Bunias Orientalis Research Articles

Assessment of weed species composition of Cabbage family plants (Brassicaceae) of ruderal and segetal habitats of the Ussuriysk urban district of the Primorsky Territory

The data on the species composition of weeds from the Cabbage family (Brassicaceae) that grow stably in the territory of the Ussuriysk urban district of the Primorsky Territory and dominate in agrocenoses are given in the article. Objectives of the study are: to summarize data on the most widespread (background) plant species of natural and adventive flora of the Cabbage family of ruderal and segetal habitats of the Ussuriysk urban district of the Primorsky Territory; to note the species listed in the "Black Book of Flora of the Far East" and growing within the limits of the urban district; to cite the species composition of herbaceous plants of the Cabbage family found in the Ussuriysky Nature Reserve. Field studies were conducted using the traditional route-reconnaissance method in 2010–2023. Phenological observations, geobotanical descriptions of identified habitats, collection, identification of herbarium material and photographing of objects from growing sites were carried out. Of the 23 species of Brassicaceae cited in the paper, ten are invasive in the ecosystems of the Far Eastern Federal District: Armoracia rusticana Gaertn., Mey. et Scherb., Berteroa incana (L.) DC., Brassica juncea (L.) Czern., Bunias orientalis L., Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik., Hesperis matronalis L., Lepidium densiflorum Schrad., Thlaspi arvense L., Turritis glabra L., Velarum officinale (L.) Reichenb. Most of them, with the exception of B. juncea, C. bursa-pastoris and Th. arvense, are classified as plants that do not cause significant damage at this stage of development. Ruderal habitats are also sites of biodiversity conservation. In the V.L. Komarov Ussuriysky Nature Reserve, 16 species of Cabbage, of which Barbarea orthoceras, B. incana, and Th. arvense are segetal, were identified on the territory of the Ussuriysk Urban District.

FORMATION OF THE RANGES OF INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES IN THE REPUBLIC OF ALTAI: RESULTS OF THE CENTENNIAL NATURALIZATION

Currently, 10-15% of invasive plant species are recorded in alien floras of all inhabited regions of the world, and their proportion is constantly growing. A particular problem is naturalization of alien species in the regions with high levels of endemism and species diversity, such as the Republic of Altai. We have been studying the alien flora of the Republic of Altai since the beginning of the 21st century. The ranges of 67 invasive species belonging to 57 genera and 20 families have been identified. Most of the species have been known on the territory of the Republic of Altai since the 20th century, 10 species have penetrated here in the 21st century. The main method of penetration (vector) is accidental introduction. In all areas, at least singly, there are 5 species: Amaranthus retroflexus, Bunias orientalis, Matricaria discoidea, Melilotus officinalis, Tripleurospermum inodorum . The orographic and climatic features of the area predetermine a greater susceptibility to invasions for the northern regions and a lesser one for the southeastern regions. Eighteen species are distributed only in the northern regions. Almost all species are found in Gorno-Altaisk and Mayma district, the least number of species - in Kosh-Agach district, which is characterized by the most severe climatic conditions. Thirty five species are invasive in Siberia, 11 species are among the hundred most aggressive species in Russia. Based on our own long-term research, taking into account the analysis of available publications and stock materials (Herbarium of the Central Siberian Botanical Garden of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Gorno-Altai State University), as well as other available data (iNaturalist, GBIF), maps of the ranges of invasive plants of the Republic of Altai were compiled. For each species, all known localities are given, indicating administrative regions, settlements, river valleys, etc., the time of discovery is noted, and links to the source are indicated.

