Floral Crops Research Articles

Enhancing floral diversity: A review of mutation breeding techniques in flower crops

Flower crops encompass a wide range of ornamental annuals and perennials that are commercially cultivated for aesthetic appeal of their floral displays. Mutation induction has been used since the early 20th century to increase genetic diversity and develop new flower varieties with improved yield, quality, adaptation and market value. Mutation experiments have successfully created genetic variability and novel phenotypes in diverse floral species. Mutation breeding, which involves the induction of genetic variations via physical and chemical mutagens, has emerged as a vital technique for enhancing ornamental plant traits, such as flower color, shape, disease resistance and stress tolerance. It explores the types and applications of physical mutagens, such as gamma rays and ion beams and chemical mutagens, such as ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) and sodium azide (SA). This review provides detailed insights into mutation breeding research conducted on major flower crops (e.g., rose, carnation, chrysanthemum and gerbera). This study also highlights achievements in the development of novel flower varieties, highlights the key challenges faced in mutation breeding programs and identifies gaps in research, particularly concerning the comparative efficacy of different mutagens, environmental impacts and genetic stability of mutated varieties. Furthermore, the impact of mutation breeding on the global flower market is discussed, emphasizing its role in expanding trait diversity, catering to niche markets and enhancing the commercial value of flower crops. Mutation breeding offers significant promise in the development of sustainable and climate-resilient ornamental crops that can meet the needs of emerging markets. This review serves as a valuable resource for students, scientists and breeders interested in leveraging mutation breeding for floral crop improvement.

Otimização da tecnologia de micropropagação clonal de variedades ornamentais de rosas ‘Dream Come True’ e ‘Full Sail’

Abstract The rose is the most important ornamental and floral crop, as well as a valuable aromatic and medicinal plant. For accelerated production of planting material, clonal micropropagation is used. There are problems in obtaining an aseptic culture and the peculiarities of plant cultivation at different stages, depending on the variety. It is necessary to develop and optimize the technological cycle of cultivation in in vitro culture. The results showed that the highest viability of rose explants obtained from lateral buds was noted by sterilization with 0.2% silver nitrate solution of and 5% Lysoformin 3000 with an exposure of 15 minutes (82%-95%); the highest viability of explants obtained from etiolated shoots was observed when sterilized with 0.2% silver nitrate solution with an exposure of 10 minutes and 5% Lysoformin 3000 with an exposure of 15 min (82%-100%). The maximum length of the micro-shoots was noted in the ‘Dream Come True’ variety on a QL (Quoirin and Lepoivre) nutrient medium (on average 21.2 cm), in the ‘Full Sail’ variety - on a ½ QL medium (on average 24.9 cm). An increase in the concentration of 6-BAP from 0.5 to 1.0 mg L-1 in the nutrient medium contributed to an increase in the number of micro-shoots (by 1.7-1.9 times). The maximum root length was noted on the nutrient medium ½ QL (on average 88.7-95.3 cm). An increase in the concentration of IAA from 0.5 to 1.0 mg L-1 in the nutrient medium contributed to an increase in root length by 1.4-1.8 times. The protocol developed in this study allows to propagate these two varieties in vitro and produce a large number of plants.

MeJA-induced hairy roots in Plumbago auriculata L. by RNA-seq profiling and key synthase provided new insights into the sustainable production of plumbagin and saponins.

Naturally synthesized secondary metabolites in plants are considered an important source of drugs, food additives, etc. Among them, research on natural plant medicinal components and their synthesis mechanisms has always been of high concern. We identified a novel medicinal floral crop, Plumbago auriculata L., that can be treated with methyl jasmonate (MeJA) for the rapid or sustainable production of natural bioactives from hairy roots. In the study, we globally analyzed the changes in the accumulation of plumbagin and others in the hairy roots of Plumbago auriculata L. hairy roots (PAHR) 15834 in P. auriculata L. based on 100 μmol/L of MeJA treatment by RNA-seq profiling, and we found that there was a significant increase in the accumulation of plumbagin and saponin before 24h. To explain the principle of co-accumulation, it showed that MeJA induced JA signaling and the shikimic acid pathway, and the methylvaleric acid (MVA) pathway was activated downstream subsequently by the Mfuzz and weighted gene co-expression analysis. Under the shared metabolic pathway, the high expression of PAL3 and HMGR promoted the activity of the "gateway enzymes" phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase (HMGR), which respectively induced the high expression of key reaction enzyme genes, including chalcone synthase (CHS), isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP), and farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPS), that led to the synthesis of plumbagin and saponin. We speculated that large amounts of ketones and/or aldehydes were formed under the action of these characteristic enzymes, ultimately achieving their co-accumulation through polyketone and high-level sugar and amino acid metabolism. The study results provided a theoretical basis for carrying out the factory refinement and biosynthesis of plumbagin and saponins and also provided new ideas for fully exploiting multifunctional agricultural crops and plants and developing new agricultural by-products.

