The objects of the current study were the winter wheat varieties ‘Taulan’ and ‘Pamyati Shatilova’, jointly developed by the National Center of Grain named after P.P. Lukyanenko and the Institute of Agriculture of the KBSC RAS. The current paper has presented the 2022–2024 research data on monitoring the main diseases in winter wheat agrocenosis in the steppe area of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. The purpose of the study was to determine the species composition of plant pathogens and the efficiency of chemical and biological fungicides. There have been identified the most harmful plant pathogens, including powdery mildew, net blotch (pyrenophorosis), and Septoria leaf blotch. Winter wheat yield losses from these diseases can reach 30 %, and under unfavorable conditions, they can significantly exceed this percentage, leading to significant economic losses for farmers. Winter wheat was sown after maize. The plot size was 25 m 2 , threefold repetition, and randomized placement of the variants in three tiers. There has been established the efficiency of chemical and biological fungicides Kolosal, KME; Hekata, KME; Ais, KKR; Alirin-B, Zh; Baktofort, Zh; Trikhoplant, SK. There has been made a comparative estimation of the biological efficiency of fungicides against powdery mildew of winter wheat varieties ‘Taulan’ and ‘Pamyati Shatilova’. The chemical fungicide Ais, KKR demonstrated the greatest effect in combating the causative agent of powdery mildew, increasing the biological productivity of the varieties ‘Pamyati Shatilova’ and ‘Taulan’ by 1.2 and 0.3 t/ha, respectively. Among the biofungicides, Trichoplant SK was the best for biological productivity of winter wheat with 5.5 and 4.1 t/ha, respectively. Winter wheat grain quality was tested in the laboratory for chemical analysis and biological research of the Institute of Agriculture KBSC RAS. Harvesting was carried out at a moisture content of 14 %.

The purpose of the current paper was to establish correlation between grain productivity and quality and weather conditions of the Orenburg Cis-Ural region. The field trials were conducted at the experimental plots of the FSBSI FRC BST RAS (v. of Nezhinka, Orenburg district) in 2023–2024. The analysis has shown that the variety ‘Bezenchukskaya Zolotistaya’ was characterized with increased adaptability to various weather conditions, demonstrating maximum productivity under both a moisture deficit (1.5 t/ha) and a moisture excess (2.3 t/ha). Grain quality also varied depending on weather conditions. Protein in grain ranged from 9 to 11.7 %, gluten ranged from 19.3 to 34 %, IDC ranged from 41 to 65 conventional units, and the gluten index ranged from 58.5 to 86.6 %. The variety ‘Bezenchukskaya Zolotistaya’ has demonstrated the largest values of these traits. There has been established a direct correlation between productivity and mean daily air temperature in August with r = 0.64 (p ≤ 0.05), as well as between precipitation amount and HTC in July with r = 0.79 and r = 0.59, respectively. Protein percentage has shown a pronounced negative correlation with precipitation amount and HTC in May with r = -0.74 and r = -0.97 and in July with r = -0.76 and r = -0.91. Gluten percentage has correlated positively with the mean daily temperature in July with r = 0.75 and negatively with precipitation r = -0.74. The crude gluten percentage in semolina has been closely related to mean daily air temperature and inversely proportional to precipitation in July (r = 0.62 and r = -0.67, respectively). The gluten index has shown a weak correlation with air temperature and precipitation in June (r = 0.33 and r = 0.36), and HTC (r = 0.22).

