Background. Currently, the use of an interdisciplinary approach based on a combination of traditional introduction methods and clonal micropropagation techniques makes it possible to solve one of the key problems of introduction – the establishment of bioresource collections consisting of selected plant accessions with valuable agronomic traits and resistance to unfavorable urban environments.
Materials and methods. A plant introduction study resulted in identifying seven specimens of Malus niedzwetzkyana Dieck with resilience to urban environments, high rate of crown development, and longevity. They served as source material for the development of a clonal propagation protocol and in vitro preservation of selected genotypes of this species.
Results. It was shown for M. niedzwetzkyana that the most favorable time for taking its plant material for introduction into in vitro culture is the beginning of the active growth of vegetative shoots after flowering. The most optimal sterilization technique for such plant material was a stepwise regime using alcohol, sodium hypochlorite, and silver nitrate: it provided from 50 to 70% of sterile explants and the maximum percentage of meristem proliferation. Combining 0.8 mg/L of benzylaminopurine (BAP) with 0.14 mg/L of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) at the stage of microclonal propagation ensured a significant increase of the reproduction coefficient (on average up to 5.3 ± 0.7) and an improvement in morphometric parameters of microshoots; the maximum frequency of shoot proliferation was 100%. The yield of shoots adapted to ex vitro conditions was 90%.
Conclusion. The developed clonal micropropagation protocol made it possible to introduce selected M. niedzwetzkyana forms into in vitro culture and reproduce them in order to set up a resource base for further fundamental and applied research into the system of the genus Malus Mill.

Background. Human health security is an important goal of contemporary society. The combination of beneficial properties in Juglans nuts makes them one of the most valuable plant genetic resources, capable of ensuring a wholesome supply of nutrients required by the human organism. The Persian walnut (Juglans regia L.) has the largest set of useful agronomic traits among the representatives of the genus, except for winter hardiness. Its cultivation in areas farther to the north from the conventional area of distribution for commercial walnut orchards would be possible if Juglans spp. with higher resistance to unfavorable climate conditions could be involved. Interspecies hybridization can be used to increase winter hardiness in walnut. The objective of this study was to analyze the gene pool of Juglans L. and screen its bioresource collection at the arboretum of the Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding (VNIISPK) in the context of useful agronomic indicators promising for plant breeding and landscaping.
Materials and methods. The study was carried out in the VNIISPK arboretum (Orel Province, 53°00’N, 36°00’E) where 7 Juglans spp. are maintained.
Results and conclusion. The results of the screening highlighted J. mandshurica Maxim., J. cordiformis Maxim., and Vekhov’s hybrid (J. cinerea L. × J. mandshurica Maxim.) as the most resistant to adverse environmental effects. They are recommended for use in plant breeding and landscaping programs under the conditions of Central Russia. A seedling of cv. ‘Astakhovsky’ demonstrated the best agronomic indicators among the Persian walnut (J. regia) genotypes. It can be used by breeders to develop new cultivars with useful agronomic traits for the environmental conditions of the region of study.

Background. The species Triticum petropavlovskyi Udacz. et Migusch. has a number of positive traits, but has rarely been used in breeding programs to improve bread wheat cultivars. The introgression of genetic material from this species into the Triticum aestivum L. gene pool will not only expand the genetic diversity of bread wheat with a set of traits valuable for breeders, but also help to analyze the expression of genes from T. petropavlovskyi in a new genetic environment.
Materials and methods. Spring bread wheat lines L163 and L164 produced with the participation of bread wheat cv. ‘Voevoda’ and an accession of T. petropavlovskyi were target materials of the study. Conventional methods were applied to perform phenological, phytopathological, genetic, and bread quality evaluations. Statistical processing of the resulting data was carried out using the Agros-2.10 software.
Results. L163 and L164 were studied for their morphological and phenological indicators, resistance to pathogens, productivity, and grain quality. Differences in a number of traits between the lines and the recipient cultivar were observed. The introgression of the T. petropavlovskyi genetic material into bread wheat showed both positive and negative effects on some agronomic characteristics. L163 was identified for its resistance to the pathogens of leaf rust and powdery mildew, and tolerance to cereal aphids. It combined high productivity with an increased grain protein content compared to the recipient cultivar. In addition, this line demonstrated good rheological properties of its dough.
Conclusion. Merging genetic materials from T. petropavlovskyi and bread wheat cv. ‘Voevoda’ made it possible to produce lines with a set of positive characteristics. The selected line, L163, combined effective resistance to a number of diseases, high grain productivity, and good breadmaking qualities, so it was included in the breeding process.

