Presented here are the results of collecting missions launched by the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) to explore the plant diversity in the south of Primorsky Territory and the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, China. These areas belong to the Khasan-Korean botanical-geographical subregion, notable for its rich natural flora and a large number of endemics and rare species. Many species growing here are used as ornamental, food and medicinal plants. Among crop wild relatives (CWR), 63 species were found in Russia only in the south of Primorsky Territory. In total, 58 VIR’s collecting missions worked in this area in the period from 1926 to 2023, and 17 of them explored the southernmost Khasansky District that shares a border with both China and North Korea. These missions enriched the VIR collection with ca. 1,432 accessions of 154 wild plant species belonging to the Fabaceae, Rosaceae, Poaceae, Alliaceae, Ericaceae, Linaceae, Viburnaceae, Grossulariaceae, Polygonaceae and Cucurbitaceae families. The largest numbers were collected in the areas with the greatest CWR diversity: Vladivostoksky Urban (~464 accessions), Khasansky (~333) and Lazovsky (~308) Districts. Among the collected samples, fruit plants (934 accessions), legumes (258) and forages (101) prevailed. CWR explorations in the south of Primorsky Territory discovered plant forms resistant to diseases, pests, and unfavorable environmental factors, with high values of various agronomic characters. Many of them served as sources for the development of new cultivars successfully grown in the Far East and other regions of Russia.

The territory of Yakutia covers a significant area in the northeast of the Asian part of Russia, with 40% of the area located beyond the Arctic Circle. A large amplitude and heterogeneity characterize the republic’s nature and climate. There are plenty of opportunities to find source material with traits required for breeding among local crop wild relatives (CWR).
Taxonomic, floristic and ecogeographic analyses of the CWR species composition in Yakutia were conducted to systematize the available information accumulated from the published data and the results of our own field surveys (expeditions of 2011, 2020, 2022, and 2023). The list of CWR occurring in Yakutia came to include 287 species (about 15% of the total number of plant species in the studied region). Families and genera with the highest diversity of species were identified. The highest concentration of CWR was found in the vegetation of the valley complex. Plant communities on open slopes were slightly less numerous, CWR of secondary ruderal and segetal biotopes were moderately diverse, a smaller proportion of species characterized the forests on watersheds, and the lowest occurrence was observed in swamps. Eighty-five percent of the CWR species belonged to the native component of the surveyed flora, and the remaining 15% to the adventitious one. We recommend monitoring the status of rare CWR species populations. A list of 33 CWR species recommended for conservation was compiled. The best conservation technique is within natural plant communities, especially in the protected areas of the Natural Reserves. It is necessary to continue studying the CWR diversity and obtaining data on the distribution of CWR species and the state of their populations both across the entire region and in individual areas of Yakutia.

Background. Development of high-yielding cultivars with high quality of their products is one of the main tasks of plant breeders. Today, the most valuable cultivars are those with high adaptability to stressful conditions of cultivation. Therefore, it is important to study and introduce into production such promising cultivars that are able to implement their production potential to its fullest extent under changing environmental conditions.
Materials and methods. Twelve cultivars and promising lines of spring covered oats (Avena sativa L.) from the competitive variety testing nursery were used as the material for the study. The parameters of plasticity (bi and KM) and stability (Si2), index of environmental conditions (Ij), homeostasis (Hom), breeding value (Sc), coefficient of variation (CV), stability factor (SF), adaptability factor (IA), and environmental plasticity index (IEP) were assessed according to the characters “green biomass yield” and “crude protein content” in covered oats.
Results. Lines 91h18, 41h18, 23h20 and 40h20 formed the highest green biomass yield. High crude protein content was observed in lines 91h18, 23h20, 40h20 and 39h20. Lines 41h18, 40h20, 41h20, 42h20, and cv. ‘Kirovsky 2’ had the highest breeding value according to the green biomass yield, while cvs. ‘Medved’ and ‘Kirovsky 2’, lines 91h18, 50h18 and 23h20 had the highest breeding value according to crude protein content. Lines 91h18, 39h20 and 40h20 showed high degrees of plasticity for these characters. Line 39h20 manifested high plasticity and stability both in green biomass yield (bi = 1.20; Si2 = 0.07) and crude protein content (bi = 2.04; Si2 = 0.03).
Conclusion. According to the sum of ranks, lines 41h18, 23h20, 40h20 and 41h20 were the most adapted to stressful nature and climate conditions in their green biomass yield (40–48), and lines 23h20, 39h20 and 91h18 in their crude protein content (34–44).

