids were effectively used in crossings as maternal forms.

Conclusion. VIR’s hybrids 94-5, 8-1-2004, and 8-5-2004 proved the most promising as source material for the development of new early potatoes under the conditions of Kamchatka Territory.

Background. Physiological and biochemical research on winter stress resistance of apple-tree cultivars of different ecogeographic origin under global warming is important for identifying the most adaptable genotypes for use in breeding practice. Such resistance is associated with the content of carbohydrates and anthocyanins, and the activity of peroxidase.

Materials and methods. Two winter apple-tree cultivars developed at the North Caucasian Federal Scientific Center of Horticulture, Viticulture, Wine making (NCFSCHVW) and 3 foreign winter cultivars were studied using conventional physiological and biochemical methods.

Results and discussion. The apple-tree cultivars ‘Orfey’ and ‘Prikubanskoye’ bred at the NCFSCHVW, when compared with foreign cvs. ‘Enterprise’, ‘Florina’ and ‘Ligol’, demonstrated higher contents of total water (by 2.5 %), starch (by 9.5 mg/g) and water-soluble sugars (by 19.3 mg/g) in shoots during the winter period. In the process of wintering, the anthocyanin content increased 2.9–4.3 times in the domestic cultivars, and 2.4–2.8 times in foreign ones. No regularities were found between the level of total peroxidase activity and winter hardiness of the studied apple cultivars.

Conclusion. Cvs. ‘Orfey’ and ‘Prikubanskoye’ showed increased adaptability to the winter conditions in the unstable climate of Southern Russia, and can be recommended for cultivation in Krasnodar Territory and use in breeding practice.

Background. The pattern and duration of the grape plant growing season depends both on biological characteristics of plants and the environmental conditions of their habitat. Studying meteorological conditions and their effect on the growing phases of grape cultivars of different origin is important to optimize the deployment of these cultivars.

Materials and methods. Eight introduced and domestic grape cultivars served as the research material. Phenological observations were carried out according to M. A. Lazarevsky, ANOVA was performed according to B. A. Dospekhov, the dependence of the duration of growing phases on weather conditions was assessed using pairwise correlations, and Student’s t-test was applied to determine statistical significance. Meteorological data were taken from the agrometeorological bulletins for Krasnodar Territory. The studies were conducted in the period from 2018 to 2021 under the agroecological conditions of the Black Sea viticulture zone.

Results. Specific features of the temperature regime for grape growing phases in the environments of the Black Sea viticulture zone were ascertained. Indicators of heat supply and duration of the growing season according to Lazarevsky were used to identify the studied cultivars as early (‘Podarok Dmitriya’, ‘Reliance’, ‘Brigantina’ and ‘Anapskiy Ranniy’), medium (‘Concord’ and ‘Venus’), mid-late (‘Prikubanskiy’), and late (‘Kyoho’) genotypes. The sum of active temperatures required for the growing season of early cultivars was 2522–2603°C, for medium ones 2755–2760°C, for mid-late ones 2835°C, and for late ones 2970°C. According to the international classification, ‘Podarok Dmitriya’, ‘Reliance’, ‘Brigantina’ and ‘Anapskiy Ranniy’ are early, ‘Concord’, ‘Venus’ and ‘Prikubanskiy’ are mid-early, and ‘Kyoho’ is medium-ripening. All cultivars had a close direct relationship between the duration of their growing phases and the sum of air temperatures above +10°C.

Background. Yakutia lies within a risky farming region, where both low temperatures and insufficient moisture are the limiting factors. Oat is the main cereal fodder crop in Yakutia. Climate warming observed in recent decades has been affecting oat cultivation in different climatic areas of Yakutia. The objective of the study was to analyze weather and climate factors affecting oat yield in the republic during the past decade.

Materials and methods. The study covered the data of 2014–2021 on the yield of zoned oat cultivars in three Yakutian variety trial sites located in the Central, Transfluvial and Middle Lena agroclimatic zones, and agronomic characteristics of three oat cultivars in the Central zone in 1999–2021. Variance, correlation, and regression analyses were applied.

Results and conclusion. The study showed that in 2014–2021 there was a decrease in oat yields in Yakutia. The correlation analysis showed that this was due to climate changes: active warming, and a tendency towards a decrease in precipitation during the oat growing season. The regression analysis of the oat crop structure in the Central Zone in 1999–2021 confirmed that all yield components depended on the moisture availability, and it was the decrease in precipitation that led to a reduction in such indicators as 1000 grain weight, plant height, panicle length, and yield. A significant dependence on humidification conditions indicates the need to continue breeding work towards the development of drought-resistant oat cultivars adapted to the specific agroclimatic environments of Yakutia.