Background. Soybean is the main supplier of complete vegetable protein and oil. Prior to the emergence of new early-ripening cultivars, this crop was not cultivated in Irkutsk Province. Its introduction into the area requires a detailed study of agricultural practices, primarily the choice of optimal sowing dates.
Materials and methods. Soybean cv. ‘Barguzin’, late-ripening under the conditions of Irkutsk Province, and early-ripening accession 15 served as the research objects. Field studies were carried out in 2019–2021. There were four sowing dates, from the first ten-day period of May through the first ten-day period of June.
Results and conclusion. Cv. ‘Barguzin’ appeared highly productive under the climate of Irkutsk Province (its average seed yield in 2019–2021 was 2.7 t/ha), but its productivity was significantly influenced by weather conditions and sowing dates (seed yields varied from 1.4 to 3.6 t/ha). The optimal sowing times for this cultivar are the first and second ten-day periods of May. Early-ripening accession 15 was characterized by more stable yield values in the studied years (average productivity was 2.4 t/ha, minimum 1.9 t/ha, and maximum 3.2 t/ha). The preferred sowing times for this accession are the second and third ten-day periods of May. The case study of two soybean genotypes differing in maturation schedules revealed the need for individual selection of sowing dates. It was shown that the early-ripening soybean genotype imposed less stringent requirements on the choice of sowing dates.

Background. The problem of obtaining certified planting material with biotechnological methods is important for expanding commercial and homestead plantations of hazelnut cultivars in Belarus.
Materials and methods. Regenerated plants of cv. ‘Akademyk Yablokov’, representing the genus Corylus L., were a model object for studying in vitro morphogenesis and effectiveness of antibiotics against bacterial contamination, so that a protocol could be developed to obtain healthy planting material of hazelnut cultivars. The plants produced during this study were included in the duplicate ex situ collection of nut crops preserved in vitro in the active growth state.
Results. Single exposure to the antibiotic kanamycin monosulfate at a concentration of 100 mg/L during antibiotic therapy in the stage of in vitro micropropagation eliminated bacterial infection in 83.3% of regenerated plants, and twofold exposure in 100%. Further cultivation revealed its phytotoxic aftereffect manifested in the form of necrosis on most of the regenerated plants and a decrease in the activity of gemmogenesis and growth. Neither single nor twofold exposure to cefotaxime sodium salt at a concentration of 90 mg/L caused elimination of bacterial infection, but gemmogenesis and regenerated plant growth retained their activity during subsequent cultivation on antibiotic-free media. The best development parameters were observed on a modified Murashige–Skoog medium with 6 mg/L 6-BA, 0.01 mg/L IBA, and 0.1 mg/L GA₃ (average number of shoots: 2.2; number of microcuttings: 2.3), and a modified DKW medium with 6 mg/L 6-BA, 0.01 mg/L IBA, and 0.1 mg/L GA₃ (average number of shoots: 2.05; microcuttings: 2.9). The use of zeatin as a cytokinin to stimulate adventitious morphogenesis or activate the growth of axillary meristems at a concentration of 5 or 6 mg/L was not as effective as 6-BA.

Background. Calibration models were developed for rapid assessment of crucial agronomic indicators in the grain of winter and spring triticale from the VIR collection using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). These calibration models will enable users to find the most optimal utilization trends for individual triticale accessions.
Materials and methods. Indicators of agronomic value (coloration, moisture, and the content of ash, protein, starch, amylose and fiber) were studied on a set of 32 grain samples collected from winter and spring triticale forms (Triticosecale Wittm. & A. Camus) reproduced in 2021–2022 at the Dagestan Experiment Station, a branch of the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR). Calibration models for the assessment of the said agronomic characters in triticale grain were developed on the platform of the MATRIX-I IR analyzer (Bruker Optics, Germany) and based on the values obtained by classical methods of biochemical analysis adopted at VIR.
Results. Reliability of the calibration models was tested on a randomized batch of triticale grain samples: the results of the new calibrations were compared with those of the conventional biochemical analysis. This verification showed that the data obtained through the use of calibration curves were reliable for protein and ash content, while other models required further improvement.
Conclusion. Calibration models for measuring protein and ash content developed on the basis of the MATRIX-I IR analyzer can be used to perform rapid assessment of the winter and spring triticale grain. This method makes it possible to accelerate the process of obtaining crop characteristics for a number of basic agronomic characters and preserve valuable breeding material.