Background. Growing requirements on new strawberry cultivars for higher nutritional value of their fruits call for a comprehensive evaluation of their assortment in each berry-growing zone.
Materials and methods. Berries of 6 garden strawberry cultivars and 1 hybrid cultivar obtained from crossing garden and wild strawberries, all of them midseason and developed domestically, were studied at Sverdlovsk Breeding Station of Horticulture, Yekaterinburg. Their mineral composition was analyzed using the method of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES).
Results. Twenty-three macro- and micronutrients were found in the berries. Most of them were observed in all fruits (in descending order of their content): K > P > Ca > Mg > Si > Fe > Na ≥ Mn > Ba > B > Sr ≥ Zn > Cu > Ti > Ni > Cr > Mo. The selective accumulation ability was specified for Al, Cd, Co, Pb, Se, and V. There were no significant differences among the cultivars in meeting human needs for essential macronutrients when consuming a serving of berries. Correlations among the nutrients in berries were established.
Conclusion. Cv. ‘Torpeda’ demonstrated predominant accumulation of essential and conditionally essential micronutrients (Cr, V, Co, Fe, Mn, and Si), and cv. ‘Akvarel’ stood out for accumulation of Cr, V, Co, Fe, and Mo. Both are recommended to strawberry breeders who seek improvement of the mineral composition in strawberry fruits to produce on their basis specialized food products. Cv. ‘Italmas’ was identified as a genetic source of Mo, and cv. ‘Kupchikha’ as a source of Co.

Background. Aegilops tauschii Coss. is a diploid cereal species carrying the D genome of polyploid wheat, which determines the baking properties of bread wheat. A. tauschii is often used to improve old cultivars of Triticum aestivum L. through breeding, and develop new ones. The collection of the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) contains over 5,000 accessions of 27 Aegilops L. spp. of various ecogeographic origin, serving as a breeding resource. Identifying donors of valuable agronomic traits involves an in-depth study of the collection materials, including finding the dependence of biochemical parameters on the region of the accession’s origin. Metabolomic profiling was applied to assess the differences between A. tauschii seed accessions originating from regions with contrasting climate conditions.
Materials and methods. Two accessions of A. tauschii from the VIR collection, contrasting in their origin, served as the material for the study: k-1958 from Iran, and k-340 from Azerbaijan. Both were grown at Dagestan Experimental Station of VIR.
Results and conclusion. Statistically significant differences were found between the metabolomic profiles of A. tauschii seed accessions originating from regions with contrasting climates: subtropical semi-arid (Azerbaijan), and subtropical humid (Iran).

Background. Cowpea (Vign a unguiculata (L.) Walp. is an important food and feed legume crop in countries with subtropical and tropical climates. Cowpea seeds have high nutritional value and contain large amounts of protein, starch, bioactive compounds, and iron, so they are often used in nutrition as a meat substitute and included in various diets. The development of calibration models for a rapid analysis of the main quality indicators in cowpea seeds based on NIR (near-infrared) spectroscopy will speed up the evaluation of accessions for nutritional value, reduce the cost of analysis, and help to preserve valuable breeding material.
Materials and methods. Seeds of 39 cowpea (V. unguiculata) accessions with different seed coat colors from the collection of the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) were analyzed. Quality indicators (protein, starch, and total anthocyanin content) were studied using analytical techniques accepted at VIR: the Kjeldahl method for protein content, the Evers method for starch, and spectrophotometry for total anthocyanins. Calibration models were calculated using the OPUS software developed for the MATRIX-I IR analyzer (Bruker Optics, Germany).
Results and conclusion. The use of the developed calibration models for assessing the protein, total anthocyanin and starch content in cowpea seeds makes it possible to perform their mass analysis with high precision. This will accelerate the selection of source material for breeding cultivars with high seed quality indicators and make it more accurate.

