Melilotus Research Articles

Content of phenolic compounds and flavonoids in morphological parts of Melilotus officinalis

The aim of the work was to study the content of phenolic compounds and flavonoids in the extracts from different morphological parts of Melilotus officinalis. In this study, the conditions of ultrasonic extraction were optimized. An increase in temperature contributes to an increase in the phenolic compound content regardless of the particle size of the plant material. The temperature had a greater effect on the fraction with a particle size of 1.0 to 2.0 mm, since the yield of phenolic compounds at an extraction temperature of 70 ˚C is 2 times higher compared to extraction at 20 ˚C and is 8.4 mg/g. When using the raw material to extractant ratio of 1:30 and 1:50, an increase in the phenol content is observed with an extraction time of up to 20 min. Carrying out extraction with a ratio of 1:100 for longer than 5 minutes is not practical. Considering the optimized parameters, extracts were obtained from various morphological parts of M. officinalis using an ultrasonic bath with ethyl alcohol as an extractant in various ratios with water, and the concentration of phenolic compounds and flavonoids was determined. The content of phenolic compounds is highest in the flowers and leaves of sweet clover and reaches 22.2 mg/g. The highest content of flavonoids was found in the flowers of the plant during extraction with 50% ethyl alcohol and is 1.21 mg/g. In sweet clover seeds, the content of phenols fluctuates from 7.0 to 10.9 mg/g, and with an increase in the proportion of alcohol in the extractant, their concentration decreases. The content of phenols in the stems and roots increases with an increase in the alcohol concentration to 50 % and is 6.3 and 5.3 mg/g, respectively. However, for maximum extraction of phenols from the stems, ethyl alcohol with a concentration of 30 % can be used.

Prospects for the use of plants of northern kazakhstan in the production of functional food products

The article presents the results of a study of the physico-chemical composition, antioxidant activity, vitamin and mineral composition of wild raw materials of Northern Kazakhstan (sweet clover, St. John's wort and purslane). It has been established that this vegetable raw material contains a significant amount of bioactive compounds - polyphenols, vitamins and minerals. Polyphenols, β-carotene have antioxidant, immune-restoring properties. The article also presents the results of an assessment of the chemical composition, including the content of secondary metabolites, quality and safety indicators of the initial plant raw materials. The article contains the results of studying the biological activity of the aboveground parts of sweet clover, St. John's wort and purslane, and the prospects for using the selected plant raw materials for the extraction of secondary metabolites with a wide range of biological activity are established. These studies open up new opportunities for the use of native plants in the food industry. The expediency of using these plants as sources of natural antioxidants and biologically active additives to improve human health is substantiated. The possibilities of integrating these plants into formulations of food additives and functional products to improve the overall condition of the body are also considered. The use of biologically active substances of plants of Northern Kazakhstan in the food industry opens up new opportunities for the development of the region and the expansion of the range of functional nutrition.

Biochemical parameters of blood in steers when sweet clover various silages are included in their rations

An important condition for intensifying the production of livestock products is improving the quality of feed. For dairy and beef cattle, silage is one of the main types of bulk feed. A high-yielding forage crop rich in energy, protein and other nutrients is sweet clover. It is salt-tolerant, drought-resistant and even in unfavorable years is capable of producing a stable yield of herbal mass in all soil and climatic zones of the Kurgan region. The purpose of the work was to determine the eff ect of feeding various sweet clover silages on the biochemical parameters of the blood of steers of Black-and-White breed. Two experiments were carried out during the research. In the fi rst experiment, animals received sweet clover harvested in the phase of late budding – early flowering. The control group of steers received ensiled sweet clover, the 1st experimental group received sweet clover preserved with formalin (0.1 %), and the 2nd experimental group received sweet clover preserved with benzoic acid (0.3 %). In the second experiment, the steers received sweet clover harvested in the flowering phase. The control group of steers received ensiled sweet clover, the 1st experimental group received sweet clover preserved with formalin at a dose of 0.5 l per 1 ton of herbal mass, and the 2nd experimental group received sweet clover preserved with benzoic acid at a dose of 3 kg/t. Hay and concentrated feed accounted for 15 and 35 % of the ration, respectively. It was found that feeding ensiled and chemically preserved sweet clover harvested in the late budding – early fl owering phase did not have a negative effect on the studied interior parameters in steers. As a result of studying the blood parameters of steers housed on rations that included silage and formalin-preserved (0.05 %) and benzoic acid sweet clover (3 kg/t), harvested during the fl owering phase, no negative impact on the animals’ bodies was noted.