Background. The study is of particular importance in view of the increasing pace of global climate aridization. The article highlights the results of an experiment on the effect of drought on the physiological status of seedlings of cv. ‘Poseidon 625’ representing an important food crop – sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.).
Materials and methods. The experiment included a group of control samples grown with sufficient moisture and four impact groups subjected to osmotic stress. The intensity of accumulation of lipid peroxidation products (LPP) was measured by the reaction of malondialdehyde (MDA) with thiobarbeturic acid; catalase activity was assessed by a photocolorimetric method based on the interaction between hydrogen peroxide and potassium iodide; the content of pigments (Chl a, Chl b, Сar) was calculated spectrophotometrically in acetone extract.
Results. The degree of POL accumulation in the impact groups of the experiment was found to be many times higher than the values in the control samples, which was confirmed by a rapid increase in the MDA concentration in response to a growing water shortage. The accumulation of oxygen free radicals triggered the mechanisms of antioxidant protection of seedlings by synthesizing catalase, the concentration of which increased proportionally to the accumulation of POL. At the same time, the rapid accumulation of POL in the absence of irrigation and under osmotic stress of 3 and 5 atm led to a suppression of low-molecular-weight components of protection (carotenoids) and activation of their synthesis only when critical values of osmotic stress were reached.
Conclusion. As a result of the experiment, catalase was identified as the main component of antioxidant protection in sunflower seedlings. Due to the activation of its synthesis, the concentrations of Chl a and Chl b decreased, attesting to the activation of the mechanisms protecting the photosynthetic activity in seedlings, and their antioxidant status.

Background. Studying the genetic diversity of ex situ barley accessions under contrasting environmental conditions (humid with a lack of heat, favorable, arid, etc.) makes it possible to assess them according to the duration of the growing season, resistance to lodging, potential productivity, drought resistance, grain quality, and environmental plasticity.
Materials and methods. The results of an 8-year trial (2016–2023) of 11 spring barley accessions of Belarusian origin in the northern forest-steppe zone of Tyumen Province are presented. The experiments followed the protocols adopted for the state variety trials. An SKS-6-10 seeder was used for sowing, the plot area was 5 m² , and cv. ʻAbalakʼ served as the reference. The seeding rate was 550 viable seeds per 1 m² .
Results. A majority of the studied accessions matured later than the medium-ripening reference cultivar. Weather conditions during the growing season in the Northern Trans-Urals had a decisive effect on the harvest formation, protein content and starch content in barley grain (74.6%, 70.8% and 81.8%, respectively). The effect of the genotype on these indicators was 7.9%, 17.5% and 6.2%, respectively. Starch content also depended on the genotype × environment interaction (9.7%). Fat content was almost equally affected by the genotype (25.1%) and the environment (26.7%). The genotype × environment interaction was more significant (31.2%).
Conclusion. The following sources were identified among the tested cultivars: ‘Vodar’ (high yield, drought tolerance, etc.); ‘Magutny’ (high yield, and environmental plasticity); ‘Khago’ (large grain, low hull content, and increased protein and starch content levels); ‘Lipen’ (high test weight, increased starch content, and environmental plasticity); ‘Fobos’ (drought tolerance, and increased protein content); ‘Dublet’ (lodging resistance, and increased protein content); ‘Taler’ (reduced protein content, and environmental plasticity); ‘Pospekh’ (reduced protein content).