Exogenous melatonin ameliorates heat damages by regulating growth, photosynthetic efficiency and leaf ultrastructure of carnation

Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) is a floral crop that is highly valuable commercially. However, high temperatures adversely affect its growth and the quality of its cut flowers. Melatonin (MT) is a indole substance that can mitigate plant damage under heat stress. In this study, the leaves of carnation seedlings were sprayed with different concentrations of MT before exposure to high temperature. The indices of growth, physiological and chlorophyll fluorescence were measured and analyzed by the membership function method. The results showed that treatment with 100 μM MT was the most effective at ameliorating damage on carnation. We then analyzed the effects of 100 μM MT pretreatment on carnation at different time points of heat stress and found that this concentration of MT ameliorated the damage caused by heat stress, increased the content of photosynthetic pigments, enhanced the performance of photosystem II and improved photosynthesis. In addition, MT also reduced cell damage and lipid peroxidation, increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes and regulated the accumulation of osmotic substances in carnation. Moreover, MT increased the fresh/dry weight of stems and roots, promoted the opening of stomata, and protected the integrity of chloroplast structure of carnation. Compared with heat stress, pre-spraying with MT significantly down-regulated the transcription of a chlorophyll degradation gene and up-regulated the transcription of stress-related genes. Overall, this study provides a theoretical foundation for the mitigation of the adverse effects of exogenous MT under heat stress and proposes beneficial implications for the management of other plants subjected to global warming.

Comparative Analysis of Aerobic Composting of Fresh Cut Floral Waste

Abstract Increased levels of pesticide applications are used when growing cut flowers in many developing countries where most are grown and where they are less restrictive on pesticide use when compared to regulations in the United States. Therefore, special consideration should be given to cut flower disposal from floral shops that utilize flowers from other countries due to the potential for pesticide leaching into land and waterways. Most retail florists in the industry dispose of their floral waste in municipal dumpsters. While the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has stringent guidelines to prevent the importation of insect and disease pests, there are no regulations regarding residual pesticides or other harmful chemical contamination on imported floral crops. Composting is one technique used as an alternative waste management method to traditional landfill dumping and can produce a valuable commodity for agricultural, horticultural, and related industries. The main objectives of this study were to compare the physicochemical properties of two different compost protocols that incorporated cut flower and foliage waste and to determine whether pesticide residues remained in the finished compost. Analysis of results were based on the U.S. Composting Council's Tests Methods for the Examination of Composting and Compost used by the U.S. Composting Council's Seal of Testing Approval (STA) program. When compared to STA standards, both compost samples pH, total nitrogen, C:N ratio, and bioassay were found to be within normal ranges for compost sold in the horticulture industry. Chemical analysis found the levels of arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, zinc all to be well below set industry standards. Additionally, the compost was tested for 23 herbicides and insecticides. Of those, two herbicides (clopyralid and MCPA) and one insecticide (lufenuron) were found in the sample in trace amounts, though well below USDA standards for food crops after the composting process. Results indicated floral waste collected from retail flower shops has the potential to be incorporated into a composting system to create a quality compost suitable for use in the horticulture industry.

NAC transcription factor TgNAP promotes tulip petal senescence.