Шығыс майракебісі өсімдігінің тамырларының тағамдық шикізат ретінде пайдалану перспективасын бағалау

The article is devoted to the study of the perspectives of using the roots of wild-growing plant Bunias orientalis as a plant material. An access to a wide range of organic food with high nutritional value, full of vitamins and minerals, can be valued as a fundamental component of food safety. Therefore, a deep and versatile elaboration of the raw material potential of local flora is very important, not only in scientific purposes, but also as a strategic plan to ensure food safety. More than ten thousand species of plants are found on the territory of Kazakhstan, and most of them have not been completely studied for further application. Most plants of the Cabbage (Brassicaceae) family have a high economic value and are cultivated in various countries as fodder, technical, melliferous, food and decorative resources. There are studies on the value of Sverbiga as a source of bioactive substances and the use of young shoots and leaves in the national cuisine. In the course of the study, we found that the roots of Sverbiga have a fairly good nutritional and biological value. The roots of Sverbiga contain a significant amount of carbohydrates and minerals, which makes this type of wild-growing raw material promising for further development of food products and bioactive food supplements. Studies show that in order to preserve its biological value it must be stored at the temperature of -18 °C for no more than 3 months.

The concentration of heavy metals in the energy crops phytomass when grown in the conditions of Zhytomyr Polissia

The high level of anthropogenic pressure on agro-landscapes recently leads to an increased level of their contamination with heavy metals, which are among the most harmful chemical pollutants for the environment. Heavy metals are transmitted through trophic chains with a pronounced cumulative effect, in connection with which their toxicity can appear suddenly on individual links of trophic chains. The danger from heavy metals is determined by the fact that, unlike organic pollutants, they do not break down, but change from one form to another. Based on the results of the study, it was established that the accumulation of heavy metals by energy plants depended on the type of crop. Thus, it was proved that the concentration of heavy metals in energy crops plants when grown in the territory of radioactive contamination was within the limit of permissible concentrations. The lowest concentration of toxicants was noted when all energy crops were grown without fertilizers. The subject of the study was energy crops (Silhium perfoliatum L., Sorghum almum Parodi, Bunias orientalis L., Sida hermaphrodita Rusby, Miscanthus giganteus G.), heavy metals in plants, sod-podzolic sandy soil, mineral fertilizers. Therefore, the purpose of our research was to determine the phytomass of energy crops grown in areas contaminated with radionuclides as a result of the accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant to determine the concentration of toxic substances. When performing the work, both general and special research methods were used: field – for conducting stationary and short-term field experiments, analytical – for determining the content of heavy metals in plants crops (Silhium perfoliatum L., Sorghum almum Parodi, Bunias orientalis L., Sida hermaphrodita Rusby, Miscanthus giganteus G.). The research was conducted during 2017−2020 on sod-podzolic soils in the territory of the village. Khrystynivka, Zhytomyr region, which belongs to the zone of unconditional (mandatory) resettlement (2nd zone of radioactive contamination). Prospects for further research will be aimed at establishing patterns of distribution of heavy metals in soil layers when growing energy crops. Key words: Silhium perfoliatum L., Sorghum almum Parodi, Bunias orientalis L., Sida hermaphrodita Rusby, Miscanthus giganteus G., lead, cadmium, copper, zinc.

The clubroot pathogen Plasmodiophora brassicae: A profile update.

Plasmodiophora brassicae is the causal agent of clubroot disease of cruciferous plants and one of the biggest threats to the rapeseed (Brassica napus) and brassica vegetable industry worldwide. In the advanced stages of clubroot disease wilting, stunting, yellowing, and redness are visible in the shoots. However, the typical symptoms of the disease are the presence of club-shaped galls in the roots of susceptible hosts that block the absorption of water and nutrients. Members of the family Brassicaceae are the primary host of the pathogen, although some members of the family, such as Bunias orientalis, Coronopus squamatus, and Raphanus sativus, have been identified as being consistently resistant to P. brassicae isolates with variable virulence profile. Class: Phytomyxea; Order: Plasmodiophorales; Family: Plasmodiophoraceae; Genus: Plasmodiophora; Species: Plasmodiophora brassicae (Woronin, 1877). Clubroot disease is spread worldwide, with reports from all continents except Antarctica. To date, clubroot disease has been reported in more than 80 countries. Based on its virulence on different hosts, P.brassicae is classified into pathotypes or races. Five main pathotyping systems have been developed to understand the relationship between P.brassicae and its hosts. Nowadays, the Canadian clubroot differential is extensively used in Canada and has so far identified 36 different pathotypes based on the response of a set of 13 hosts. After the identification and characterization of the clubroot pathogen SABATH-type methyltransferase PbBSMT, several other effectors have been characterized. However, no avirulence gene is known, hindering the functional characterization of the five intercellular nucleotide-binding (NB) site leucine-rich-repeat (LRR) receptors (NLRs) clubroot resistance genes validated to date. Canola Council of Canada is constantly updating information about clubroot and P.brassicae as part of their Canola Encyclopedia: https://www.canolacouncil.org/canola-encyclopedia/diseases/clubroot/. PLADBR: EPPO A2 list; Annex designation 9E.