Background. Peanut is one of the most important oil crops for food purposes. Natural peanut butter contains two unsaturated fatty acids, oleic and linoleic, which make up to 80% of the total fatty acid content in peanut oil. The quality of oil depends on the ratio between these two acids. Analyzing the diversity of oil content and fatty acid composition in peanut accessions preserved at VIR and assessing the effect of soil, climate, and other factors on these characters is vital for the development of new peanut cultivars rich in oil.
Materials and methods. Peanut germplasm accessions were studied for their biochemical composition of fatty acids and the content of oil and protein. The accessions were reproduced for three years (2019–2021) at two ecogeographic locations: in Krasnodar Territory, and Astrakhan Province. Cv. ‘Otradokubansky’ was used as a reference. ANOVA was applied for statistical data processing.
Results and discussion. The percentage composition of 18 fatty acids was calculated in peanut oil, with oleic and linoleic acids dominating. The content of oleic acid depended on the genotype for 42–53%, and that of linoleic acid, for 50–71%. The latter was also influenced by the place and year of cultivation. The ranges of variation over the three years of studies in Krasnodar Territory were 35.4–57.6% for oleic acid, and 18.3–38.1% for linoleic acid, whereas in Astrakhan Province they were 33.4–51.2%, and 30.9–42.7%, respectively. Under unfavorable conditions, the content of oleic acid in peanut prevailed. The oil content depended on the genotype for 81%, and its percentage was 32.0–44.4%.

Background. Studying genetic diversity and identifying sources of valuable agronomic traits for specific environmental conditions is of great importance for plant breeders when they select source material for crop improvement.
Materials and methods. Three hundred and seven oat accessions of various ecogeographic origin were tested under the conditions of the Kuban Experiment Station, a branch of the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR), in 2014–2019. Cv. ‘Valdin 765’ served as the reference. Weather conditions across the years of the study were contrasting in terms of the hydrothermal regime.
Results. The inter-cultivar and year-to-year variability of the oat collection was analyzed in Krasnodar Territory and accessions promising for breeding were identified for a set of useful agronomic traits. The most significant differences among the studied oat accessions were recorded for the time of ripening and panicle characteristics. High yield of an accession under the conditions of Krasnodar Territory was associated with its high 1000 grain weight, which positively correlated with the duration of the period from panicle emergence to ripening and negatively with the length of the panicle, number of grains per panicle, plant height, and duration of the periods from germination to panicle emergence and from germination to ripening.
Conclusion. The study of useful agronomic traits resulted in identifying oat accessions with the yield exceeding the reference (cv. ‘Valdin 765’) by 114–135%, that ripened 6–8 days earlier than the reference, were resistant to lodging, had short stems, manifested combined resistance (9 points) to crown and stem rust, low filminess (< 25%), good leafiness, high oil content (> 6%), increased protein content (> 14%), and high levels of yield structure components.

Background. Introduction of new foreign cultivars makes it possible to expand the limits of the genetic potential of the VIR collection. A comprehensive study of such germplasm accessions is important for identifying sources of traits useful for breeding and the best cultivars for practical utilization.
Materials and methods. Eight black currant cultivars released in Estonia were studied from 2015 through 2023 at Pushkin and Pavlovsk Laboratories of VIR. Conventional methods were used to test their adaptability and assess their main productivity indicators and berry quality. The resulting data were statistically processed in Microsoft Excel according to the guidelines by B. A. Dospekhov.
Results and conclusion. The studied cultivars appeared well adapted to the environments of Northwest Russia. The heat supply in Leningrad Province is optimal for their cultivation. Good adaptability, synchronized fruit ripening, stable yields, and fine taste of berries were demonstrated by cvs. ‘Almo’ (k-44169), ‘Albos’ (k-44167), ‘Elo’ (k-44171), ‘Karri’ (k-44172), ‘Mulgi Must’ (k-38061), ‘Musti’ (k-44173), and ‘Varmas’ (k-44174). They are recommended for amateur gardens in Northwest Russia. Cv. ‘Karri’ (k-44172) is a promising source of such traits as good self-fertility, large fruit size, stable yield, well-balanced taste, high anthocyanin content in berries, and resistance to American powdery mildew and gall mite. Cv. ‘Varmas’ is a source of earliness, high self-fertility, and dessert taste of berries.