Background. A calibration model has been developed for rapid assessment of economic value indicators (protein, oil, and quinolizidine alkaloid contents) in the seeds of narrowleaf lupine accessions from VIR using near-infrared spectroscopy, with the help of which it is possible to decide on the further use of the accessions.

Materials and methods. Biochemical quality indicators (protein, oil, and quinolizidine alkaloid content) were studied in the seeds of narrowleaf lupine (Lupinus angustifolius L.) grown in 2019 in the northwest of Russia. Calibration models for measuring protein, oil and alkaloids in lupine seeds (62 accessions) were developed using a MATRIX-I IR analyzer (Bruker Optics, Germany). To construct calibration models, we used the values obtained by chemical analysis methods accepted at VIR. The oil content in lupine seeds was assessed by the defatted dry residue technique in Soxhlet extractors, protein by the Kjeldahl method, and quinolizidine alkaloids by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. All indicators were recalculated on the dry-weight basis.

Results and conclusion. Statistical significance of the developed models was verified according to the results of measuring the content of protein, oil and alkaloids in the seeds of the test batch. The protein and oil content data obtained using a calibration curve did not differ significantly from the results of chemical studies, in contrast to alkaloid indicators. Consequently, the developed calibration model for the MATRIX-I IR analyzer can be used for rapid assessment of protein and oil content in narrowleaf lupine flour samples, thus accelerating the process of obtaining data on the main economic value indicators. The analysis does not require reagents and is safe.

Background. The possibility of applying near-infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy for rapid assessment of various biochemical parameters in barley varieties and forms is discussed. The data obtained by the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department of VIR served to construct calibration models for the content of protein, starch, oil, beta-glucans, and total phenolic compounds (PhC) in grain, facilitating further screening of various barley samples.

Materials and methods. The chemical composition of grain was studied in naked and covered spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) accessions grown in 2022 in the northwest of Russia. Calibration models were developed to measure the content of protein, oil, starch, beta-glucans, and PhC (80 accessions) in barley grain with the Matrix-I IR analyzer (Bruker Optics, Germany). The models were constructed on the basis of the data obtained by conventional techniques of chemical analysis. The protein/ nitrogen content was assessed using the Kjeldahl method, oil according to the method of defatted dry residue modified by S. V. Ruszkovsky, starch by the polarimetric method according to Evers, beta-glucans by gravimetric analysis, and the total PhC content by the Folin–Ciocâlteu method modified by Singleton and Rossi.

Results. Statistical significance of the constructed calibration tests was compared with the results of measuring protein, starch, oil, beta-glucan and PhC levels by chemical methods. It was shown that the data of calibration techniques for protein and starch were significant, while the remaining models required improvement.

Conclusion. The proposed method helps to preserve valuable source material, increases labor efficiency, and does not require chemical reagents. Scanning each sample makes it possible to obtain data for several indicators at once, with a specified replication and standard deviation.

Background. In the context of global climate change, the study and development of genetic material with environmental plasticity and stability in the manifestation of its traits becomes relevant. The scientific and practical results achieved in triticale breeding place this crop among the most popular cereals in terms of economic importance. However, the main problem for the use of triticale in breeding practice is its limited genetic resources.

Materials and methods. The research materials were 161 winter triticale (× Triticosecale Wittm. ex A. Camus) accessions from the global collection of VIR. The study and breeding-oriented assessment of the material were based on conventional breeding techniques and carried out according to the guidelines approved by VIR with minor amendments. The obtained research data underwent statistical analysis using the method by A. V. Kilchevsky and L. V. Khotyleva.

Results. Environmental and genetic parameters were analyzed under the conditions of the Middle Volga Region of Russia. Genotypes were identified for their high general adaptability, i. e., securing the highest average yield in the entire set of environments. Cultivars were also selected for their least variable high yields under the impact of weather conditions. The analysis of the studied set of accessions showed that both high-yielding and low-yielding genotypes were stable. The character’s mean value and its environmental sensitivity were relatively independent and could be incorporated in one genotype in various combinations. This finding can be used in the process of triticale breeding.

