The article is devoted to the origins of the fight against desert expansion in Russia and former Soviet Republics of Central Asia and Kazakhstan, and N. I. Vavilov’s plans to solve the complex problems of desert and semi-desert reclamation in the areas of the USSR; afforestation, melioration and climatic studies; problems of southern industrial crops; formation of sustainable forage crop cultivation for livestock, and establishment of oases. The research on this topic was conducted by the Repetek Sand Desert Station (run by VIR from 1925 to 1941) with a supporting site in the Kara-Bogaz-Gol, the Aral Experimental Station (organized in 1933), the Turkmen Research Station of VIR in Kara-Kala (established in 1927), the Azerbaij ani branch VIR on the Apsheron Peninsula (organized in 1926). Investigations of the desert were started by the Repetek Sand Desert Station, the only one in the world involved in the stationary study of sands. Its staff examined the typology of sands in the southeastern Karakum, the nature of their movement, conducted edaphic, botanical and hydrological studies in the area of construction of the Karakum Channel. They were the first in the world to suggest using phytomelioration by psammophytes of moving sands, conducted successful experiments in the introduction of black saxaul, calligonum and sandy acacia into cultivation and discovered the wet condensation subsurface horizon creating reserves of moisture in the sand dunes. In 1932, when the Bureau of Deserts was founded, its coordination plan served as the foundation for the deployment of investigations throughout sands of Russia and Central Asian Republics. Huge work was carried out on integrated geobotanical, geological, hydrological studies of soil and vegetation of deserts and semi-deserts (Astrakhan, Pridon, Terek-Kuma, Uilskie, Naryn sands, the Karakum, Kyzylkum, Betpakdala, Mangyshlak, Aral Sea region, Muyunkum, etc.), as well as evaluation of their suitability for rainfed and irrigated agriculture, productivity of natural pastures, hayfields, saxaul forests. Valuable food, fodder and technical plants were studied. Scientists of the Aral Experimental Station received the State Prize for the development of rainfed, irrigated and trench cultivation of cereals, forages, vegetables, fruits and ornamental crops and for making oases in a desert environment. They selected, bred, propagated and introduced into the agriculture of Kazakhstan more than 40 varieties of different agricultural crops. Development and implementation of the technology for consolidation and afforestation of sands in the southeast and east of the European part of the country and development of the first cultivar of saxaul Priaralskiy 1 also won the State Prize. After the transfer of the Aral Experimental Station under the jurisdiction of the Republic of Kazakhstan, expeditions collecting desert plant genetic resources, their study and building up a collection of worldwide genetic resources of desert crops were continued. At the present level, to assess salt tolerance of alfalfa transcriptome analysis was applied. Employees of the Department of Perennial Forage Crop Genetic Resources of VIR took part in the mapping of arid areas and sustainable fodder plant distribution for the Internet publication “Interactive Agricultural Ecological Atlas of Russia and Neighboring Countries Economic Plants and their Diseases, Pests and Weeds.” On the basis of the world collection of desert agricultural cultivars breeders of the Aral Experimental Station, as well as the institutions of the country and some foreign countries developed numerous varieties.

In 2014-15, evaluated in Krasnodar Region were the yield of green pea, net productivity of photosynthesis, productivity of a foliage surface unit as well as the economic coefficient in 16 garden pea varieties of the common leafy and leafless morphotypes. The study helped to identify leafless varieties comparable with those of the conventional morphotype accordin to the set of traits studied.

Cell division activity, frequencies and spectra of cytogenetical abnormalities were studied in the root apical meristem cells of spring barley seedlings (Hordeum vulgare L.). Comparative analysis of aberration frequencies in cells of most sensitive or tolerant barley cultivars was made. Sensitive and tolerant cultivars of spring barley were chosen by testing of lead influence on 100 barley cultivars from the VIR collection. Significant differences between groups of sensitive and tolerant cultivars were shown in indexes received on intact seedlings: frequencies of aberrant cells (FAC), frequency of cytogenetical abnormalities on a dividing cell (FADC), frequency of cytogenetical disturbances on a cell with cytogenetical abnormalities (FAAC). Mechanisms of tolerance to lead and HM were discussed.

The results of a long-term study of pear accessions collected by VIR’s expeditions in the Caucasus and grown in the collection of Maikop Experiment Station are presented. A significant variety of morphological characteristics including diagnostic ones was identified. Accessions with uncharacteristic for western species traits were selected: deciduous sepals (Pyrus caucasica Fed., P. salicifolia Pall., P. syriaca Boiss.), reduced number of seed cavities (2-4) in the fruit (P. salicifolia, P. syriaca, P. zangezura Maleev). Also identified were specific accessions relatively resistant to fungal diseases (P. zangezura, P. balansae Decne., some forms of P. caucasica and P. salicifolia) possessing frost resistance in the environments of Adygea (P. salicifolia, P. medvedevii Rubtz., P. caucasica), drought resistance (P. caucasica, P. salicifolia, P. syriaca), and high yield (P. caucasica, P. salicifolia, P. balansae, P. zangezura). Some species: P. salicifolia, P. complexa Rubtz., P. medvedevii, P. syriaca, P. elata Rubtz. were selected as promising for landscaping and breeding of ornamental forms.

The results of apple breeding in the south of West Siberia according to the main economically useful features are presented in the paper. On the basis of hybridological analysis, 30 donors and sources of high winter hardiness, 16 sources of polygenic scab resistance and 13 heterozygous sources of monogenic resistance as well as productive varietal samples for breeding for yield and high fruit quality have been selected. Brief characteristics of 34 apple varieties of Gorno-Altaisk breeding are given.

A revision of herbarium specimens of Chilean potato species belonging to the section Petota Dumort. genus Solanum L. was conducted. The VIR herbarium [WIR] has 25 specimen sheets of five species: Solanum leptostigma Juz., S. maglia Schlechtd., S. molinae Juz., S. ochoanum Lechn., S. zykinii Lechn. Authentic materials from S.V. Yuzepczuk and V.S. Lehnovich have been identified, namely syntypes of S. molinae , S. ochoanum and S. zykinii. The neotypification of S. leptostigma was done.