Background. Sunflower seed production is based on utilization of the heterosis effect, manifesting itself in improving both yield and plant height in hybrids. Short-stemmed lines need to be used to develop commercial hybrids with an optimum height. Molecular bases of the trait manifestation in the dwarf lines from VIR’s sunflower genetic collection have not yet been studied.
Materials and methods. The material included 27 short-stemmed and 10 tall sunflower lines from VIR’s genetic collection, as well as the F₁ and F₂ hybrid generations derived from crossing the tall (VIR 340) and dwarf (VIR 171) genotypes. The parental lines and hybrids were phenotyped for plant height, leaf number, and internode length. Genotyping for the Rht1 locus (HaDella1 candidate gene), encoding the negative regulator of the gibberellin response, the DELLA protein, was performed using the developed CAPS marker.
Results. The average plant height in the VIR 340 line over a three-year study was 162 cm, the number of leaves 29, and the internode length 6 cm. The VIR 171 line demonstrated the plant height of 66 cm, leaf number of 24, and internode length of 2.8 cm. The F₁ hybrids were uniform, with the height of 180–190 cm, that indicated the dominance of the long stem trait. Analyzing the segregation in the F₂ hybrid generation led to an assumption admitting the digenic control of the dwarf phenotype in the VIR 171 line. The CAPS marker G-D-1/ Bmt I was developed to identify a missense mutation T>C in the first exon of the HaDella1 gene, which results in the substitution of leucine with proline in the DELLA motif. Using the marker, the mutant Rht1 allele was identified in the VIR 171 and VIR 434 dwarf lines, similar in their origin and phenotype. The results of validation in the F₂ hybrid population (VIR 340 × VIR 171) confirmed the efficiency of the G-D-1 / Bmt I marker for selecting dwarf genotypes homozygous for the Rht1 mutant allele.

Background. Intrapopulation polymorphism usually can be interpreted as a result of balancing selection, but the basic mechanisms of such selection are not always clear. Earlier we documented a wide variation in the inflorescence size within one of the most genetically uniform common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) cultivar ‘Skorospelaya 86’, with larger sizes controlled by recessive alleles of multiple genes. The objective of the present work was to analyze the variation within a set of buckwheat cultivars representing different morphological types of the crop, and try to make out possible mechanisms that underlie it.
Material and methods. A set of buckwheat cultivars of various origin and belonging to different morphological types were analyzed. The size of inflorescences was assessed as a number of their iterative subunits, i.e., partial floret clusters (PFCs). The number of mature seeds in the entire inflorescence and various PFCs was also counted.
Results and conclusions. All the cultivars were variable, with the range at the species level from 6 to 24 PFCs. Accumulation of the genes determining a larger inflorescence seems to be simply explained: larger inflorescences tended to produce more seeds than smaller ones. However, it is not so easy to explain the maintenance of the inflorescence size variability, i.e., why the alleles determining small inflorescences were not lost during the artificial selection for higher seed productivity. Probably, such polymorphism may be useful for maintaining heterosis at the population level.

Background. An ascertained possibility of culling segregating populations on the basis on their yield or grain weight per spike as a character closely correlated with yield can increase the efficiency of breeding practice with spring bread wheat.
Materials and methods. Sixteen F₂ –F₄ segregating populations of spring bread wheat were assessed for their grain weight per spike, average grain weight per spike among the top 10%, coefficient of variation for grain weight per spike, and yield. The pedigree method was applied to select 2 to 3 F₇ lines from each population. The obtained lines were tested for their yield in F₈ and F₉ . The data of grain weight per main spike in the parents that had been crossed to produce the studied segregating populations were retrospectively taken into account while the results were processed.
Results Segregating populations persistently differed in their average grain weight per spike and the coefficient of its variation in different years of research. None of the 36 late-generation lines significantly surpassed the reference cultivar in yield. All the considered indicators of segregating populations had no significant correlations with the yield of late-generation lines. Average values of grain weight per main spike in the parent genotypes and the best parent as well as the differences between the parents in the average grain weight per main spike tended to have a negative correlation with the yield of late-generation lines (r up to –0.58).
Conclusion. The culling of segregating populations based solely on the yield or grain weight per spike is associated with a risk of losing high-yielding genotypes. Late-generation lines with high yields occur in combinations where the grain weight per main spike in one parent or on average among the parents is not expressed to its highest level or when both parents differ only slightly from each other in the expression of this character.