Petal senescence is a crucial determinant for ornamental quality and economic value of floral crops. Salicylic acid (SA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are two prominent factors involved in plant senescence regulation. In this study, tulip TgNAP (NAC-like, activated by APETALA3/PISTILLATA) was characterized as positively regulating tulip petal senescence through dually regulating SA biosynthesis and ROS detoxification pathways. TgNAP was upregulated in senescing petals of tulip while exogenous SA and H2O2 treatments substantially promoted petal senescence in tulip. Silencing of TgNAP by VIGS assay delayed SA and H2O2-induced petal senescence in tulip, whereas overexpression of TgNAP promoted the senescence process in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants. Additionally, inhibition of SA biosynthesis prolonged the lifespan of TgNAP-silenced petal discs. Further evidence indicated that TgNAP activates the transcriptions of two key SA biosynthetic genes ISOCHORISMATE SYNTHASE 1 (TgICS1) and PHENYLALANINE AMMONIA-LYASE 1 (TgPAL1) through directly binding to their promoter regions. Meanwhile, TgNAP repressed ROS scavenging by directly inhibiting PEROXIDASE 12 (POD12) and POD17 expression. Taken together, these results indicate that TgNAP enhances SA biosynthesis and ROS accumulation to positively regulate petal senescence in tulip.

Response of Phaius tankervilleae Bl. to Various Nutrient Concentration Levels

To ensure the healthy growth and development of vegetative and reproductive tissues, all plants must obtain a specific amount of inorganic mineral elements from their surroundings.One of the most crucial elements that regulates the growth and development of floral crops is the availability of mineral nutrients in sufficient quantities. The current study was carried out at the Assam Agricultural University's Horticulture Experimental Farm in Jorhat, Assam, during the 2020–2021 academic year utilising a completely randomised design with seven different treatment combinations and three replications. The findings showed that mineral nutrients had a substantial impact on all growth features. The treatment T5 (RDF+ Ca 500 ppm) was the most effective in boosting all growth characteristics, including plant height (56.27 cm) ,leaf count (12.33, leaf length (53.07cm), leaf width (9.67cm), leaf area (469.23cm2), stem diameter (7.07cm), and number of pseudobulbs (2.80).T2 (RDF+ Zn 750ppm) exhibited the shortest days for inflorescence visibility (50.87), bud development (142.80), days to half bloom (146.30), and days to full bloom (148.77), as well as the greatest value for spike length (66.73cm), floret diameter (9.67cm), stalk girth (3.67cm), number of florets per spike (12.93), number of spikes per plant (2. (22.80g). For Physiological characters, treatment T2 (RDF+Zn(750ppm) was best for increasing total chlorophyll content (1.55 mg g-1 fw,), stomatal number (37.13), and stomatal size (5.80 \(\mu\) m2).

An Analysis of the Quality of Compost Produced from Vermicomposting Fresh Cut Flower Waste

Abstract Higher levels of pesticide applications are used when growing cut flowers when compared to other crops such as tomatoes, lettuce, and rice, much of the floriculture industry production occurs in developing countries where less environmental regulations may be in place compared to those in the United States. Therefore, special consideration should be given to cut flower disposal from floral shops due to the potential excessive leaching of pesticides into land and waterways. Most retail florists in the industry dispose of their floral waste into municipal dumpsters. There are an estimated 13,200 retail flower shop locations in the United States, comprised of single location and multiple location companies. While the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has stringent guidelines to prevent the importation of pests and plant diseases, there are no regulations on the disposal of spent floral crops that may contain residues of pesticides or other chemicals. Vermicomposting is a method of composting used for pollution abatement while having the added benefit of acting as an alternative waste management method to traditional landfill dumping. The castings produced are a valuable commodity for agricultural, horticultural, and related industries. The main objective of this research was to analyze the quality of compost produced from vermicomposting fresh cut floral waste. Analysis of results was based on the U.S. Composting Council's Tests Methods for the Examination of Composting and Compost used by the U.S. Composting Council's Seal of Testing Approval (STA) program. When compared to STA standards, pH, soluble salts, organic matter, total nitrogen, carbon, carbon-to-nitrogen, bioassay, and respirometry all were found to be within normal ranges for compost sold in the horticulture industry. Chemical analysis found the level of arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, zinc all to be well below set industry standards. Additionally, the vermicompost was lab tested for 23 herbicides and insecticides. Of those, one herbicide (clopyralid) and two insecticides (clofentezine and lufenuron) were found in the sample in trace amounts, and well below Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set industry standards for acceptable trace amount in U.S. products. Results indicated floral waste collected from retail flower shops can be incorporated into a vermicomposting system to create a quality compost suitable for use in the horticulture industry.