Some rare and new plants in the National Parks of Northern Tien-Shan (Kazakhstan)

The article gives information on the distribution of four rare species (Hepatica falconeri, Kaufmannia semenovii, Neuroloma beketovii, Gymnospermium altaicum) with brief abundance data and state of populations. This studies based on the materials of many years researches carried out by the authors on the territory of two state national natural parks (SNNP) of the Northern Tien Shan (Ile Alatau and Kolsai Kolderi). Nine species (Gagea turkestanica, Bunias orienta-lis, Viola dissecta, Clinopodium integerrimum, Melissa officinalis, Sambucus nigra, Hieracium pilosella, Lapsana intermedia and Xanthium spinosum) were first found on surveyed areas, which allows supplementing the existing publications on the flora of the national parks Ile Alatau and “Kolsai Kolderi”, as well as the Kungei Alatau ridge. Three of them (Gagea turkestanica, Viola dissecta, Clinopodium integerrimum) are native to this area, which indicates that the flora of the region is not well studied. Six others (Bunias orientalis, Melissa officinalis, Sambucus nigra, Hieracium pilosella, Lapsana intermedia and Xanthium spinosum) are alien species, which confirms the ongoing process of synanthropization of the flora of the Northern Tien Shan even within specially protected natural areas.

Influence of long-term intensive use of irrigated meadow-chernozem soil on the biological activity and productivity of the arable layer

The research was carried out on the territory of the Russian Federation in the forest-steppe region of the south Western Siberia (Omsk state), in the long-term (43 years) stationary experiment. Sprinkling was used for irrigation in the experiment. The number of different physiological groups of microorganisms, the cellulolytic activity of the soil, and nitrification capacity were determined under the sowing of an eight-field grain-grass crop rotation (perennial grasses (Bunias orientalis L. + Bromopsis inermis L. + Galega orientalis Lam. 6–8 years old), spring barley Hordeum vulgare Leyss.—variety Sasha). Immobilization processes predominated in the soil under the sowed crops, it contributes to the preservation of soil organic matter (mineralization coefficient SAA/MPA < 1). The highest transformation ratio of soil organic matter, i.e. increased conversion of plant residues into organic matter, was noted with applying nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizers (N60P60) under the barley. The combination of irrigation factors and the use of mineral fertilizers (N30-60P60) were contributed to the growth of the microorganisms’ population, the amplification of decomposition of cellulose, and improvement of nitrification capacity in the soil. The perennial irrigation of the meadow-chernozem soil and the application of intensive technology of cultivation of crops in crop rotation stimulated the growth of the microorganisms’ population and didn’t detriment the ecological state of the soil.

Influence of peracetic delignification on biomass lignocellulosic complex

The process of delignification of plant biomass with peracetic acid was studied and the effect of the duration of peracetic delignification on the degree of delignification and the degree of removal of the carbohydrate complex in the final cellulose products was established. The treatment of different representatives of plant biomass was performed with peracetic acid at a concentration of 8% and at different time of the process. The study was focused on the process of chemical treatment of six different representatives of non-wood plant raw materials in the form of straw, agricultural waste, as well as stems of fast-growing industrial and fodder crops. Cellulose products were obtained with a yield of about 50% and a whiteness of greater than 60%. It was shown that an increase in the duration of processing naturally leads to a decrease in the yield of the final product, which is associated with the intensive oxidation and removal of lignin, as well as partial destruction of the polysaccharide component of biomass. The investigated method of delignification proved to be effective for the removal of more than 90% of lignin in the entire studied time interval, but the selectivity of the removal of lignin and carbohydrates depended significantly on the type of plant material. By an increase in the efficiency of lignin removal with peracetic acid, the studied plants are located in the following row: sverbiga (bunias orientalis)&gt;shchavnat&gt;lavatera&gt;rapeseed&gt;wheat straw&gt;amaranth. Conducted research work gives grounds to claim that peracetic delignification is an effective method of chemical treatment of plant biomass; it allows obtaining cellulose products that can be used in the production of paper products for various purposes, as well as for the chemical industry.