Background. Oat is an important food and feed cereal crop in Russia. The area under oats is 10 million ha worldwide, and 3 million ha in Russia. Acid soils with excessive content of exchangeable aluminum occupy almost every third hectare in the ex-USSR territory. Oats are relatively resistant to unfavorable soil factors. Among cereal crops, oat is second only to rye and triticale in terms of resistance to exchangeable Al forms. Despite the crop’s high environmental plasticity, an important condition for obtaining sustainable oat yields is the development of new cultivars with resistance to adverse environmental factors, including metal toxicity and high soil acidity.

The objective of this work was to search for oat cultivars resistant to soil stressors (excess of Н⁺ and Al³⁺) for use in breeding for edaphic resistance.

Materials and methods. The research material included 687 oat accessions from the VIR global plant genetic resources collection. The accessions underwent laboratory evaluation of their aluminum tolerance at the initial growth and development stages using the method of measuring radicle growth after the exposure to aluminum stress. Reproducibility of the used modification of the method was mathematically proved.

Results and discussion. Significant variation in the resistance to the studied stressor was observed among the accessions. The regions acting as sources of valuable aluminum resistance genes were identified for the crop. The accessions selected for their high resistance to exchangeable aluminum can be used in breeding programs to develop high-yielding oat cultivars with edaphic resistance.

Background. Table beet (Beta vulgaris L.) contains a great amount of naturally red-colored betanins. A number of enterprises are forced to import foreign dyes because the reserves of domestic plant raw materials are insufficient. With this in view, the development of cultivars with high betalain pigment content is now required.

Materials and methods. Allelic differences were screened in the key genes of the betalain biosynthesis pathway among table beet accessions with various root color from the VIR collection using the Sanger DNA sequencing method.

Results and discussion. For the first time we identified a nonsense mutation in the CYP76AD1 gene in cv. ‘Serdolik’ with yellow flesh; it led to the truncation of the functional P450 domain. We suggested that the detected polymorphism correlated with phenotypic switching because the well-known role of CYP76AD1 was essential for the red betalain accumulation. Moreover, a number of missense mutations in cv. ‘Avalanche’ in the first exon of the BvDODA1 gene were found. These mutations were probably associated with the expression of the uncolored phenotype. An in silico analysis revealed highly homologous copies of CYP76AD5, located tandemly on chromosome 9. Attention should be paid to these copies, together with the CYP76AD6 gene, as they seem the most preferable targets for a knockout to increase the red pigment content.

Conclusion. It is possible to identify the best table beet accessions for further genome editing among a previously selected high-betanin group. In addition, this study revealed the allelic differences in the key genes of the betalain biosynthesis pathway. These results will be useful for the development of DNA molecular markers to facilitate the selection of table beet forms with required properties.

Background. High-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GSs) make the greatest contribution to the formation of baking properties in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Glutenin polymorphism of bread wheat relatives is significantly richer than in cultivated varieties. The objective of this work was to identify the HMW-GS composition and assess the gluten quality of bread wheat lines with introgressions of alien genetic material.

Materials and methods. We studied the parental varieties of spring bread wheat, accessions of the tetraploid and hexaploid Triticum L. species, and 19 introgressive lines produced with their participation. Glutenins were separated using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and HMW-GSs were identified using the Payne nomenclature system. Gluten quality was determined in accordance with GOST 13586.1-68 (the 2017–2019 and 2021–2022 growing seasons). Data processing was performed using the Statistica 10.0 and MS Excel software packages.

Results and conclusion. HMW-GSs uncharacteristic of T. aestivum cultivars were identified in the studied accessions of T. dicoccoides (Körn. ex Aschers. et Graebn.) Schweinf., T. spelta L., and T. kiharae Dorof. et Migusch. These HMW-GSs are of interest for enriching the wheat gene pool. HMW-GSs of related species were found in 10 out of 19 introgressive lines. A five-year observation period revealed that wheat relatives on average significantly exceeded common wheat cultivars in gluten quality, and introgressive lines did not differ significantly from the parental genotypes. Lines with high rheological properties of gluten had, as a rule, HMW-GSs of related species in their composition.

Background. Millet is one of the main cereal crops with a wide area of cultivation. Over the past decade, there has been a significant increase in the consumption of millet and its processed products. As a result, the breeding of cultivars with high consumer properties is becoming relevant, requiring knowledge of the genetic diversity of germplasm accessions to identify donors of valuable agronomic traits and select parental forms using ISSR markers.