Visual Quality, Gas Exchange, and Yield of Anemone and Ranunculus Irrigated with Saline Water

In response to the growing demand for specialty cut flowers, floral crops are increasingly produced in semiarid areas where soil salinity can impact crop timing, reduce stem length, and decrease yield. The goal of this study was to investigate the salinity sensitivity of ‘Carmel’ and ‘Galilee’ anemone (Anemone coronaria), and ‘Amandine’ and ‘LaBelle’ ranunculus (Ranunculus asiaticus) with respect to physiological characteristics and marketable yield. Nine plants were irrigated weekly for 8 weeks with a nutrient (control) solution with an electrical conductivity (EC) of 0.5 dS⋅m–1 or saline solutions prepared by adding sodium chloride and calcium chloride dihydrate to a nutrient solution to obtain an EC of 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, or 5.5 dS⋅m–1. Yield was evaluated by dividing stems into marketable and cull grades based on length and bloom quality. At the end of the study, the visual quality of the plants was scored, and gas exchange data were collected using a portable photosynthesis system. Cultivars of each species responded similarly, and marketable yields were low across all treatments, with average marketable yields (mean ± sd) of 1.7 ± 0.6 stems/plant for anemone and 1.2 ± 0.1 stems/plant for ranunculus. Visual quality (0–5 scale, with 0 = dead and 5 = excellent) decreased from 3 to 1 for anemone and 3 to 2 for ranunculus as EC increased from 0.5 to 4.5 dS⋅m–1 and 0.5 to 5.5 dS⋅m–1, respectively. Anemone leaf greenness decreased by 48%, stomatal conductance (gS) decreased by 79%, transpiration (E) decreased by 75%, and net photosynthesis (Pn) decreased by 92% when irrigation solution EC increased from 0.5 to 4.5 dS⋅m–1. The ranunculus growth index decreased by 17%, leaf greenness decreased by 45%, and E decreased by 23% as irrigation solution EC increased from 0.5 to 5.5 dS⋅m–1. Both anemone and ranunculus can be considered sensitive to salinity, indicating the importance of careful soil management in cut flower production systems in semiarid areas that are at risk for elevated soil salinity.

Effect of weather factors and nitrogen application on nectar secretion and honey production potential in sunflower

Sunflower is a highly important bee floral crop. The nectar secretion governs this parameter and is greatly influenced by cultivar, environmental factors and fertilizer application. Studies were conducted at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana on sunflower hybrids (PSH 996 and PSH 1962) sown on different dates (January 31, February 10, February 20 and March 2) with three levels of nitrogen (45, 60 and 75 kg ha-1). Delay in sowing from January 31 to March 2 caused significant reduction in nectar secretion (12.66%) and increase in its concentration (5.38%). The daily mean temperature had significant positive (R2 = 0.52 and 0.54) while mean relative humidity had negative (R2 = 0.55 and 0.37) correlation with nectar total soluble solids (TSS).Nectar secretion and its TSS increased significantly only at nitrogen dose of 60 kg ha-1 as compared to 45 kg ha-1.Weather parameters have more pronounced effects on TSSat 45 kg ha-1.Delay in sowing by one month resulted in reduction in honey production potential by 1.5- 1.8 kg ha-1. In addition to this, the reduced nectar availability due to delay in sowing may negatively effect in attracting and sustaining pollinators’ populations and crop yield.

Is seasonal flowering time of Paphiopedilum species caused by differences in initial time of floral bud differentiation?

Members of the genus Paphiopedilum are world-famous for their large, colourful flowers, unique floral morphology and long floral lifespan. Most Paphiopedilum species bloom in spring or autumn. The control of flowering time is of great significance to the commercial production of floral crops, because it affects the sales and prices of flowers. However, the mechanism that regulates when Paphiopedilum species bloom is unclear. In the present study, floral bud initiation and development of P. micranthum (spring-flowering species with one flower per stalk), P. dianthum (autumn-flowering species with multiple flowers per stalk) and P. henryanum (autumn-flowering species with one flower per stalk) were investigated by morphological and anatomical methods. We divided Paphiopedilum floral bud differentiation into six phases: the initiation of differentiation, inflorescence primordium differentiation, flower primordium differentiation, sepal primordium differentiation, petal primordium differentiation and column primordium differentiation. We found that the timing of floral bud differentiation for the three species was synchronized when experiencing the same environment, while the period from initiation to flowering largely differed. In addition, initiation of floral bud differentiation in P. dianthum was earlier at a warmer environment. The difference in flowering time of three species was mainly caused by the duration of floral bud development, rather than the initiation time. The findings were of great significance for the cultivation and flowering regulation of Paphiopedilum species.