The purpose of the current study was to estimate the ecological adaptability and stability of winter wheat varieties in the arid conditions of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. The paper has presented the study results of the response of winter wheat varieties developed at the FSBSO “National Center of Grain named after P.P. Lukyanenko”; to the conditions of the steppe area of Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. The trials were conducted at the FSBSI “Federal Research Center “Kabardino-Balkarian Scientific Center of the RAS” (Tersky district, the v. of Opytnoye) from 2021 to 2024. There have been studied adaptability and stability of 14 winter wheat varieties developed at the National Center of Grain named after P.P. Lukyanenko and one jointly developed variety, ‘Yuzhanka’ according to the traits ‘productivity’ and ‘grain quality’. The adaptability and stability of the varieties were assessed using the Eberhart S.A. and Russell W.A. methodology. There has been found that 2022, with a negative index value of environmental conditions, was unfavorable, while 2023 and 2024, with positive index values (Ij), were optimal for obtaining good yields. There has been established that winter wheat varieties yielded from 43.1 to 50.5 hwt per hectare in the steppe area. The variety ‘Gomer’ gave the largest yield in 2023 with 59.5 hwt per hectare. There has been found that the winter wheat varieties ‘Alekseich’, ‘Akhmat’, ‘Gomer’, ‘Svarog’, and ‘Yuka’ are adaptable to the arid conditions of Kabardino-Balkaria (bi > 1), while the varieties ‘Praskoviya’, ‘Vekha’, and ‘Velena’ are less adaptable (bi < 1). There has been given an estimation of stability (σ2 d) of the varieties in yield, where the varieties ‘Step', ‘Kavalerka’, and ‘Alekseich’ are the best (0.13; 0.26, 0.41). According to bread-making qualities, there have been identified the varieties ‘Bezostaya 100’, ‘Kavalerka’, and ‘Krupinka’ which accumulated the highest mean protein and gluten percentage in grain over three years. Among the genotypes studied over three years, the leaders in the trait ‘nature weight’ were the varieties ‘Svarog’, ‘Alekseich’, and ‘Grom’ (792; 787; 785 g/l); in the trait ‘1000-kernel weight’ the best varieties were ‘Krupinka’, ‘Kavalerka’, and ‘Gomer’ (42.9; 39.9; 38.2 g).

The current study deals with the estimation of the effect of zoohumus extract, a new type of organic fertilizer obtained from the excrement of black soldier fly larvae ( Hermetia illucens ), on changes in the biochemical profile of grain amaranth microgreens using two ecologically adaptive varieties ‘Kharkovsky’ and ‘Voronezhsky’. The purpose of the current study was to comparatively analyze changes in the qualitative and quantitative bioaccumulation of organic, amino, and fatty acids in young plant seedlings grown under different fertilization conditions. The trial was conducted under controlled conditions in a grow tent for 7 days. The seeds were germinated in plastic trays filled with coconut fiber. The zoohumus additive at concentrations of 0.5, 1.0 and 3.0 % was compared to substrate moistened with a liquid three-component mineral fertilizer, traditionally used in hydroponics. The fertilizers were applied once, when the seeds were spread on the substrate surface. The variant with boiled tap water watering served as the control. The biochemical composition of the obtained green biomass was analyzed using capillary electrophoresis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Using amino acids as an example there has been estimated the increase in nutritional value and adaptive potential of the obtained biomass through the redistribution of these components from seeds to young shoots. There was a maximum biomass increase for both varieties by 28 % relative to the control, when added zoohumus at a concentration of 1.0 %. With a mineral supplement, the increase of the variety ‘Kharkovsky’ was 11 % and that of the variety ‘Voronezhsky’ was 38 %. A concentration of 3.0 % has inhibited the growth, likely due to excess nutrients in the suspension. A difference in shoot height of 11% was established only for the variety ‘Voronezhsky’ in the variants when added organics. The variety ‘Voronezhsky’ has demonstrated better response to the organic additive with the total essential amino acids (EAAs) increase by 15–18 %, and the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), such as linoleic and α-linolenic, reached 80 % of the total FAs. Biochemical analysis has revealed a significant increase in oxalic acid content in both varieties when added zoohumus at concentrations of 1 and 3 %. The results were comparable to those obtained with mineral fertilizers. This is clearly related to the adaptation of plants to oxidative stress and calcium detoxification. Moreover, the variant with 0.5 % zoohumus demonstrated values close to the control, minimizing the risk of oxalate accumulation. The analysis of consistency indices has also confirmed that adding zoohumus at this concentration can ensure optimal coherence of the amino acid profile, making it closer to seed reference values. These results have practical implications for the development of organic farming, food industry, and development of functional foods with increased bioenergetic value. The variety ‘Voronezhsky’ is more suitable for organic hydroponics cultivation and functional food production.