Sweet Clover (Melilotus spp.) as a Source of Biologically Active Compounds.

Sweet clover, particularly white sweet clover (Melilotus albus), is an underexplored plant that has gained attention in recent years. This study compared the bioactive compounds content in the flowers, leaves, and stems of Melilotus albus Medic. to the well-known health-promoting Melilotus officinalis (L.) Lam. Both fresh and dried plant materials were analysed, with chromatographic assessments preceded by the optimisation of the extraction method (using 50% aqueous ethanol-water and the plant sample ground in a mortar, followed by 30 min of ultrasound-assisted extraction). Flower and leaf extracts were also evaluated for their total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity using FRAP and DPPH· assays. Both plant species were rich in phenolic compounds, including coumarins, phenolic acids, and flavonoids. HPLC-PDA analysis revealed similar profiles for both species, with quantitative differences in individual compound fractions. The highest coumarin content was found in the fresh flowers, followed by the leaves and stems. No significant species-specific differences in the coumarin content were observed. However, the flowers of M. albus were a richer source of flavonoids, with the highest hyperoside content. The flavonoid profile in the leaf extracts was similar to that of the flowers, but the content was about four times lower in the leaves and even lower than in the stems. Interestingly, the leaf extracts exhibited higher antioxidant activity than the flower extracts. The presented findings suggest that white sweet clover is an equally valuable source of health-promoting compounds as yellow sweet clover.

How to develop nature-based solutions for revegetation on abandoned farmland in the Loess Plateau of China?

How to develop nature-based solutions for revegetation on abandoned farmland in the Loess Plateau of China?

Evaluation of Sinorhizobium meliloti strains and commercial rhizobial inoculants for fenugreek production in Canada

Fenugreek ( Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) is a versatile annual legume valued for its nutritional, medicinal, and agricultural uses. Like other legumes, fenugreek can conduct biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). Because fenugreek lacks a dedicated commercial rhizobial inoculant, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of six commercial rhizobial inoculants registered for alfalfa and sweet clover, alongside 15 Sinorhizobium meliloti strains, on two fenugreek varieties, CDC Canafen and Fenucold. Using laboratory inoculation tests and greenhouse experiments, the symbiotic potential of these products and strains was assessed through nodule formation, BNF, dry matter yield, and the amount of nitrogen fixed. There was variability in symbiotic performance across the strain–variety combinations, with the commercial inoculant RIZOLIQ TOP-Alfalfa and the pure strains USDA1811 and USDA1150 demonstrating superior nodulation, % nitrogen derived from the atmosphere, and dry matter production. CDC Canafen generally exhibited greater nitrogen fixation compared to Fenucold, and the varieties could fix up to 58% and 47% of their required nitrogen, respectively. The study identifies a registered commercial inoculant that can be used on common fenugreek varieties grown in Canada and shows the potential of other S. meliloti strains for future improvements to inoculant offerings.

Investigations on Feeding Preferences of Adult Sitona Weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Some Host Plants

In this study, we determined the feeding preferences of Sitona callosus Gyllenhal, 1834, S. cylindricollis Fåhraeus, 1840, S. humeralis Stephens, 1831, S. longulus Gyllenhal, 1834, S. macularius (Marsham, 1802), S. obsoletus (Gmelin, 1790), and S. puncticollis Stephens, 1831 species belonging to the genus Sitona (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), black medick (M. lupina L.), white clover (Trifolium repens L.), soybean (Glycine max (L.), birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), honey clover (Melilotus albus Medik.), yellow sweet clover (M. officinalis (L.), sainfoin milk vetch (Astragalus onobrychis L.), sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.), and liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) (Fabaceae) plants at 25°C±5°C in the laboratory. Plant preference experiments were established with 10 replications and as a result of analysis of variance (P>0.01), plant preference of each species was found to be significant. As a result, M. sativa and T. repens (100%) were the most preferred by Sitona species. Whereas L. corniculatus (91.43%), M. albus (87.14%), O. viciifolia (81.43%), M. lupina (78.57%), M. officinalis (60.00%), A. onobrychis (31.43%) followed, respectively. The least preferred species were G. glabra (7.14%) and G. max (1.43%).