Background. Peanut is a valuable crop for agriculture. Studies have shown that peanut is a naturally transgenic plant: its genome contains T-DNA, called cellular (cT-DNA), obtained during evolution from agrobacteria. The cus gene encodes cucumopine synthase, responsible for the synthesis of cucumopine. This gene was earlier proven to be intact in peanut and actively expressed in plant organs, but its effect is still unknown. We attempted to analyze important agronomic characters in a set of peanut accessions and find correlations between their manifestation and the cus gene expression level.
Materials and methods. The study involved 63 peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) accessions from the collection of the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR). For 10 of them, the results of the analysis of the cus gene expression level in different organs were obtained. Ecogeographic tests were performed in 2019–2021 at two sites: the Kuban Experiment Station of VIR, and the Caspian Agrarian Federal Research Center. The indicators were described in accordance with the guidelines. The fatty acid composition in seeds was assessed using gas chromatography, while the protein content was measured using the Kjeldahl method. Statistica 7.0 software was employed for statistical data processing.
Results and conclusion. Variability assessment of important agronomic characters studied during three years of ecogeographic tests, the Mann-Whitney U-test, and the factor analysis of principal components were applied to clarify the interplay of these characters with the expression level of the cus gene in different organs of peanut plants. The findings of this study disclosed some trends suggesting that a high level of the cus gene expression affected the productivity indicators in peanut.

Background. Studying the chemical composition in the berries of new cultivars makes it possible to replenish the knowledge about the most important biochemical components of fruits and identify the most valuable genotypes with enhanced accumulation of nutrients and bioactive compounds for breeding programs and practical purposes. 
Materials and methods. Thirty-six black currant accessions from the VIR collection served as the material for this study. The biochemical composition of their fruits was analyzed in 2019–2021 at VIR’s Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology using conventional techniques. The Microsoft Excel software and B. A. Dospekhov’s guidelines were used for statistical data processing.
Results and conclusion. Berries of black currants grown in Northwest Russia contained 15.3–25.7% of dry matter, 8.3–15.1% of sugars, 2.0–3.3% of acids, 96.7–255.3 mg% of ascorbic acid, and 148.4–442.3 mg% of anthocyanins. Cultivars were identified for enhanced accumulation of individual chemical components (dry substances, sugars, ascorbic acid, and anthocyanins) and low total acid content. They can be employed in breeding practice. Fruits of cvs. ‘Navlya’ (k-42228), ‘Arapka’ (k-44175), ‘Gagatai’ (k-44168), ‘Svityazyanka’ (k-41979), ‘Elo’ (k-44171), ‘Karri’ (k-44172), and ‘Valentina’ (k-49786) exhibited a complex combination of the best values in their biochemical composition. Among all the studied components, the concentration of dry substances in fruits had the greatest stability.

Background. Over the last decade, the harmfulness of frit flies (Oscinella frit L., and O. pusilla Meig.) on barley and other cereals has increased significantly, which is associated with global climate change and widespread violations of agricultural practices (for example, the wide use of surface tillage techniques). A supplement or alternative to agrotechnical and chemical measures to control the abundance of phytophages is the breeding of resistant cultivars. This control method is economical, environmentally friendly, and harmless for beneficial organisms. Successful breeding for this trait requires identification of barley genotypes resistant to frit flies, and studying the mechanisms of such resistance and patterns of its inheritance.
Materials and methods. Using provocative conditions of infestation with O. frit, the genetic control of resistance to the phytophage was studied in the spring barley cultivars ‘Belogorsky’ (k-22089, Leningrad Province) and ‘Nordic’ (k-22342, USA), when crossed with the susceptible cultivar ‘Krinichny’ (k-27605, Belarus). During the tillering period, damage to the main stems of the parent forms, as well as F1 and F2 hybrids, was assessed.
Results and conclusions. The expected and factual ratios of phenotypes were calculated, taking into account the percentage of damage to homozygotes as well as heterozygotes (F1) for resistance and susceptibility genes. Incompletely dominant monogenic inheritance of the frit fly resistance trait was observed in the two studied cultivars. Their genes showed different expressiveness: the gene in cv. ‘Belogorsky’ controlled 15.4% of the insect damage to the main stems, and the gene in cv. ‘Nordic’ controlled larval damage to 5.3% of the stems. The studied accessions can be recommended as donors for breeding for frit fly resistance.