Materials and methods. The analysis with 8 ISSR primers included 21 accessions of Panicum miliaceum L. of various origin from the VIR collection. The DNA of each accession was isolated by the CTAB method, and ISSR analysis was performed in a ­BioRad T100 Thermal Cycler. Statistical processing was made in the DARwin program (version 6.0.21).

Results and conclusion. Eight primers were used to amplify 116 fragments, 62 (53.4%) of which turned out to be polymorphic. To assess the effectiveness of the analyzed primers and identify the polymorphism of millet, basic indicators of their informativeness were calculated and assessed by quantifying four marker parameters. Average PIC (0.27–0.36), EMR (1.38–14.5) and MI (0.12–4.87) values were obtained for most ISSR primers. Four ISSR primers had high Rp values (3.52–6.76) and were the most informative for genotyping. The selected ISSR markers were used to assess the genetic variability of the accessions and identify them. The values of genetic distances (GD) were 0.05–0.21. It was shown that four ISSR markers with the best informativeness values provided sufficient polymorphism to assess the genetic diversity of the analyzed P. miliaceum genotypes and could be recommended for identification of the variability in the genome of millet accessions.

Background. Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary is a well-known serious pathogen that affects a wide range of currently grown potato cultivars. Control of the disease, including the breeding process, is complicated by the fact that leaf resistance to P. infestans is often unrelated to tuber resistance, resulting in the need to identify individual plants with leaf and/or tuber resistance to be used in breeding programs. In view of this, research efforts to identify such sources are quite relevant. The objective was to assess the occurrence of plants with resistance in both organs among different wild species and analyze the relationship between leaf and tuber resistance within them.

Material and methods. Assessment of leaf and tuber resistance in 97 accessions belonging to 36 species was carried out under artificial inoculation. Using the data obtained on each individual plant, the connection between leaf and tuber resistance was analyzed by means of the Wilcoxon matched-pairs test and Spearman’s rank-order correlations.

Results. The species with more frequent occurrence of plants combining leaf and tuber resistance and the species with the predominance of leaf or tuber resistance were identified. The statistical analysis did not show complete (100%) correlations between leaf and tuber resistance in any of studied species. In some cases, a significant positive or negative correlation between these characters was found. The assessment results for the studied species/accessions can facilitate the search for leaf and/or tuber resistance sources capable of improving potato cultivars susceptible to late blight.

Background. The spreading of drought-resistant spring durum wheat cultivars with high grain quality developed by Saratov breeders to the eastern regions of Russia is dictated by climate change: higher air temperatures, precipitation deficit during the growing season, and summer droughts.

Materials and methods. The material for research included seven spring durum wheat cultivars developed at the Federal Center of Agriculture Research (FCAR) of the South-East Region in Saratov: ‘Valentina’, ‘Nik’, ‘Yelizavetinskaya’, ‘Nikolasha’, ‘Luch 25’, ‘Pamyati Vasilchuka’, and ‘Tamara’. The cultivars and their yields in 2012–2022 were evaluated to calculate the coefficients of environmental plasticity and stability according to the methods by S. A. Eberhart and B. A. Russell, as interpreted by V. A. Zykin. Grain quality indicators were measured on the devices: Infratec 1241 for protein, Glutomatic for the index of gluten (IG), and Spekol 10 for the yellowness index (b%).

Results. The adaptability of spring durum wheat cultivars bred in Saratov was confirmed by the coefficients of environmental plasticity and stability. According to the results of the study, cvs. ‘Nik’, ‘Nikolasha’, ‘Luch 25’ and ‘Pamyati Vasilchuka’ with plasticity coefficients (bi) > 1 were highly responsive to the conditions of cultivation and production of high-quality grain.

Conclusion. The data obtained on grain productivity and high quality make it possible to recommend drought-resistant cultivars released by the FCAR of the South-East Region for use in various regions of Russia.