Differences in functional traits among distinct populations of the plant invaderBunias orientalis

AbstractPlants that expand their range and become invasive in other areas may shift several functional traits in response to specific environments. However, local conditions at the place of origin may have shaped the functional traits, which may to some extent remain visible in plants growing in new habitats. The present study aimed to explore the trait variation in different plant populations of native, invasive and naturalized status of Bunias orientalis grown in common conditions in relation to the climatic conditions at their place of origin. Seeds of B. orientalis were collected from 12 populations (4 per status) in 8 countries and grown under standardized conditions in a common field garden. The variation in several functional traits related to phenology, growth and reproduction was compared among status and among populations. Phenology did not differ according to status. However, several plants of the native populations, originating from areas with low annual temperatures, did not start flowering. Plants of the invasive populations produced more leaves than natives, potentially indicating their vigor in building up vegetative biomass. Number and mass of silicles and other growth traits did not differ among status groups but varied among populations. Some of the variation in functional traits may be explained by long-term adaptations to local conditions at the areas of origin and genetic diversity, while other environmental factors differing in the novel environment may contribute to a high trait variation.

Bunias orientalis (Turkish warty-cabbage)

Bunias orientalis (Turkish warty-cabbage)

Effect of Pathogen Virulence on Pathogenicity, Host Range, and Reproduction of Plasmodiophora brassicae, the Causal Agent of Clubroot Disease.

A series of greenhouse experiments was conducted to evaluate the effect of Plasmodiophora brassicae virulence on clubroot development and propagation of resting spores in 86 plant species from 19 botanical families. Plants were artificially inoculated with two isolates of P. brassicae, which were virulent on clubroot-resistant oilseed rape cultivar Mendel [pathotype 1; P1 (+)] or avirulent on this cultivar (P1). Clubroot severity and the number of resting spores inside the roots were assessed 35 days post inoculation. Typical clubroot symptoms were observed only in the Brassicaceae family. P1 (+)-inoculated species exhibited more severe symptoms (two- to 10-fold more severe), bigger galls (1.1- to 5.8-fold heavier), and greater numbers of resting spores than the P1-inoculated plants. Among all Brassica species, Bunias orientalis, Coronopus squamatus, and Raphanus sativus were fully resistant against both isolates, whereas Camelina sativa, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Coincya monensis, Descurainia sophia, Diplotaxis muralis, Erucastrum gallicum, Neslia paniculata, Sinapis alba, Sinapis arvensis, Sisymbrium altissimum, Sisymbrium loeselii, and Thlaspi arvense were highly susceptible. Conringia orientalis, Diplotaxis tenuifolia, Hirschfeldia incana, Iberis amara, Lepidium campestre, and N. paniculata were completely or partially resistant to P1 isolate but highly susceptible to P1 (+). These results suggest that the basis for resistance in these species may be similar to that found in some commercial cultivars, and that these species could contribute to the buildup of inoculum of virulent pathotypes. Furthermore, the pathogen DNA was detected in Alopecurus myosuroides, Phacelia tanacetifolia, Papaver rhoeas, and Pisum sativum. It can be concluded that the number and diversity of hosts for P. brassicae are greater than previously reported.

Nuclear organization in crucifer genomes: nucleolus-associated telomere clustering is not a universal interphase configuration in Brassicaceae.