A collection of the decorative plants of the Polar Experimental Station Branch VIR

The article presents a taxonomic analysis for the decorative plants collection in the Polar Experimental Station of the VIR branch. The collection fund of floral and ornamental plants of the VIR Polar Experimental Station currently contains 208 species, 90 cultural forms and varieties from 53 families. The collection of annual crops is represented by 21 genera, 22 species, 69 varieties from 14 families. Perennial herbaceous decorative plants on the Polar OS VIR have 101 genera, 140 species from 40 families. The collection of decorative shrubs at the Polar Experimental Station consists of 20 genera, 47 species from 11 families. From the collection of herbaceous floral and decorative crops, the plants from the Asteraceae family are most represented. The Asteraceae occupies a dominant position in the collection of annuals in terms of the number of species and varieties (8 genera, 9 species, 24 varieties). The families Solanaceae and Violaceae each have one species, but the number of cultivars cultivated at the station (9 and 18, respectively) makes it possible to distinguish them from the general composition of the collection of annuals. Among the decorative herbaceous perennials, the largest number of species (≥10) are the families: aster (18 genera, 24 species), buttercup (7 genera, 12 species), carnation (5 genera, 10 species), rosaceae (7 genera, 10 species). The family Rosaceae in the collection of decorative shrub plants is predominant in number and has 10 genera and 29 species. All decorative plants of the VIR Polar Experimental Station nursery of different life forms are introduced. The main work is aimed at attracting modern varieties, new species, and intraspecific forms to the collection. The analysis of the taxonomic structure of plant species, varieties and forms allows us to identify and recommend the most resistant to extreme growing conditions plants that have high decorative qualities, taking into account modern trends in urban floristics.

Road to successful floriculture through soil micronutrient mapping of different zones of India

The present scenario for natural resource conservation demands for crop diversification and efficient management of natural resources, viz. water, nutrient, soil. The horticultural crops are always looked upon for diversification and within horticultural crops; fruits and vegetables are given prime importance for nutritional value and high outputs. Floricultural crops have emerged as potent livelihood crops for small and marginal farmers, employment for youth with low inputs, crop diversification and natural resource management. The improper use of inputs, viz. fertilizer and water in floral crops limits their production and can adversely affect soil health. So floriculturists should work on this least attended area and recommend appropriate fertilizers to flower growers for good quality production. In comparison to other crops, the nutrient requirement of floral crops is more due to which they scavenge more nutrients from soil so large amount of these nutrients are needed to replenish the soil to maintain balance. The critical limits of micronutrients for different agronomic crops have been developed and same are used for floricultural crops too but as requirement of these crops is higher so critical limits for floral crops need to be developed. Keeping in view all above, an attempt has been made to map micronutrient status of major flower producing states that could be used in management of micronutrient requirement of different floral crops. This will further help in development of policies pertaining to sound micronutrient management packages and precision fertilization in floriculture.

Sequencing and analysis of gerbera daisy leaf transcriptomes reveal disease resistance and susceptibility genes differentially expressed and associated with powdery mildew resistance