Carbohydrate complex of green mass of leguminous forage crops

Purpose. To analyze the significance of each of the indicators that are determined and used to characterize the carbohydrate-lignin complex of the green mass of legumes and cereals. Methods. In air-dried samples of the green mass of forage crops (alfalfa, sainfoin, goat's rue, horned yam, creeping clover, Pannonian peas), the content of crude fiber was determined in accordance with DSTU 8844:2019, starch - DSTU ISO 6493:2008; carbohydrate-lignin complex (sums of non-fibrous and structural carbohydrates, sugars, hemicellulose, cellulose) - DSTU 7982:2015; neutral detergent fiber – DSTU ISO 16472, acid detergent fiber and lignin – DSTU ISO 13906:2013. Results. It was established that the green mass of fodder crops in the composition of the carbohydrate-lignin complex contains BER, easily hydrolyzed carbohydrates, sugars, starch, pectin and structural carbohydrates, NDC, CDC, hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin. The highest level of BER – 58%, was observed in the budding and flowering phase of creeping clover. Easily hydrolyzed carbohydrates in horned clover reach 39-47% in the microphases of development. The content of sugars and starch varies: in alfalfa – 7-8% in the tillering phase and 1-1.5% – in full flowering; in goat's rue – 5%; in sweet clover – 7% in the budding phase, 4% – flowering and 2% in – full flowering. In sainfoin – at the level of 7-6% before flowering, with a drop to 2% at the end. In creeping clover, the sugar content is stable – 6% until the full flowering phase. Conclusions. The content of non-fibrous carbohydrates decreases as the plants develop, but in the phase of the beginning of flowering their content is highest, it is this phase of the green mass of leguminous forage crops that is most suitable for harvesting, making feed and feeding them to animals.

ИЗУЧЕНИЕ АГРОЦЕНОЗОВ КУКУРУЗЫ В СМЕШАННЫХ ПОСЕВАХ НА СЕРЫХ ЛЕСНЫХ ПОЧВАХ ПРЕДКАМЬЯ РЕСПУБЛИКИ ТАТАРСТАН

The studies were conducted to assess the productivity of mixed crops of corn with other crops in the Republic of Tatarstan. The experiment was carried out in 2022-2023 on gray forest soil with a humus content of 2.1%, mobile phosphorus ‒ 151 mg/kg, potassium ‒ 121 mg/kg. The experimental design included the following options: nutrition background (factor A) - no fertilizers, N30P30K30, N45P45K45, N60P60K60; cropping pattern (factor B) - corn (100%), corn (50%) + peas (50%), corn (50%) + soybeans (50%), corn (50%) + vetch (50%), corn (33.3%) + vetch (33.3%) + oats (33.3%), corn (50%) + sweet clover (50%). Azofoska (15:15:15) was applied as fertilizer during pre-sowing cultivation. Before sowing, the seeds were mixed according to the experimental scheme, based on the recommended rates for pure crop sowings: corn - 80 thousand pcs./ha, peas - 1.2 million pcs./ha, soybeans - 750 thousand pcs./ha, vetch - 800 thousand pcs./ha, oats - 5 million pcs./ha, sweet clover - 6 million pcs./ha. The optimal ratio of plant heights of the studied mixtures was noted in the variants corn + pea, corn + vetch and corn + vetch + oats. The highest aboveground mass in the experiment was recorded against the background of N60P60K60 in the milky ripeness phase of corn grain in mixed crops with peas - 27.80 t/ha. The highest above-ground mass of the second crop in the mixture was formed by soybeans on the backgrounds of N60P60K60 and N45P45K45 (4.60 t/ha each). The highest yield of green mass was provided by the application of N45P45K45; further increase in the fertilizer rate is impractical. The highest yield of green mass was noted in the crops of corn + vetch + oats (25.50 t/ha) and corn + soybeans (24.80 t/ha).