Arabidopsis thaliana has become a major plant research model, where interphase nuclear organization exhibits unique features, including nucleolus-associated telomere clustering. The chromocenter (CC)-loop model, or rosette-like configuration, describes intranuclear chromatin organization in Arabidopsis as megabase-long loops anchored in, and emanating from, peripherally positioned CCs, with those containing telomeres associating with the nucleolus. To investigate whether the CC-loop organization is universal across the mustard family (crucifers), the nuclear distributions of centromeres, telomeres and nucleoli were analyzed by fluorescence in situ hybridization in seven diploid species (2n = 10-16) representing major crucifer clades with an up to 26-fold variation in genome size (160-4260 Mb). Nucleolus-associated telomere clustering was confirmed in Arabidopsis (157 Mb) and was newly identified as the major nuclear phenotype in other species with a small genome (215-381 Mb). In large-genome species (2611-4264 Mb), centromeres and telomeres adopted a Rabl-like configuration or dispersed distribution in the nuclear interior; telomeres only rarely associated with the nucleolus. In Arabis cypria (381 Mb) and Bunias orientalis (2611 Mb), tissue-specific patterns deviating from the major nuclear phenotypes were observed in anther and stem tissues, respectively. The rosette-like configuration, including nucleolus-associated telomere clustering in small-genome species from different infrafamiliar clades, suggests that genomic properties rather than phylogenetic position determine the interphase nuclear organization. Our data suggest that nuclear genome size, average chromosome size and degree of longitudinal chromosome compartmentalization affect interphase chromosome organization in crucifer genomes.

Morphometric and biochemical features of different Bunias orientalis L. genotypes in the M. M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden of the NAS of Ukraine

Purpose. Determine a number of morphometric and biochemical parameters of various genotypes of Bunias orientalis L. in the M. M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden of the NAS of Ukraine (NBG). Methods. Plant samples of B. orientalis (6 genotypes created in the NBG) were examined during the flowering stage. Determination of dry matter, ash, calcium was carried out according to Hrytsaienko et al. (2003), phosphorus according to Pochinok (1976), sugars, ascorbic acid and lipids were determined according to Krishchenko (1983), b-carotene according to Pleshkov (1985). The energy value of plants was determined using an IKA C-200 calorimeter. The obtained results were analysed statistically. Results. The height of plants varied from 140.9 (Genotype 1) to 157.5 (Genotype 5) cm, stem diameter from 11.67 (Genotype 1) to 16.1 (Genotype 6) mm, the number of internodes from 18.7 (Genotype 1) to 25.7 (Genotype 6), the number of leaves on a stem from 14.11 (Genotype 1) to 21.8 (Genotype 5), leaf lamina length from 14.2 (Genotype 1) to 23.45 (Genotype 6) cm, leaf lamina width from 6.34 (Genotype 1) to 14.5 (Genotype 4) cm, inflorescence length from 27.4 (Genotype 1) to 45.4 (Genotype 3) cm, inflorescence width from 2.32 (Genotype 1) to 4.92 (Genotype 3) cm, and the number of stems from 2.55 (Genotype 2) to 5.33 (Genotype 1). The study of the content of structural and functional compounds and nutrients at the flowering stage showed that the dry matter content was in the range of 13.58–16.00%, sugars 5.07–8.86%, titratable acidity 3.28–4.25%, lipids 3.33–6.61%, ascorbic acid 382.83–693.82 mg%, b-carotene 0.94–3.48 mg%, ash 6.79–9.2%, calcium 1.00–2.44%, phosphorus 1.61–2.67% and energy value 3337.0–3498.0 cal/g. Conclusions. It was revealed that samples of various genotypes of B. orientalis are a valuable source of nutrients at the flowering stage. The biochemical composition of plants depended on the genotype and stage of growth. Results of the morphometric study showed variability of investigated parameters. The obtained data can be used to predict and evaluate the results of introduction and breeding studies with B. orientalis genotypes as promising crops in Ukraine.