BackgroundRNA sequencing has been widely used to profile genome-wide gene expression and identify candidate genes controlling disease resistance and other important traits in plants. Gerbera daisy is one of the most important flowers in the global floricultural trade, and powdery mildew (PM) is the most important disease of gerbera. Genetic improvement of gerbera PM resistance has become a crucial goal in gerbera breeding. A better understanding of the genetic control of gerbera resistance to PM can expedite the development of PM-resistant cultivars.ResultsThe objectives of this study were to identify gerbera genotypes with contrasting phenotypes in PM resistance and sequence and analyze their leaf transcriptomes to identify disease resistance and susceptibility genes differentially expressed and associated with PM resistance. An additional objective was to identify SNPs and SSRs for use in future genetic studies. We identified two gerbera genotypes, UFGE 4033 and 06–245-03, that were resistant and susceptible to PM, respectively. De novo assembly of their leaf transcriptomes using four complementary pipelines resulted in 145,348 transcripts with a N50 of 1124 bp, of which 67,312 transcripts contained open reading frames and 48,268 were expressed in both genotypes. A total of 494 transcripts were likely involved in disease resistance, and 17 and 24 transcripts were up- and down-regulated, respectively, in UFGE 4033 compared to 06–245-03. These gerbera disease resistance transcripts were most similar to the NBS-LRR class of plant resistance genes conferring resistance to various pathogens in plants. Four disease susceptibility transcripts (MLO-like) were expressed only or highly expressed in 06–245-03, offering excellent candidate targets for gene editing for PM resistance in gerbera. A total of 449,897 SNPs and 19,393 SSRs were revealed in the gerbera transcriptomes, which can be a valuable resource for developing new molecular markers.ConclusionThis study represents the first transcriptomic analysis of gerbera PM resistance, a highly important yet complex trait in a globally important floral crop. The differentially expressed disease resistance and susceptibility transcripts identified provide excellent targets for development of molecular markers and genetic maps, cloning of disease resistance genes, or targeted mutagenesis of disease susceptibility genes for PM resistance in gerbera.

DIAZINON IMPACT ASSESSMENT ON SOME GEOBIONTS IN THE REPUBLIC OF BASHKORTOSTAN

Background The article shows the effect of the insecticide «Zemlin», the active substance of which is diazinone, on soil organisms and on some plant species. This pesticide is actively used in the agroindustrial sector of the country in the fight against various pests. Aims and Objectives In order to detect the anthropogenic load of the soil ecosystem in the effects of the drug «Zemlin» containing diazinone, and to assess the toxicity of the insecticide on soil organisms, earthrworms ( Lumbricus terrestris L .) and bacteria living in the soil: Pseudomonas sp., Bacillus sp., Arthrobacter sp., Azotobacter sp., Flavobacterium sp. The drug was analyzed for phytotoxicity on onion sprouts ( Allium cepa ), cabbage ( Brassica oleracea ) and Helichrysum arenarium . Biodestruction of diazinon with soil microorganisms-destructors has been investigated. Methods The material for experiments was the drug «Zemlin» in which the active substance is diazinone. A fertile black-and-yellow product, selected from the environmentally friendly territory of the Karmaskalinsky Region of the Republic of Bashkortostan. In this work, experiments were conducted on the effects of the drug on earthworms, taking into account their behavior, modeled the condition of contact of earthworms ( Lumbricus terrestris L.) with the drug. Studies on phytotoxicity were carried out, as test objects used vegetable and floral crops (onion, cabbage, helichrysum). Determining the number of microorganisms in soil samples before and after exposure to insecticide in PC concentrations (production concentration), 2PC and 5PC were carried out by «fingerprinting» in petri dishes on meatpepton agar (MPA) taken as nutrient environment. We planted soil samples and cultivated them from 2 to 5 days in a thermostat at 28 °С. Microorganisms used diazinone as a source of carbon and energy. The change in the destructive material was determined with the help of a thinlayer chromatogram (TSX), the plates SilufolUV-254 were used, the ehuent was acetone, the developer of phosphorus-molybdenic acid ( Rf = 0.3). Chromato-mass spectral analysis was carried out on the device ShimadzuGC-9A. Results Analysis of the effects of the insecticide on the basis of diazinone on earthworms showed that the drug has a high toxic effect. In PC for 3 days live earthworms were observed 60 %. In an experiment to study phytotoxicity, the analysis showed that after treatment with the drug «Zemlin» with different concentrations: PC, 2PC, 5PC and control (drug free) the length of the above-ground and underground parts of plants that were etched, different from the control sample. It has been established that the length of the sprouts increases when the concentration of diazinon increases. Diazinon does not have toxicity to seeds, and enhances their growth and development. In an experiment to establish the effects of the insecticide on soil bacteria, it was found that in soil, untreated toxicant, the dominant microorganisms are Pseudomonas sp., Bacillus sp., Arthrobacter sp., Azotobacter sp. and Azotobacter sp. and Flavobacterium sp. When the concentration of the substance of the drug (PC, 2PC, 5 PC) increases, there is a change in the quality and quantitative composition of soil microorganisms. The decrease in the number of microorganisms occurs already during the production concentration. 2 PC pollution of leads to the disappearance from the microenvironment of the soil Azotobacter sp., Arthrobacter sp. and Flavobacterium sp. Toxic action of diazinon is sustained by bacteria of the species Pseudomonas sp. and Bacillus sp. Biodestruction of the diazinon was carried out for 65 days. After 14 days in the NMR and GLC-MS spectrums products of hydralise diazinone appeared. The complete chemical transformation of the studied pesticide takes place on 65 days (control on TLH), in the NMR 31P spectrum there are no signals of the phosphorus atom. At the same time, there is no diazinone in the GLC-MS spectrum, but there has been a peak identified as 4.6- dimethyl-N-phenylpiridin-2-amin, which can be considered as a biodegradation product under the influence of Pseudomonas sp. bacteria.