Investigating the function and targeting of MET protein as an oncogene kinase in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: A microarray data integration.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal disease with a poor prognosis. Kinase proteins are essential regulators of cellular processes and potential targets for drug development. Integration of multiple microarray datasets was screened to find differentially expressed kinases (DE-Kinases) across adjacent normal and tumor tissue samples in PDAC. The most effective kinase for drug design and docking in this study was selected by investigating biological mechanisms and survival analyses. Forty phytochemicals were extracted from the yellow sweet clover, Melilotus officinalis (Linn.) Pall, and were then subjected to in silico screening and molecular docking studies against a specific potent kinase. MET, PAK3, and PDK4 were identified as the DE-Kinases. After examining the pathways and biological processes, up-regulated MET had the most significant survival analysis and became our primary kinase for drug design and docking in this study. Four of the extracted phytocompounds of Melilotus officinalis (Linn.) Pall that exhibited high binding affinities with MET and were selected for toxicity analysis. Finally, the stability and mobility of the two nontoxic compounds that passed the toxicity test (dicumarol PubChem CID: 54676038 and melilotigenin PubChem CID: 14059499) were studied by molecular dynamics simulation. This study's results identified two phytochemicals in yellow sweet clover that could be used to develop an anticancer drug, but experimental evaluation is necessary to confirm their efficacy.

Soil Microbiota and Particulars of Formation thereof under Traditional and Organic Farming on Chernozem Soils of Northern Kazakhstan

The subject matter of the study is soil microbiota of southern carbonate chernozem and particulars of formation thereof under organic and traditional methods of wheat growing under conditions of Northern Kazakhstan. It has been found that soil microbiota varies with arable farming systems. Application of leguminous and cereal above-ground biomass as organic fertilizers contributed to higher numbers of immobilizers that were twice as high as traditional farming variants. When applied as green manure, sweet clover above-ground biomass increased the number of ammonifying soil organisms (up to 6 million CFU/g a.d.s.), while bromegrass biomass increased the number of immobilizers (83.0 million CFU/g a.d.s.) and fungi (8,0 thousand CFU/g a.d.s.). Cellulose-destroying microorganisms were actively propagating in wheat crops (65.0 CFU/g a.d.s.) where wheatgrass biomass was applied as green manure, while sweet clover biomass, on the contrary, contributed to decrease thereof. Under traditional farming conditions, the introduction of ammonium nitrate into rows when planting crops at a dose of N80 stimulated the development of cellulolytic microorganisms and inhibited the development of ammonifying fungi and bacteria. Ammonifiers and immobilizers were actively propagating with reserve application of ammophos in the fallow at the rate of P40.

GRAIN YIELD AND SIDERAL MASS OF FIELD CROPS IN CROP ROTATIONS OF THE LOWER VOLGA REGION

Background. For the first time in the abiotic conditions of the Lower Volga region on light chestnut soils, new methods of biologization of soil fertility preservation and specialized field crop rotations based on the replacement of pure steam with sideral steam with little–studied crops for green fertilizer – biennial yellow clover, oats and phacelia were developed and studied; the structure of sown areas includes cultures of various biological groups, including cereals, legumes, oilseeds, rowed and perennial legumes; in addition to siderates, organic fertilizers are used in the form of straw and crop –root residues of cultivated crops. The purpose of the work is the influence of pure and sideral steam on the yield of field crops Materials and methods. The study of the influence of sideral masses on the yield of grain crops in field crop rotations in the conditions of the Lower Volga region. Results. According to the conducted research, it has been established that biologized crop rotations are the first major stage in the transition to organic farming in the Volgograd region. The best option for the soils of the dry-steppe zone of chestnut subzones of light chestnut soils of the Lower Volga region is a four-field biologized field crop rotation and a five-field crop rotation with sideral steam (donnik). Conclusion. Data analysis showed that the best indicators of winter wheat yield were obtained for pure and sideral (sweet clover) pairs - 1.8 t/ha, chickpeas for the predecessor winter wheat in the five–field crop rotation - 0.87 t/ha and spring barley for the predecessor chickpeas – 1.48 t/ha.