Invasion Success of Bunias orientalis (Warty Cabbage) in Grasslands: A Mesocosm Experiment on the Role of Hydrological Stress and Disturbance

Climate change is altering precipitation patterns, with higher frequency and magnitude of extreme events. Specifically, longer and more pronounced waterlogged conditions are predicted after rain spells as well as more frequent droughts, especially in Central Europe. Such hydrological changes can severely affect species performance and alter the function of ecosystems, as well as favor plant invasions. Competition with native communities may change depending on water stress. Bunias orientalis is an invasive plant that may benefit from disturbance or precipitation changes. We conducted a 3-year mesocosm experiment in a common garden to investigate how invasion success of B. orientalis in native German grassland communities is affected by varying hydrological conditions (from very dry to waterlogged). We measured the establishment and growth of B. orientalis in varying water table depths in bare soil (simulating disturbance) vs. in the community. Establishment and biomass of B. orientalis was generally highest under non-stress conditions. The species was also highly tolerant to dry conditions, but only when growing in bare soil. However, performance of B. orientalis was generally low, whereby interspecific competition in communities greatly limited invasion success. This might be due to the low competitive ability of the species in conditions of hydrological stress and the near-natural grassland communities with an extensive mowing regime used in our experiment. Our results suggest that invasion success of B. orientalis in grasslands will not increase if precipitation patterns change toward more extreme events. However, disturbance that creates bare soil patches might favor B. orientalis under drought conditions.

Vegetation recovery in open cast mines of Tver Region

In the study natural plant communities appearing at the first stages of vegetation recovery in open cuts are described. Sixty-three species of higher vascular plants were found, six of which are adventive (Bunias orientalis L., Cichorium intybus L., Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop., Melilotus albus Medik., Sedum spurium M.Bieb., Solidago canadensis L.). Species from the Asteraceae (15), Gramíneae (8), Fabáceae (7) families prevail. The predominant life form according to I. Serebryakov are long-rhizome. According to G. Zozulin’s classification, plants belonging to the meadow and birch formations are most common. The associations of Calamagrostis epigejos and Bromus inermis predominate. Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop., Heracleum sibiricum L., Campanula glomerata L. are single.

Assessment of crop production quality in case of technogenic soil contamination

The article considers the degree of arsenic, cadmium and lead contamination in soils of the municipal settlement the city of Svirsk, Irkutsk region. The responses of various types of agricultural plants to contamination by arsenic, cadmium and lead and their accumulation in green mass and fruits is presented. All cultivated plants accumulate arsenic, cadmium and lead, their content exceeds the maximum available concentration (MPC) and cannot be used for food production, as well as for feeding farm animals. The highest content of arsenic, cadmium and lead was observed in vegetable crops: red beet (Beta vulgaris), cucumber (Cucumis sativus), onion (Allium cepa), pea (Pisum sativum), lettuce (Acetaria), garlic (Allium sativum), potato (Solanum tuberosum), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), as well as in the green mass of feed crops: alfalfa (Medicago sativa), elytrigia (Elytrigia repens), Hungarian sainfoin (Onobrychis arenaria), highlander spread (Polygonum divaricatum), Turkish wartycabbage (Bunias orientalis). Indicator plants include red beet (Beta vulgaris), excluder plants - potato (Solanum tuberosum), accumulator plants - Turkish wartycabbage (Buniasorientalis). The authors propose that all used agricultural land be withdrawn from agriculture and preserved.

Interactions of Bunias orientalis plant chemotypes and fungal pathogens with different host specificity in vivo and in vitro

Within several plant species, a high variation in the composition of particular defence metabolites can be found, forming distinct chemotypes. Such chemotypes show different effects on specialist and generalist plant enemies, whereby studies examining interactions with pathogens are underrepresented. We aimed to determine factors mediating the interaction of two chemotypes of Bunias orientalis (Brassicaceae) with two plant pathogenic fungal species of different host range, Alternaria brassicae (narrow host range = specialist) and Botrytis cinerea (broad host-range = generalist) using a combination of controlled bioassays. We found that the specialist, but not the generalist, was sensitive to differences between plant chemotypes in vivo and in vitro. The specialist fungus was more virulent (measured as leaf water loss) on one chemotype in vivo without differing in biomass produced during infection, while extracts from the same chemotype caused strong growth inhibition in that species in vitro. Furthermore, fractions of extracts from B. orientalis had divergent in vitro effects on the specialist versus the generalist, supporting presumed adaptations to certain compound classes. This study underlines the necessity to combine various experimental approaches to elucidate the complex interplay between plants and different pathogens.