Background. Along with barley, oat is among the most important food and feed cereals. It is one of the most significant grain crops in world agriculture. Unfortunately, the area under this crop in Russia is steadily decreasing. According to the 2024 data, oats in Russia were sown on a total area of 1.7 million hectares. It is the largest acreage among the world’s countries and second in the aggregate grain production after the European Union. However, Russia has the most favorable soil and climate conditions for growing this economically important crop. With this in view, Russia could win the leadership not only as an oat producer but also as the world’s top exporter of this crop.
Results. Since 2024, ‘Kirovsky 2’, a new covered oat cultivar, has been included in the State Register of the Russian Federation and approved for cultivation in the Northwestern, Central, Volga-Vyatka, and Central Black Earth regions of Russia as an outstanding source of high-quality grain and forage biomass. This new cultivar of covered oat is resistant to lodging, exhibits practical resistance to loose smut and crown rust, shows tolerance to damage by the frit fly, and is weakly affected by root rot. Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) was not observed on its plants.
Conclusion. Thus, a new competitive covered oat cultivar was released for food and feed uses, combining high yield with high quality of grain and forage biomass, adapted to the conditions of the Northwestern, Central, Volga-Vyatka, and Central Black Earth regions of Russia. Russian breeding centers can include this cultivar into the breeding process to obtain promising genotypes of covered oat for introduction into agricultural production.

Background. The development of rapeseed cultivars with higher oleic acid content in seed oil is an important goal of rapeseed breeding programs worldwide, but the yield of high-oleic lines and cultivars is lower than that of traditional high-yielding cultivars and hybrids. Obtaining winter rapeseed that would combine high oleic acid and yield indicators will allow agricultural producers to be more financially interested in growing high-oleic cultivars to increase the production of useful products.
Materials and methods. The study involved S3 and S4 generation plants from crosses between lines from cvs. ‘Selegor’ and ‘Sarmat’ with normal oleic acid content (60–63%), and high-oleic lines VN-1844 and VN-1848 from a deep inbreeding generation (S14) containing 79–81% of omega-9. Agronomic assessment was carried out in the control nursery and the progeny evaluation nursery in 2023/2024. The fatty acid composition was measured on a MATRIX-I Bruker Optics device.
Results. In 2023, the best lines were identified for their high yields (4.64–5.00 t/ha), high levels of oleic acid (78.1–80.2%) and oil (47.9–50.1%), a shortened growing season (by 2–6 days), and low glucosinolate content (13.0–17.6 mmol/g). Under the 2024 conditions, the best lines surpassed in their yield both the high-oleic cv. ‘Olivin’ (by 0.22–1.02 t/ha) and the reference cv. ‘Loris’ (by 0.05–0.70 t/ha). The recombinant lines were characterized by high levels of oleic acid (78.1–80.0%) and oil (49.6–51.6%), optimal content of glucosinolates (14.4–20.7 mmol/g), and a shortened growing season (by 1–6 days).
Conclusion. The selected lines will be tested in nurseries in the framework of preliminary, competitive, and environmental variety trials, and used as parent components in the production of CMS hybrids.

Background. Determining the level of compatibility in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes for cadmium toxicity in various test systems is important for increasing the objectivity of assessing their stress resistance. The purpose of this work was a comparative analysis of barley resistance to cadmium in laboratory and pot experiments.
Materials and methods. Nine barley cultivars of various ecogeographic origin served as the material for the study. Their cadmium resistance was assessed in roll culture. The data obtained were compared with the results of the pot experiment.
Results and conclusion. The toxic effect of 20 and 50 mg/dm3 Cd2+ was manifested in a decrease in the length of the roots and shoots of barley plantlets, and in the asynchrony of their growth. Barley cultivars with higher yields under cadmium stress conditions demonstrated high content of free phenolic compounds (PС) in roots and shoots, as well as the total content of PС in shoots. The relationships between the level of PС accumulation in roots and the root length index, and between PС accumulation in shoots and yield, indicated the potential value of PС in the selection of cadmium-resistant barley cultivars.