Improving the standards of collecting and maintaining valuable genetic resources accessions and information about them is currently of crucial importance for the successful development of the world viticulture in the light of the challenges caused by the spread of grape diseases and climate change. This review briefly characterizes the global grapevine gene pool, approaches to its conservation, including base and duplicate conservation techniques, and the current status and prospects of the progress in in vitro and cryogenic preservation methods. The genetic potential of grape wild relatives is assessed focusing on particular species as sources of resistance genes to biotic and abiotic stressors. Achievements in the application of gene editing technologies to increase grape resistance to diseases are discussed. It is noted that a common practice at this stage is to knock out the genes responsible for grapevine susceptibility to diseases, whereas a more advantageous approach in the future will be to make targeted changes in the grape genome based on the knowledge of resistance genes in its wild relatives. Therefore, grape wild relatives need to be studied thoroughly using modern methods of forward and reverse genetics. Regarding the issues of grape genetic diversity conservation and expansion at the current technological stage, the status and significance of the plant germplasm and herbarium (WIR) collections held by VIR are scrutinized in detail. Authentication of grape germplasm accessions is marked as important, along with the role of the WIR herbarium, a unique collection incorporating physical carriers of reference genetic information on the national grapevine gene pool. Promising trends in the development of the WIR herbarium are outlined in connection with the establishment and preservation of nomenclature standards for domestic grape cultivars.

The main global trends in the breeding of rice cultivars and hybrids are higher plant productivity, adaptability to cultivation conditions, quality of products, and resistance to environmental stressors, including diseases.

Efforts of leading breeding centers in the Philippines and China to further increase the rice yield are associated with a change in the plant morphotype: shorter plants with erectoid leaves and large panicles with a high number of grains.

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has developed rice cultivars that under favorable conditions in the tropical zone produce a grain yield of up to 10–11 t/ha, with K_econ = 0.5. A heterotic hybrid of rice was obtained in China with a yield of 13.9 t/ha; it has a new plant morphotype (New Plant Type) and a growing season of 163 days. The hybrid is classified as “super rice”.

Modern breeding programs are aimed at producing cultivars of “Green Super Rice” using pedigree methods and backcrossing for introgression of target genes through DNA markers, QTL mapping, pyramiding, and recurrent selection.

Russian breeders have traditionally produced rice cultivars adapted to local conditions, with a growing season of no more than 125 days. In the 1980s, a program was launched to develop a high-yielding rice cultivar with erectoid leaves for condensed planting. As a result of multiple stepwise hybridization and targeted selection, new source material with target traits of “super rice” was released. Cv. ‘Polyus-5’ with a new plant morphotype was obtained on its basis. This cultivar was included in the State Register and from 2023 approved for commercial production. During the field trials, ‘Polyus-5’ yielded a maximum of 1380 g/m² over 120 days of the growing season, under the conditions of condensed sowing and increased mineral nutrition.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most consumed vegetable crops worldwide. Tomato fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals, and pigments, including lycopene. The high demand and the need to enhance tomato production call for new improved cultivars and F₁ hybrids.

Biotechnological methods reduce the time for source material development and the labor intensity of breeding efforts. Obtaining doubled haploid plants makes it possible to fix and analyze new gene combinations faster than with conventional breeding techniques, and produce homozygous genotypes. Tomato is highly unsusceptible to haploid induction, which has been continuously studied for more than 40 years and is still of special interest. The main methods for producing haploids are based on androgenesis and gynogenesis. Androgenesis is the production of haploids from the cells of the male gametophyte, and gynogenesis from the cells of the female gametophyte.

The objective was to review the research on the induction of tomato haploids based on androgenesis and gynogenesis. No standardized, efficient or reproducible protocols are currently available to produce doubled haploids of tomato. It is necessary to determine the incubation conditions, physicochemical environments, dependence of the genotype in vitro, physiological state of the donor plant, and development of the anther, which affect the reproducibility of protocols to achieve haploid induction. Anther culture for obtaining haploid tomato plants has not yielded successful results, and the studies on microspore culture were too few, so it is difficult to understand the effectiveness of this technique. The method of gynogenesis is poorly investigated, but the culture of unfertilized ovules can become a successful way to obtain tomato haploids, with more research on this subject.

The name of Prof. Valentin I. Burenin, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, is widely known both in Russia and abroad. He worked at VIR all his life, giving himself up to science. Valentin Burenin made a significant contribution to the development of Vavilov’s ideas concerning mobilization and utilization of plant resources. His scientific research priorities were the collecting and studying of beet genetic resources, and their utilization in breeding practice.

Catalogues of the VIR Global Collection on potato published in 1963-2018. For the sake of convenience, the material is arranged in chronological order. It is our hope that the list will be found useful by our readers and authors of scientific publications. The list was compiled by the staff of the Library and Publishing Department of VIR.