Числа хромосом инвазивных и потенциально инвазивных видов во флоре Республики Алтай: сообщение 3

Chromosome numbers (2n) in 10 invasive plant species from the families Apiaceae, Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Poaceae and Urticaceae are reported on the samples collected in the Republic of Altai. Among them, chromosome complements were first examined in Asian part of Russia for Lapsana communis (2n = 14). Saponaria officinalis (2n = 28) and Lotus corniculatus (2n = 24) were studied first from Siberia. Six species: Conium maculatum (2n = 22), Bunias orientalis (2n = 14), Vicia hirsuta (2n = 14), Leonurus quinquelobatus (2n = 18), Digitaria ischaemum (2n = 36) and Setaria pumila (2n = 36), were studied first from the Republic of Altai. The most studied species are diploids. General distribution and the history of floristic findings of these species in the Republic of Altai are given. Previously published data on chromosome numbers based on the material from Russia are cited.

Ways to Reduce Water Erosion on Mountainous Slope Lands

The most important problem in the highland area is the development of technologies to reduce water erosion and improve soil fertility preservation. In order to restore degraded soils of slope lands, a number of measure is undertaken, among them planting crops across the slope and rational fertilizer treatment. To reduce erosion processes, mineral fertilizers were applied depending on the steepness of slope. High sections with the steepness of 9–10∘ received ammonium sulphate in a quantity of 60 kg/ha. Lower part of the slope with the steepness of 5–7∘ received ammonia nitrate as a nitrogen fertilizer in a quantity of 80 kg/ha, while the gentle sloping part with 2–5∘ had urea-formaldehyde fertilizer incorporated under winter tillage in a quantity of 50 kg/ha. At that, stripes were formed across the slope where tall-growing perennial herbs were planted: hill mustard (Bunias orentalis L.), silphium (Silphium perfaliatum), Eastern galega (Galeqa orientalis L.), cock’s foot grass (Dakfilis qlamerata L.). The research results have shown that thanks to fertilizers, yield of crops increases by a factor of 1.5–2, while soil losses reduced from 0.042 to 0.018 t/ha.

RECORDS OF ALIEN VASCULAR PLANTS IN THE YAMALO-NENETS AUTONOMOUS DISTRICT (RUSSIA)

The article contains information about the records of 43 species of alien vascular plants made in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District. Field surveys were carried out in 2012-2016. The detected invasive species were growing on wasteland, abandoned and new lawns, in ditches and on roadsides. A majority of the reported species (Avena fatua, A. sativa, Barbarea vulgaris., Brassica rapa, Bunias orientalis, Cannabis sativa, Cirsium arvense, Crepis tectorum, Cyanus segetum, Dactylis glomerata, Erodium cicutarium, Fallopia convolvulus, Geum aleppicum, Glechoma hederacea, Helianthus lenticularis, Lappula squarrosa, Lathyrus pratensis, Lepidium ruderale, Lycopersicon esculentum, Medicago falcata, Plantago media, Potentilla norvegica, Raphanus raphanistrum, Rubus idaeus, Rumex pseudonatronatus, Scorzoneroides autumnalis, Secale cereale, Silene tatarica, Solanum tuberosum, Sonchus arvensis, Trifolium hybridum, T. medium, Triticum aestivum, Tussilago farfara, Typha latifolia, Urtica dioica) have been previously known from a few locations in the district. Onobrychis viciifolia Scop. and Echium vulgare L. are new for the regional flora. There is little information in the literature and in herbaria about Hordeum jubatum, Lepidotheca suaveolens, Senecio vulgaris, Melilotus albus and M. officinalis in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District. However, these species are getting successfully naturalized, turning into common synanthropic plants in settlements of the district. Data from the herbarium label, information on the distribution in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District and, if necessary, brief comments on the distribution in Siberia with specification for Western Siberia are provided for each species.