Background. The in vitro androgenesis has proven to be a reliable method for obtaining doubled haploids for many plant species. In the breeding of Oryza sativa L., in vitro culture of anthers is used, which go through the stage of callus formation followed by regeneration. The ratios between cells of different types and green regenerated plantlets on the callus might not coincide, since not all genetic disorders that accumulate in the in vitro culture at the cellular level can go through the stage of morphogenesis and cannot always lead to regeneration. The objective of the study was to assess the frequency of intracallus cytotypic variability of regenerated O. sativa plants in the in vitro androgenesis.
Materials and methods. We studied regenerated plantlets obtained on O. sativa calli through the in vitro androgenesis of thirty F 1 and F2 hybrids. According to their morphological features, regenerated plants were divided into five cytotypic groups: haploids, doubled haploids, aneuploids, tetraploids, and plants that died in the early stages of growth and development.
Results. The experiment employed 409 calli with multiple regenerations. Only haploid plants were formed on 79 calli, only doubled haploids on 60 calli, only aneuploids on three calli, only dead plantlets on one callus, and only tetraploids on two calli. It was established that 265 (64.8%) calli were polymorphic. The calli polycytotypicity with two types of regenerated plants, excluding the dead ones, was 138 pcs. (33.7%), with three types 62 pcs. (15.2%), and with four types 7 pcs. (1.7%). The differences between the calli of the F 1 and F2 hybrids were highly significant in the haploids, doubled haploids, tetraploids, and dead regenerated plants (p < 0.0002). An increase in the number of regenerated plantlets per callus occurred due to the presence of haploid plants; the correlation coefficient was r = 0.81 (p < 0.05).
Conclusion. The intracallus cytotypic variability of O. sativa in the in vitro androgenesis was 64.8%, which was comparable to the proportion of the calli with different cell ploidy.

Background. Presented here are the results of a comprehensive work to increase the reliability of the botanical information entered in the database of weeds in wheat and flax crops in the Middle Volga region for ensuring the regional export potential, developed at the All-Russian Plant Quarantine Center. The accuracy of botanical data is often associated with identification problems. The target materials were Galeopsis spp. (G. ladanum, G. bifida, G. tetrahit, and G. speciosa) regulated by the phytosanitary requirements of the countries importing Russian crop production, growing in local agrocenoses, and whose fruits occur in grain harvests.
Materials and methods. The existing keys and descriptions were analyzed. Holdings of the leading Russian collections were reviewed. Plant samples were collected in segetal and urbanized habitats of Penza Province and Primorsky Territory in 2020– 2022. Light and scanning electron microscopy techniques were applied in the search for stable anatomical and morphological features for reliable identification.
Results. It was established that G. ladanum in its natural environment could be precisely identified using herbarium and carpological specimens. The remaining Galeopsis spp. were successfully identifiable to the species rank only from their herbarium specimens or in their natural habitat. Their carpological samples cannot be reliably distinguished from each other by the available anatomical and morphological macro- and microtraits.
Conclusion. The developed keys were tested in the study of 196 wheat and flax crops in Penza and Samara Provinces and the contamination in 1269 samples of finished products. The obtained results served as the material for filling up the database of weeds in wheat and flax crops in the Middle Volga region for ensuring the regional export potential. Due to the difficulties in identifying erems of three Galeopsis spp., it is proposed to enter data not only in the rank of the species, but also in the rank of the subgenus.

Background. Among the main targets in modern gooseberry breeding are resistance to American powdery mildew and leaf spots, large size of berries, lower thorniness, better fruit taste, high yield, and compact bush habit convenient for mechanized harvesting. Gooseberry cultivars released by the Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding (VNIISPK) meet these requirements. This study presents the nomenclatural standards developed for those cultivars.
Materials and methods. The bioresource collection of gooseberries maintained at the VNIISPK served as the material for the study. The gooseberry cultivars ‘Diskaveri’, ‘Moryachok’, ‘Nekrasovskiy’, ‘Solnechny Zaychik’ and ‘Yupiter’ participated in the study.
Results. Herbarium specimens designed in line with the recommendations of the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP) according to the protocol developed at the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) were appointed as nomenclatural standards. The herbarium label contains: the identification number of the specimen in the VIR Herbarium, the Latin name of the species, the name of the cultivar, its origin (the name of the organization where the cultivar was developed), the place of reproduction (where the plant taken for the herbarium was grown), the dates of collecting, and the names of collectors. Each herbarium specimen is supplemented with photographs of flowers and berries, registered in the VIR Herbarium database, and deposited in the type collection of the Herbarium of Cultivated Plants of the World, Their Wild Relatives, and Weeds (WIR).
Conclusion. Scientists of VIR and the VNIISPK devised and published nomenclatural standards for 5 gooseberry cultivars from the VNIISPK. They were included in the collection of nomenclatural standards for crop cultivars of domestic breeding.