Genome assembly of Melilotus officinalis provides a new reference genome for functional genomics

BackgroundSweet yellow clover (Melilotus officinalis) is a diploid plant (2n = 16) that is native to Europe. It is an excellent legume forage. It can both fix nitrogen and serve as a medicine. A genome assembly of Melilotus officinalis that was collected from Best corporation in Beijing is available based on Nanopore sequencing. The genome of Melilotus officinalis was sequenced, assembled, and annotated.ResultsThe latest PacBio third generation HiFi assembly and sequencing strategies were used to produce a Melilotus officinalis genome assembly size of 1,066 Mbp, contig N50 = 5 Mbp, scaffold N50 = 130 Mbp, and complete benchmarking universal single-copy orthologs (BUSCOs) = 96.4%. This annotation produced 47,873 high-confidence gene models, which will substantially aid in our research on molecular breeding. A collinear analysis showed that Melilotus officinalis and Medicago truncatula shared conserved synteny. The expansion and contraction of gene families showed that Melilotus officinalis expanded by 565 gene families and shrank by 56 gene families. The contacted gene families were associated with response to stimulus, nucleotide binding, and small molecule binding. Thus, it is related to a family of genes associated with peptidase activity, which could lead to better stress tolerance in plants.ConclusionsIn this study, the latest PacBio technology was used to assemble and sequence the genome of the Melilotus officinalis and annotate its protein-coding genes. These results will expand the genomic resources available for Melilotus officinalis and should assist in subsequent research on sweet yellow clover plants.

Dicoumarol attenuates NLRP3 inflammasome activation to inhibit inflammation and fibrosis in knee osteoarthritis.

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a major cause of disability in elderly individuals. Dicoumarol is a coumarin‑like compound derived from sweet clover [Melilotus officinalis (L.) Pall]. It has been suggested that dicoumarol exhibits various types of pharmacological activities, including anticoagulant, antitumor and antibacterial effects. Due to its various biological activities, dicoumarol has a potential protective effect against OA. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the effects of dicoumarol on knee osteoarthritis. In the present study, dicoumarol was found to protect rat synoviocytes from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‑induced cell apoptosis. Western blot analysis showed that dicoumarol significantly reduced the protein expression levels of fibrosis‑related markers and inflammatory cytokines (Tgfb, Timp, Col1a, Il1b and Il18). The inhibitory rates of these proteins were all >50% (P<0.01) compared with those in the LPS and ATP‑induced group. Consistently, the mRNA expression levels of these markers and cytokines were decreased to normal levels by dicoumarol after the treatment of rat synovial fibroblasts with LPS and ATP. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that dicoumarol did not affect NF‑κB signaling, but it did directly interact with NOD‑like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) to promote its protein degradation, which could be reversed by MG132, but not NH4Cl. The protein half‑life of NLRP3 was accelerated from 26.1 to 4.3 h by dicoumarol. Subsequently, dicoumarol could alleviate KOA in vivo; knee joint diameter was decreased from 11.03 to 9.93 mm. Furthermore, the inflammation and fibrosis of the knee joints were inhibited in rats. In conclusion, the present findings demonstrated that dicoumarol could impede the progression of KOA by inhibiting NLRP3 activation, providing a potential treatment strategy for KOA.

Physiological and Biochemical Responses of Melilotus albus to Saline and Alkaline Stresses