Background. Increasing the production of native and modified starch from maize requires raw materials with high starch content in grain.
Materials and methods. An experimental panel of 780 simple high-starch maize hybrids produced with CMS-S and CMS-C lines underwent two-year testing. Starch content in the grain of the lines and their hybrids was assessed with IR spectrometry. Native starch content in the grain of hybrids with highest yields was measured at the All-Russian Research Institute of Starch and Starch-Containing Raw Materials Processing using the method proposed by L. P. Nosovskaya with coauthors. Responses to CMS were scored according to G. S. Galeev’s scale.
Results. Grain starch content was found to vary from 58% to 72% DMB throughout the tested panel. IR spectrometry helped to identify 22 hybrids with high (72.03–72.67%) starch content, and 5 hybrids promising for deep grain processing, combining high protein (10.3–13.53%) and oil (3.77–5.03%) levels with high starch content (69.02–70.4%) in their grain. Native starch extraction using L. P. Nosovskaya’s method showed that grain starch content in the best 68 hybrids ranged from 70.03 to 71.95% DMB. The collection was ranked according to the main heterotic groups: 57 lines of Iowa Dent, 26 lines of Stiff Stalk Synthetic, and 28 lines of Lancaster. For CMS-S and CMS-C types, 33 and 6 maintainers, and 9 and 8 restorers were selected, respectively. The hybrids were distributed across the following FAO maturity groups for maize: FAO 200–299 (14 hybrids), FAO 300–399 (7), FAO 400–449 (21), and FAO 450–500 (29).
Conclusion. Assessing agronomic and breeding prospects of the best 68 hybrids between high-starch maize lines and sterile testers proved their potential for producing native starch to at least 70–72% DMB. Five hybrids were identified as promising for yielding native starch (69.02–70.4% DMB), as well as protein (10.3–13.5% DMB) and oil (3.77–5.03% DMB) by-products during deep grain processing.

Background. Developing new effective plant protection methods against viruses is a vital task for seed potato production. The use of virus inhibitors (mainly synthetic ones) is the most common method in potato virus control. Products of natural origin might be a way to reduce the dependence on synthetic inhibitors. Among the former, extracts from seaweeds have high potential, producing a low or no negative impact on the environment or human health.
Materials and methods. The materials of the research included potato cvs. ‘Poseidon’ and ‘Orion’ developed at the Federal Scientific Center of Agricultural Biotechnology of the Far East named after A.K. Chaika, the commercial antiviral product Ribavirin, and the sulfated polysaccharide – carrageenan – obtained from red algae at the G.B. Elyakov Pacific Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry. A highly sensitive PCR method was employed to detect viral infections in plant samples.
Results. The efficacy of chemotherapy with Ribavirin (0.03%) was established at 79.8% against PVY, 77.0% against PLRV, 80.3% against PVM, and 84.5% against PVS. The most successfully eliminated viruses were PVY, PVM, and PVS. Carrageenan as an antiviral substance eliminated potato viruses at the following rates: PLRV in 74.7% of the explants, PVM in 70.2%, PVS in 69.2%, and PVY in 16.9%.
Conclusion. Analyzing the antiviral activity of natural and synthetic virus inhibitors in the case study of carrageenan and Ribavirin demonstrated their high efficacy against potato viruses. Natural polysaccharides – carrageenans – were observed to have a significant antiviral effect, so their use in agricultural biotechnology might be promising for new experiments. Our approach successfully eliminated viruses in two new promising potato cultivars, ‘Poseidon’ and ‘Orion’, which were included in the system of virus-free seed production. These cultivars were submitted for patenting and official testing under the State Variety Trials.