Background. Essential oils are widely used in various fields of medicine, cosmetics and perfumery; therefore, essential oil plants are of considerable interest for industrial cultivation. Knowledge of their anthecology features allows us to solve seed production problems of such crops. The objective of this study was to examine flowering features in Melissa officinalis L.
Materials and methods. The source material was collected in Southern Uzbekistan, and the plants were grown under the conditions of Termez. Observations were carried out in 2020–2024 according to generally accepted methods.
Results and conclusion. The first flowers open between May 22–30. The flowering period of plants lasts 92–95 days. The inflorescence is a pleiothyrsus. Partial inflorescences are cymoid (dichasia). Flowers are located in false whorls. Each whorl of the main inflorescence contains 6 flowers (3 pcs. in each semiwhorl). Flowers bloom in the morning and afternoon hours (from 9 AM to 1 PM), the bulk (64.7%) of flowers blooms between 10–11 AM. In total, from 71 to 147 flowers bloom in one lemon balm plant per day. During the growing season, one M. officinalis plant can form from 5120 to 5586 flowers. Dichogamy in the form of protandry is observed in the flower. An hour after the flower blooms, the anthers of the straightened stamens burst and begin to pollen, and the stamen (male) phase of flowering begins. With the onset of the male phase of flowering, the corollas turn white. The male phase lasts up to 7–8 hours and ends with the drying of the stamens. The female phase of flowering begins 3–4 hours after the corolla opens (noon – 1 PM), when the style lengthens somewhat and the stigmas begin to deviate in different directions. The duration of the female flowering phase is 9–11 hours and ends with the drying of the stigmas. The duration of flowering of bisexual flowers is 20–24 hours. The growing season lasts from 175 to 184 days.

Developing measures to restrain the spread of the invasive species Solidago canadensis L., leading to a decrease in biodiversity, on the one hand, and exploiting its positive potential, on the other, require information on the scope of its distribution in Russia. The existing map of its dispersal over the Russian Federation reflects its invasive status in the regions of distribution, but not the frequency of its occurrence. The purpose of the study was to construct a map of the secondary range of distribution for S. canadensis within Russia by the beginning of the third decade of the 21st century, reflecting the frequency of its occurrence in the regions.
The study of the S. canadensis distribution in Russia was based on an analysis of materials from scientific publications about its occurrence in each of the regions, republics, territories, and districts of Russia. Information on the distribution of this species from the international GBIF database was also used. The map was built using IDRISI Selva 17.0 and vectorized in MapInfo 16.0. S. canadensis has spread quite widely in Russia, growing in the European part, the North Caucasus, the Urals, Western Siberia, and the Far East. In some regions, the species is at the beginning of the invasion process, characterized by a rare frequency of occurrence, but in most of the territory, it has developed thickets, causing a violation of the structure of natural ecosystems. The process of capturing new lands by S. canadensis (in the northern areas of the said regions and Eastern Siberia) continues.
The threat posed by this invasive, although not recognized as quarantine, species is so great that, despite its widespread distribution throughout the Russian Federation, as well as its use as raw material for producing pharmaceuticals, one should be concerned with the problem of restraining its dispersal and preventing the loss of indigenous biodiversity.

Background. Cereal grasses are an integral component of not only natural but also anthropogenic cenoses as weeds or cultivated crops. Of these, 183 species are included in the range of food plants for the bird cherry-oat aphid Rhopalosiphum padi (L.), which damages cereal crops. In this regard, studying them as alternative hosts for aphids is of particular relevance.
Material and methods. Fourteen wild and cultivated species of grasses, including those from the VIR collection, were phenotyped on the basis of calculating the number and the winging in the offspring of summer apterae R. padi from the northw estern and Krasnodar populations under model experimental conditions. The development parameters of aphids were determined after the first 14 days of aphid reproduction. The results were assessed using generally accepted methods of variance and correlation analyses.
Results. Groups of grasses that support the reproduction and dispersal of R. pad i to varying degrees were identified. Among them, Echino chloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv. was ranked among the least favorable hosts, where the number of R. padi, both from the northwestern and Krasnodar populations, was the lowest (33.3 ± 6.0; 41.6 ± 2.2 offspring), and the offspring winging was high (31.8%; 32.6%). Poa tr ivialis L. (236.7 ± 34.9; 181.7 ± 23.9 and 15.9%; 20.4%, respectively), along with wheat (cv. ‘Leningradskaya 6’) and maize (hybrid ‘Voronezhsky 158’), were classified as the most favorable hosts. The formation of the number of R. padi offspring of both populations was significantly influenced by plant characteristics, clonal differences, and the geographic origin of the aphids; winging in offspring, by the host plant.
Conclusion. The selected groups of grasses require monitoring as alternative hosts for R. padi.