Sweet clover (Melilotus albus) is a high-quality leguminous forage grass with salinity tolerance, drought tolerance, and cold hardiness. We selected four varieties of sweet clover with different sensitivities (061898, 061930, No. 55 white flower, and Ningxia white flower) and analyzed the effects of different concentrations of three sodium salts (Na2CO3, NaHCO3, and NaCl) on their physiology and biochemistry responses. Growth and development indexes (such as germination rate, root length, shoot length), chlorophyll content, osmotic regulators (proline, soluble sugar), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) were determined under saline–alkali stress. Seed germination and seedling growth of all four clover species were significantly inhibited under saline–alkali stress. During germination, seed germination rate, root length, and shoot length decreased with increasing saline and alkaline concentration. Under saline–alkali stress, chlorophyll content tended to increase and then decrease, cell damage and death increased, and malondialdehyde, soluble sugar, and proline content tended to increase and then decrease. Moreover, the activities of SOD, POD, and CAT all increased and then decreased. Under Na2CO3 stress, the decrease in chlorophyll content of the resistant variety 061898 was less than in the sensitive Ningxia white flower variety. As the concentrations of Na2CO3, NaHCO3, and NaCl increased, the maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII was significantly affected. The resistant 061898 is capable of maintaining higher photosynthetic efficiency. Furthermore, under treatments with the three kinds of saline–alkali solutions, cell damage and death for Ningxia white flower were greater than in 061898. For 061898, the increases in soluble sugar and proline content were greater and the increase in malondialdehyde content was less, while the antioxidant enzyme activities were higher than those in Ningxia white flower. All four sweet clover varieties had higher stress resistance with neutral than with alkaline salts. When stressed by medium to high saline–alkali concentrations, sweet clover seedlings had increased osmotic substance content, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity, and regulated physiological metabolism. Additionally, sweet clovers regulated the expression of WRKY33, GH3, CYCD3, OXI1, MKK2, MYC2, JAZ, COI1, PYL, PP2C, TGA, and MPK3 to adapt to the saline–alkali environment and improve saline–alkali tolerance. Our analysis of the sweet clover salinity tolerance mechanism contributes to its further use and is of significant importance for addressing land salinization and promoting sustainable agricultural and pastoral practices in China.

Efficacy of High-Dose Diosmin Therapy in Chronic Venous Disease Treated with Endovenous Ablation: A Quality-of-Life Analysis

Background. Vasoactive drugs are considered an important therapeutic tool in managing phlebolymphologic disease. The current study was performed to evaluate the results of a high-dose diosmin-based combination (Venoplant 2g) in symptomatic patients with chronic venous disease (CVD), treated with endovascular venous surgery, regarding the efficacy of this treatment and the clinical signs and patients’ compliance. Methods: We identified, between April 2022 and March 2023, 50 patients with symptomatic CVD who underwent endovenous ablation and additionally were administered high-dose micronized diosmin. Parameters analyzed in the pre- and post-operative period were the venous clinical severity score (VCSS), the calf circumference, and a VEINES-QOL/Sym questionnaire. Treatment efficacy was assessed in post-operative follow-ups at 1 month and 2 months. Results: Quality-of-life analysis showed a significant improvement between t1 and t2 in both tests administered (VEINES-QOL/Sym: 55.2 ± 2.9, 39.2 ± 12.3, p: 0.001) (VCSS: 6.6 ± 1, 5.1 ± 0.7, p: 0.001). At the secondary endpoint, the results maintained the same improvement trend. Calf circumference was significantly reduced between t1 and t3 (41.7 ± 5.1, 38.3 ± 3.4, p: 0.001). Conclusion: High-dose diosmin, combined with sweet clover 320 mg, Centella asiatica 40 mg, and Vitamin C 200 mg, in patients treated with endovenous ablation, can be significantly effective in terms of clinical results in treating superficial venous disease. A patient’s calf circumference was also found to have decreased considerably during follow-up. No adverse effects have been recorded to date.

Living mulch enhances soil enzyme activities, nitrogen pools and water retention in giant reed (Arundo donax L.) plantations

Giant reed (Arundo donax L.) is one of the most well-studied perennial biomass crops because of its high productivity and potential to store carbon. Yet, little information on controlling weeds in giant reed plantations and their influences on the soil ecosystem is available. In the present study, three different weed control methods, i.e., intercropping (living mulch) with sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis L.), herbicide (glyphosate), and hoeing, were investigated in a 2-year giant reed farm. The intercropping presented significantly higher values (on average) of all the tested soil properties than herbicide and hoeing, except for the catalase activity and pH. The dehydrogenase, phosphatase, and urease activities in the soil under intercropping were higher than the herbicide by 75%, 65%, and 80% (on average), respectively. Also, the soil under intercropping had higher soil organic matter (SOM) and soil respiration than the herbicide by 20% and 25%, respectively. Intercropping also increased the content of N pools, i.e., NO3−˗N, NH4+˗N, Org-N, and Total-N by 517%, 356%, 38%, and 137%, respectively, compared to herbicide. These findings illustrated that controlling weeds in biomass plantations through legume intercropping brings benefits not only to soil properties but also to biomass productivity.