Некоторые аспекты селекционной работы с цветочными однолетними культурами для целей городского озеленения

Некоторые аспекты селекционной работы с цветочными однолетними культурами для целей городского озеленения

Vegetable growing is one of the priority directions of agricultural production

In recent years, in the agricultural sector there is a tendency to increase the production of crop products. However, its quality is still not high enough. To improve the situation in the vegetable growing industry, an important place is given to improving breeding and seed production, since the variety and high-quality seeds are the main elements of modern crop cultivation zonal technologies. At the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Federal Scientific Vegetable Center” (FSBSI FSVC), vegetable crop breeding has been put on the innovative path of development, where modern methods are used along with classical ones: molecular markers on the main of economical important plant determinants, accelerated creation of homogeneous lines using the methods of doubled haploids and biotechnology of functional products for healthy nutrition. As a result of purposeful selection work, domestic varieties and hybrids of vegetable crops with fundamentally new qualities were created. The geographical location of the branches of the Center allows you to create breeding achievements for all potential regions of vegetable growing. In 2019, 36 varieties and hybrids of vegetables and melon crops were created, including cabbage, carrot, tomato, onion, onion Shallot, perennial onion, garlic, peas, bean, cowpea, pumpkin, cucumber, sugar corn, green vegetables culture, spicy-flavouring plant and floral crops. In order to provide the industry with pure-grade quality seed material and increase the productivity of crops due to the full use of the potential of the variety in the FSBSI FSVC, constant work is carried out in primary seed production. Zonal cultivation technologies have been developed that will allow growing domestic products in different soil and climatic conditions of the country. Wide introduction of achievements of the Russian vegetable growing science in agricultural production is capable to provide the population of the Russian Federation with high-quality, domestic production.

Специфіка процесів проростання насіння калістефусу китайського (Callistephus chinensis (L.) Nees.)

The morphological peculiarities of the 10 Callistephus chinensis (L.) Nees. cultivars (Anastasia, Angelina, Kirswell, Lybid, Oksana, Polina, Pryntsesa, Roksolana, Rozkishna, Rubinovyie Zviozdy, Yabluneva) of the different genetic origination and 10 hybrid forms (143-4, 151-4, 178-4, 193-3, 210-1, 256-4, 261-2, and 265s-2-1 bread at Institute of Horticulture of National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine were analyzed in order to carry out the resultative selection of resistant cvs, preserve their genetic fund and enlarge the assortment of the floral and ornamental plants. The authors have, presented the results of studying the morphological peculiarities of the researched crop seeds, indices of their generation biology, seed productivity level of different varieties and hybrids. The obtained results confirm the high efficiency of the Calistephus chinensis (L.) Nees. cultivars and hubris forms seed reproduction. The tendency has been detected of the increase of the average mass of 1000 seeds of cvs and hybrids of the flowering late terms. The hybrid form 210-1 distinguished it self for the highest respective index (2.75 g), the variety Rubinovyie Zviozdy had the lowest one (1.59 g).Yabluneva and 210-1 had the largest seeds linear size. According the average indicators of the seed vigour and germination rate the group of the cultivars and hybrids of the early bloom term exceeds considerably the rest of cvs and hybrid forms. The indices of the seed laboratory germination rate correlate with those of the germination vigour. Among the varieties of the average and Yabluneva distinguish them selves for the high seed material sowing qualities and have appeared the most perspective for the effective reproduction. The Calistephus chinensis (L.) Nees. plants seed productivity depends substantially the cultivar peculiarities and foreign cv Kirbiwell has distinguished itself for this high indicator (5.8 g/bush) when sowing in the sheltered ground under the constitution of the collectional patch of/the Laboratory of the Floral, Ornamental and Medicinal Crops of IH NAAS.