Background. Yellow rust is a harmful disease of wheat. In the 2020s, it has dominated in the phytopathogenic complex at Dagestan Experiment Station of VIR, where an extensive collection of Triticum L. accessions is studied. An analysis of the virulence and racial composition of Puccinia striiformis West. forming on new and commercial wheat genotypes makes it possible to assess the situation with yellow rust in the regions of their cultivation. The objective was to monitor the virulence of the Dagestan population of P. striiformis in 2023 and assess the dynamics of its variability.
Materials and methods. Leaves with urediniopustules of P. striiformis were collected at Dagestan Experiment Station of VIR in 2023 on 30 accessions of modern domestic winter bread wheat cultivars. The differential set included 14 nearly isogenic lines of cv. ‘Avocet’ (AvNILs) and 15 cultivars from the European and international sets. Virulence was analyzed on 10–14-day-old seedlings (second leaf phase) according to the previously described techniques. The resistance of differentiators in the phase of adult plants under high natural disease pressure was assessed.
Results and conclusion. The genes Yr5, Yr10, Yr15, Yr24, and Yr26 exhibited high efficiency in the seedling and adult plant phases and are recommended for yellow rust resistance breeding. Twenty-three phenotypes (races) were identified in 2023, and only six of them were observed on two or more cultivars. Comparing the phenotypic composition in 2023 with the previous period revealed high diversity and dynamism of the Dagestan population. A total of 139 isolates were studied in 2020‒2023, and 54 phenotypes (races) were isolated. No race common for all four years of the study was identified. The Dagestan population of P. striiformis demonstrated significant temporal variability. The population in 2023 significantly differed from those in 2020–2022. This necessitates annual monitoring of the pathogen.

Background. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the world’s most important food crops. In the central area of Russia’s NonBlack-Earth Region, powdery mildew (caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (DC.) Golovin ex Speer) poses a significant threat to yield. This underscores the importance of breeding resistant cultivars to ensure stable grain production and quality. The objective of this study was to identify spring bread wheat cultivars of diverse ecogeographic origin with high resistance to powdery mildew for their subsequent use in breeding programs.
Materials and methods. The study was conducted from 2022 to 2024 under natural infection conditions at the Field Experiment Station of the Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy. The study included 43 spring bread wheat accessions from both Russian and international breeding programs. The zoned cv. ‘Zlata’ served as a reference. Experiments were performed on 1 m² plots, with three replications. Throughout the growing season, phenological observations were made and powdery mildew resistance was assessed using a 9-point scale, where 1 point indicated susceptibility (S); 3 points, moderate susceptibility (MS); 5 points, moderate resistance (MR); and 7–9 points, high resistance (R). Harvesting was done manually, threshing was performed using an MPTU-500 bundle thresher, and yield was recorded by weight.
Results and conclusion. The correlation analysis revealed a moderate positive relationship (r = 0.49**) between yield and powdery mildew resistance. Accessions with high resistance to the disease were selected: ‘Saratovskaya 74’, ‘Simbirtsit’, ‘Laska’, ‘Mandarina’, ‘Agata’, ‘Favorit’, and lines Nos. 23, 70 and 215. The yield of the resistant cvs. ‘Simbirtsit’ and ‘Mandarina’ over the years of study exceeded the productivity of the zoned cv. ‘Zlata’. These accessions are recommended for use in breeding programs aimed at developing resistant spring wheat cultivars.

The year 2025 marks the 100th anniversary since the birth of Dr. Ekaterina V. Volodina, a prominent scientist and talented plant breeder, who was one of the eldest staff members of the Fruit Crop Genetic Resources Department at the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR).

The name of Rudolf J. Kordon (1884–1961) is usually associated with the siege period of the All-Union Institute of Plant Industry (currently the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources, VIR). Rudolf Kordon was among those who saved the Institute’s seed collection in the besieged city. However, the life of this scientist remains little known to the public. For more than thirty years, R. Kordon worked with the Fruit Crop Department of VIR, was the author and coauthor of 12 apple cultivars, and developed recommendations for apple-tree cultivation under the conditions of the Crimea and the Northwest of Russia, which have not lost their value to this day.