Influence of weather conditions and elements of harvest structure on yield of spring triticale cultivated in organic agriculture on southern chernozem of northern Kazakhstan

The article presents the results of research on the influence of weather conditions and organic fertilizers on the elements of the crop structure and the productivity of spring triticale. The studies were carried out in the LLP " SPCGF named after A. Barayev" on southern carbonate chernozems in 2018-2021. Triticale was cultivated according to the falow. Dry above-ground mass of sweet clover, sainfoin, alfalfa, brome and wheatgrass was introduced into the fallow field as organic fertilizers. An annual decrease in the grain yield of spring triticale was noted over the years of research from 1.95 t/ha in 2018 to 1.01 t/ha in 2021. The weight of 1000 grains did not change significantly over the years of the study and ranged from 37.0-45.7 g. The number of triticale grains per unit area gradually decreased over the years of the study from a maximum in 2018 of 6951 pieces/m2 to a minimum in 2021 of 2739 pcs/m2. Variants of application of aboveground biomass of various perennial grasses as organic fertilizers had an equivalent effect on the yield of triticale and crop structure elements in comparison with the control (aboveground biomass of sweet clover). A positive correlation was obtained between the yield of triticale and HTC (according to Selyaninov) for the months of June and August, where the dependence on the variants of the experiment changed from medium to high (with June r=0.62 ... 0.94, with August r=0.64 ... 0.80). A moderate correlation was obtained between the grain yield and the HTC (according to Selyaninov) for the period June-August (r=0.59…0.78). The influence of the mass of 1000 grains on the yield was ambiguous, in some cases the relationship was weak (r=-0.21 ... -0.27) in others - medium (r=0.33 ... 0.36). A positive correlation was established between the grain yield and the number of grains per 1 m2 (r=0.61…0.94).

РАЗВИТИЕ ПЧЕЛОВОДСТВА БУЗДЯКСКОГО РАЙОНА РЕСПУБЛИКИ БАШКОРТОСТАН

The Buzdyaksky district of the Republic of Bashkortostan is part of the Pre-Ural agricultural zone, characterized by favorable soil and climatic conditions for the development of beekeeping. In 2019, there were 2,832 bee families in the district in all categories of farms; in public sector farms – 2,470; 115.1 tons produced; 65.5 tons of honey were sold. Central Russian and Bashkir breeds of bees are bred. They produce buckwheat, sweet clover, meadow, and sunflower honey varieties. One of the large beekeeping farms is Agricultural cooperative Kidash. Since the 30s of the 20th century at the Bashkir State Agrarian University (BSAU) [M.G. Giniyatullin, A.G. Mannapov, R.T. Mannapova, D.T. Shakirov, I.V. Shafikov et al.] and in the Bashkir zonal beekeeping experimental station (A.M. Kovalev, H.A. Tatukov, V.K. Tursukov, etc.) studies were conducted to increase the productivity of bee colonies in apiaries and others

Functional value of biologically active honey components

The article shows data on diastase activity and pollen analysis of honey from apiaries in the south of the Tyumen region. The research was conducted in the period 2017-2022. Honey maturation is a complex biochemical process in which biologically active substances, which include lysozyme and amylase, formed in the digestive glands of worker bees, play a significant role. They provide honey with high biological properties. Lysozyme is an antibacterial enzyme produced in the body of animals that prevents the penetration of microbes, viruses and fungi into honey. Amylase - breaks down the complex carbohydrates of nectar, converting them into glucose and fructose. These enzymes in bees are formed to a greater extent in the maxillary and pharyngeal glands. These are the high biological properties of honey. During the work on the pollen analysis of honey, it was revealed that the honey of apiaries in the south of the Tyumen region is polyphlorous, since pollen grains of various honey plants were identified in the studied honey samples, which included linden, sweet clover, rapeseed, esparcet, winter cress, dandelion, clover, sow thistle. The results of diastase activity determination showed that in experimental honey samples the diastase number was in the range from 8.0 to 23.8%, high diastase activity characterizes the quality of honey, since it, undergoing prolonged biochemical treatment, is more saturated with enzymes and biologically active substances. According to the research results, honey with high diastase activity includes samples from apiaries of Yalutorovsky and Isetsky districts.