Bird cherry aphid Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) is a common pest of grain crops. To control its harmfulness, there is a great necessity in a reliable method to estimate aphid abundance and spread in the field and to fulfil screening of resistant accessions for feeding in vegetation. The flight behavior patterns or selection of hidden sites by wingless insects within plants, as well as the wing emergence of offspring on cereal grasses, have been poorly studied, although they are important for aphid reproduction and harmfulness. The purpose of the current study was to optimize methodological approaches to estimating R. padi abundance due to its specific topical distribution and wing emergence. The field study and model trials have identified the features of R. padi’s topical distribution that had been overlooked. There has been shown that aphid can remain below the soil surface when feeding on wheat (the variety ‘Leningradskaya 6’) and 10 species of cereal grasses during the period of ‘tillering-early stem formation’. Their maximum abundance was 18.7 % on wheat (field) and 25.8 % on multiflora ryegrass (Tarquin) (model trials). There has been found that one of the causes of such migrations may be tactile stimuli, as a result of which the “hidden” number of insects in model trials (touching with a brush) has increased on average from 6.0 to 11.5 %. This feature should be taken into account when assessing R. padi population density. The current work has characterized the wing dimorphism of aphids and the role of both summer morphotypes in plant damage. The use of winged females to screen for plant suitability for aphid feeding poses challenges because of their flight activity. There has been found that female wing manipulations, which simulate the “crowding effect” and increase wing emergence of offspring through prenatal transgenerational transmission of relevant signals, distort the estimation results and cannot be used.

The purpose of the current study was to identify the directions and magnitudes of yield changes and their structure elements at the current stage of breeding spring durum wheat for productivity at the FSBSI FASCA. From 2020 to 2023, in the competitive testing block there was studied the yield and its structure elements of durum wheat varieties ‘Solnechnaya 573’, ‘Oazis’, ‘Shukshinka’, ‘ATP Prima’, and ‘ATP Partner’ developed at the Federal Altai Scientific Center for Agrobiotechnology in the last decade, relative to the standard variety ‘Pamyati Yanchenko’. Productivity of the varieties ‘Solnechnaya 573’ and ‘ATP Prima’ remained at the standard level. Productivity of ‘Oazis’, ‘Shukshinka’, and ‘ATP Partner’ increased by 5.1–6.2 %. Under conditions of minimal and maximal yield realization the later three cultivars yielded better than the check and another two were equal to it. Grain weight per plant increased by 1.6–15.2 %, main ear weight increased by 3.7–33.6 %, and grain number per main ear increased by 9.8–29.9 %. Sowing density parameters did not undergo significant changes. The trait ‘1000-kernel weight’ decreased by 5.8% on average, while the variety ‘Oazis’ increased this trait by 4.2 %. Plant height varied in different directions, namely the varieties ‘Shukshinka’, ‘ATP Prima’, and ‘ATP Partner’ decreased their plant height by 5–11 %, while the varieties ‘Solnechnaya 573’ and ‘Oazis’ improved it by 8 % and 5 %. The above-ground weight of plants was 2–18 % higher than that of the standard. Productivity closely correlated with plant weight (0.82***), grain weight per plant (0.80***), main ear weight (0.79***), and a tillering shoot (0.77**), and grain content (0.63*), but poorly correlated with 1000-kernel weight (0.40). Grain weight per plant was related to its weight (0.93***), grain weight per main ear (0.93***), and a tillering shoot (0.77**). Grain weight per main ear was determined by grain content by 74 % and 1000-kernel weight by 15 %. In ecological testing, the new varieties exceeded the standard by 3.9–46.8 %. The large productivity of the new varieties ‘Shukshinka’ and ‘ATP Prima’ has been realized at farms in the Altai Territory at a level of 5.0 t/ha.

The depletion of traditional feed resources makes the search for alternative raw materials for the feed industry extremely crucial. A heap of early-maturing wheat is of significant interest as a new feed raw material due to its high protein and vitamin percentage. However, its use in feed production is limited by such significant drawback as high moisture content (up to 60 %), which promotes self-heating and microbial growth in the grain mass. To eliminate these negative factors, drying is required to ensure maximum preservation of nutritional value and vitamins in the product. The current review has presented a comparative analysis of such methods for drying early maturing wheat grain as convection, microwave drying, and infrared drying. There have been considered the characteristics of each method and identified their key advantages and disadvantages. There has been established that the infrared drying method is the most effective, since it combines a gentle temperature regime (40–60 °C) with a high speed of the process, which allows preserving maximum nutrients in the finished product. The convective method has been found ineffective due to the high risk of overheating the initial product. Microwave drying should be used primarily at the final drying stage, as it is unprofitable to use it for processing high-moisture raw materials.