Comparative bibliometric analysis of scientific activity of departments of the Nikitsky Botanical Gardens under the new conditions in the Crimea

The article presents a brief history and describes the main directions of scientific research of one of the oldest scientific institutions in Russia - the Nikitsky Botanical Gardens, which was founded in 1812. Today, in the Gardens botanical and crop-growing problems are solving on the modern basis, fundamental studies are conducted in several areas: botany, ecology, nature protection, introduction, breeding, genetics, physiology, biochemistry, biotechnology, reproductive biology of plants. The researches in the field of plant protection, agroecology, as well as the studies of the impact of phyto factors on humans have an applied significance. The Nikitsky Botanical Gardens has a leading position in the breeding of fruit, technical and floral crops, in biotechnology and reproductive biology of plants, in the study of biologically active substances, changes in vegetation on ecological gradients, classification of plant communities, plant physiology. Research works are carried out in accordance with the Program of fundamental research of the Russian Academy of Sciences for 2013-2020, Grants of the Russian Science Foundation and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, agreements on creative cooperation with research and educational institutions of Russia and foreign countries. The article presents an analytical review of the publication activity of scientific workers, it also provides data on the quantitative distribution of researchers in the main research areas in the FSFIS "the NBG-NSC" for 2013-2018. The contribution of various scientific subdivisions in accordance with the most important bibliometric indicators (publication activity, citation rate, h-index) is given. The bibliometric analysis reflects the positive dynamics of publication activity over the past 5 years, which is visible in the work of almost all scientific departments and in all areas of research. The results of the studies are presented in monographs, articles, conference proceedings. The total number of publications prepared by the staff of the Gardens in 2014-2018 is about 2578 units, including the RSCI - 2468, Scopus - 95, WoS Core Collection- 85, the average number of publications per author is 12.30. Whereas during the period of 2009-2013 1060 publications were registered in the RSCI, 57 - in Scopus, 44 - in WoS. The h-index of the organization in the RSCI in 2014-2018 is 30-33, in the core of the RSCI is 13, for most of the senior and leading researchers with doctoral and candidate degrees, this figure corresponds to the values from 9 to 17.

Рослинництво декоративних культур в Україні: фактори розвитку та ризику

The purpose. Monitoring of market of ornamental plants of Ukraine, analysis of factors of influence and determination of optimum ways of its further development. Methods. Historical-scientific, problem-chronological, logical, materials of statistical observation and state catalogue of cultivated plants were used and analyzed. Results. Analysis of assortment of ornamental plants of domestic production was carried out, and its conformity to necessities of state-of-the-art market was specified. It is shown that the catalogue of the plants allowed for spread in Ukraine includes restrained number of floral crops stated by 2 scientific institutes. Market organization of implementation of ornamental plants is specified, offers on its optimization are worked out. Most acute problem in this aspect is regulation of spontaneous market of trade by flowers. Analysis is carried out of current prices of ornamental plants in the market of Ukraine and abroad, and limits are set of their further increase in the state. It is shown that price on some groups of crops has reached the level usual for foreign ones. Results of economic activities of sectors of production and implementation of ornamental plants, in particular balance of export and import, wholesale and retail, market capacity are analyzed. Restoration of export of ornamental plants produced in Ukraine, decrease in expenditure on their import, installation of parity between domestic and imported products in the market and some increase of its capacity is registered. Conclusions. Positive factors of development of plant growing of ornamental plants in Ukraine — change of pattern of ownership, structurization of production, use of state-of-the-art techniques, restoration of export, trend to increase of production volumes are fixed. Negative factors are as follows: negative balance of export and import, restrained geography of trade, great volumes of spontaneous trade, insufficient consumer ability of population.