Background. High content of organic compounds that worsen nucleic acid purification in aromatic plants, as well as the use of such toxic substances as phenol and mercaptoethanol in many protocols for plant DNA isolation, make it advisable to take the above disadvantages into account when optimizing the DNA extraction technique for the work with essential oil rose plants.
Material and methods. Rose accessions from the Crimean Federal University’s Botanical Garden, and those from the collection held by the Research Institute of Agriculture of Crimea were included in the study. DNA extraction was done according to a modified CTAB protocol. Effectiveness of the technique was assessed using spectrophotometry, horizontal electrophoresis, and ISSR-PCR.
Results. DNA preparations extracted with the modified technique were well visualized on the electropherogram and demonstrated high spectrophotometric values. DNA content was twice as high in preparations isolated with an extraction buffer with PVP, compared to a PVP-free buffer. The concentration was also higher in DNA extracts from stems than that from leaves. Purity parameters expressed by the absorption ratios at wavelengths A_260/280 and A_260/230 were again higher for DNA extracts from stems isolated with an enriched buffer, the A_260/230 ratio falling within the normal range only in DNA extracted from stems in the presence of PVP. Besides, DNA extracts were effectively purified from proteins without phenol or mercaptoethanol, due to double rinsing with a chloroform/isoamyl alcohol (24 : 1) mixture.
Conclusion. Using rose stem tissues as the research material, adding 2% PVP to the extraction buffer, and twofold rinsing with a chloroform/isoamyl alcohol mixture made it possible to obtain DNA extracts with high concentrations and purity indices within normal ranges suitable for the ISSR analysis of essential oil rose genetic diversity.

Background. The data are presented on the architectonics of ancient barley spikes from the 12th century, excavated in 2019 at Usvyaty Settlement. Modern molecular genetics approaches were used to study domestication genes (Btr1, Btr2, and Vrs) in ancient and contemporary barleys (germplasm accessions preserved at VIR).
Materials and methods. The carbonized kernels found by archaeologists during the excavations at Usvyaty were analyzed. Primers for domestication genes were designed, and PCR was performed on contemporary and ancient barley grains. Ancient kernels were studied in accordance with the rules established for organizing a paleogenetics laboratory, which excluded any contamination with contemporary DNA. Fragments of domestication genes from contemporary and ancient barley grain samples underwent Sanger sequencing.
Results. Ancient DNA was isolated and enriched. The analysis of domestication gene sequences made it possible to reconstruct the ancient barley spike’s features.
Conclusion. The ancient cereal crop architectonics was restored to ascertain a brittle two-row spike of ancient barley

Background. The ever increasing anthropogenic impact on natural populations of rare and, especially, endangered plant species has recently become even more forceful. Therefore, the finding of a small black currant population representing sect. Eucoreosma (Spach) Jancz. within a natural environment in the south of Primorsky Territory appears highly important. Previously, none of the black currant species was recorded as occurring in this area.
Materials and methods. Plants from the new locality were compared with accessions of Ribes nigrum L., R. ussuriense Jancz., R. pauciflorum Turcz. ex Pojark., and R. fontaneum Boczkarn. using morphological and molecular genetics techniques.
Results and conclusion. A molecular genetics analysis of two chloroplast DNA fragments excluded any association of the discovered plants with R. nigrum or R. fontaneum. Meanwhile, no differences in chloroplast DNA fragments were found between these plants and R. ussuriense and R. pauciflorum accessions. A number of morphological features attested to a possibility to attribute the finding to the rare species R. ussuriense: its isolated localities had previously been reported in southern Primorsky Territory. The differences in chloroplast DNA fragments between the Siberian/Far Eastern species R. pauciflorum and the European/Siberian species R. nigrum make doubtful their possible fusion, based only on morphological characters, and require further studies.