Rice is an important food crop, used to feed a large portion of the world’s population. The use of in vitro anther culture makes possible to develop homozygous offspring and genetically unique material within 1–2 years. The purpose of the current study was to estimate the efficiency of anther cultures and the production of doubled rice haploids. The number of calli formed within the hybrids ranged from 0 to 819. The callus formation rate varied from 0 to 115 %. There has been found that eleven rice hybrids (61 %) formed callus. During callus cultivation on regeneration medium, there have been developed 137 green and 108 albino plants. There was a low regeneration rate of 1.6% among the regenerated plants. The largest number of calli and large productivity of regenerated plants were found in such three hybrids as ‘Klassik x Virasan’ with 568 and 23 pcs., ‘Rapan 2 x Argamak’ with 358 and 32 pcs. and ‘IR86385-248-2-1-B x Kontakt’ with 819 and 152 pcs., respectively. The largest number of regenerated plants after adaptation in soil was obtained from the hybrid sample ‘IR86385-248-2-1-B x Kontakt’ (41 pcs.), including 4 doubled haploids, and the remaining 37 haploids. Doubled haploid regenerated plants have formed panicles with high fertility (84.5%). The lines ‘IR86385-248-2-1-B x Kontakt’ and ‘Rapan 2 x Argamak’ were included in the further breeding process.

High-quality seed material is a critical factor in the efficient production of grain and its products. Producing high-quality products requires more plant protein, a source of which is chickpeas. Quality control, which can be accomplished using optical methods, is of great importance when storing grain and seeds. The purpose of the current study was to validate the selection of informative spectral parameters to develop a photoluminescence diagnostic method for chickpeas. There were studied the optical spectral luminescence properties of middle-maturing chickpeas ‘Pamyat’ harvested in 2024, 2019, and 2017. Optical measurements were performed using a diffraction spectrum fluorimeter ‘CM2203’. There have been obtained excitation (absorption) and luminescence spectra. Chickpea excitation was in the range of 250–550 nm, with maxima at 362 and 424 nm for all samples studied. The greatest difference in the integral absorption parameter was in the excitation range of 370–500 nm. There were obtained integral parameters of the luminescence spectra at excitation wavelengths of 362 and 424 nm. Integral photoluminescence fluxes depended on storage time and percentage of protein and oil in seed. The error in determining the fluxes did not exceed 4.5 %. The most informative excitation wavelength was selected based on the condition of the maximum photo signal level, minimum error in determining the flux, and the greatest flux increase for different values of protein and oil percentage. The optimal excitation wavelength was 424 nm. The photoluminescence emission detection range for this excitation wavelength was 480–650 nm. The results obtained could form the basis to develop a photoluminescence method for monitoring chickpea parameters during long-term storage.

Winter wheat is the main food crop in the Russian Federation. However, extreme weather conditions have increased dramatically in recent decades, exacerbating the dependance of the size and quality of winter common wheat productivity on weather. There is a need for the proper selection of varieties in these conditions. The purpose of the current study was to identify, through post-registration variety testing, winter wheat varieties of different ecological and geographical origins with large productivity, adaptability, and resistance to agro-ecological changes to introduce into production, and to evaluate their profitability and production benefits. The study of winter wheat varieties during post-registration testing at the Slavyanoserbsk Variety Testing Station of the branch of the FSBEI HE LSAU in the Lugansk People’s Republic in 2023–2025 has established that the most productive varieties were ‘Shef’, ‘Zhavoronok’, ‘Lilit’, ‘Yubiley Dona’, ‘Donskaya Yubileinaya’ developed in the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy”, with average productivity of 2.98 t/ha over the years of study. The average productivity of the varieties developed at the National Center of Grain named after P.P. Lukyanenko was 2.84 t/ha, with promising varieties ‘Alekseich’ and ‘Bezostaya 100’. The varieties ‘Gubernator Dona’ and ‘Tarasovskaya 70’ developed at the FSBSI FRASC are of production interest. Despite the large average productivity in 2024 (29.8 t/ha), the varieties developed at “EkoNiva-Semena” have shown 2.55 t/ha over the years of study. The calculation of economic efficiency has shown that the highest net income (RUB 17,650) per 1 hectare and profitability (68.5 %) of winter wheat production in the Luhansk People's Republic were registered for the varieties developed by the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy”.