Background. By now, Helianthus L. spp. have spread out to many parts of the world as cultivated or adventive plants. Herbarium collections, published sources, and our own data were used to study the emergence, distribution, environmental patterns, and adaptation of 6 species and 1 subspecies of Helianthus L. in the Russian Far East and in East Asia.
Materials and methods. Field studies in the Russian Far East were carried out using the route-based method from 2001 through 2022 over Amur Province, and Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories. The data for the entire area of studies were retrieved from published sources and official web databases. Maps with Helianthus growing sites were made using the MapInfo software.
Results and conclusions. Changes in environmental conditions contributed to the expansion of the range of H. annuus L. and H. tuberosus L. Actively cultivated in the Russian Far East and in East Asia, these two species are obviously quite localized to areas with a mild, warm and humid climate. Other Helianthus spp. are distributed to a much lesser extent, being in most cases poorly adapted to uncultivated growth in the Russian Far East or East Asia. Increased occurrence of H. annuus subsp. lenticularis (Douglas ex Lindl.) Cockerell in agrocenoses of Amur Province is probably associated with underpurified soybean material. Higher distribution of H. strumosus L. across ruderal communities in Japan, contrary to the other studied areas, is likely to have been induced by specific climate conditions. On the whole, the physical geography, the pace and degree of anthropogenic pressure, and the climate change impacts in East Asia and the Russian Far East favored successful naturalization, albeit uneven distribution, of H. annuus and H. tuberosus in various disturbed communities, in contrast to H. rigidus (Cass.) Desf., H. laetiflorus Pers., or H. petiolaris Nutt.

Background. The spot blotch disease caused by the hemibiotrophic fungus Bipolaris sorokiniana has become a serious problem for barley. Utilization of resistant or tolerant barley cultivars ensures sustainable diversity conservation and environmentfriendly crop production. Thus, supplying barley breeders with sources of resistance to harmful diseases is an urgent task.
Materials and methods. A set of 100 barley accessions, earlier selected for different levels of resistance to B. sorokiniana, served as the material for this study. Eleven isolates of B. sorokiniana of various geographic origin, belonging to 4 pathotypes, were used for testing. The resistance of barley seedlings was assessed under controlled laboratory conditions, and that of adult plants under artificial infection pressure in the field. Responses to B. sorokiniana were scored using the 0–9 rating scale.
Results and conclusions. Barley genotypes with race-specific resistance to the spot blotch causative agent were identified. The percentage of barley genotypes resistant to five isolates of B. sorokiniana pathotype 1 averaged 24.2%; two isolates of pathotype 3, 29.5%; three isolates of pathotype 7, 18.3%; and one isolate of pathotype 0, 37%. Barley accessions manifesting resistance in their seedlings, but susceptible in the phase of milk-wax ripeness, and vice versa, with seedling susceptibility and adult resistance, were identified. Six (6) barley genotypes showed seedling and adult resistance to pathotype 1, nine (9) to pathotype 3, and two (2) to pathotype 7. No barley accessions resistant to all isolates of the pathogen were found.

Lactuca sativa L. is a leafy vegetable crop of the Asteraceae family, widely cultivated throughout the world. The main breeding trends for lettuce include higher yields, better taste quality, earliness, and resistance to abiotic and biotic stressors. Some wild Lactuca spp. have actively been employed by lettuce breeders as donors of resistance to various diseases. Conventional and biotechnological breeding methods are both currently used to develop new lettuce cultivars. This is an overview of the main advances in the production of interspecific Lactuca hybrids, including the use of cell and tissue culture techniques, and genetic engineering. Studying artificial hybridization and natural populations makes it possible to identify evolutionary relationships among various Lactuca spp. Somatic hybridization is an overlooked but promising technology in Lactuca breeding: it allows a breeder to obtain a wider range of variations, and is beyond the strict control by GMO laws. This technique faces problems associated with complicated protoplast regeneration and the loss of reproductive ability in hybrids. Genome-editing methods are more effective and better controllable, but society is still wary of any interference with the plant genome and legally regulates the sale of GM products as food. Thus, researchers are challenged with the task to improve these techniques.

The Catalogue of the VIR Global Collection series is addressed to plant breeders and crop experts solving practical problems in plan breeding and seed production, plant scientists conducting fundamental and applied research, teachers and learners. The publications within this series help to disclose the potential of the VIR global collection of plant genetic resources and the VIR herbarium (WIR) as an important part of Russian bioresource collections (BRC).
The editors of the journal Proceedings on Applied Botany, Genetics and Breeding decided to publish the Selective list of the Catalogues of the VIR Global Collection on vegetables and cucurbits published in 1962–2023 to throw light on VIR’s publishing activities, attract more attention to the Catalogue of the VIR Global Collection series, and specify the numbers and titles of the series’ issues for authors of scientific manuscripts. For the users’ convenience, the sources are arranged chronologically, following the order of issue numbers. The editors hope that this list will prove useful to our readers and authors.