On April 18th, a doctor of agricultural sciences, professor, a member  of  Russian Academy  of  Sciences,  academician, Honored Research Worker in Science and Technology, State Laureate of  the  Russian Federation  Government  Prize in Science and Technology, a director of Federal State Budgetary Research Institution ‘All-Russian Research Institute of Vegetable Breeding and Seed Production’, Victor Fedorovich Pivovarov celebrates his 75th birth anniversary. 

The current state of seed market of vegetable and gourds in Russian Federation in the frame of national food safety program is given in the article. Russia as a country with well-developed  seed production  in the last century has now  ceded  its  position,  and according  to  last experts’ association estimations the 80%  of  required volume of seeds of vegetables and gourds, amounting from 8 to 12 thousand per year is imported.  Not  less than 15 thousands  of  hectares  are  needed  to  be  necessary  for demand  of  Russian seed  production  sector,  however, presently only 2 thousands of hectares is a total certified land used for seed production.  Moreover, the seed production sector of some countries that export seeds rises becoming a profitable branch of agriculture, and providing local employment. The lack of competitiveness in Russia causes that many foreign companies increase annually purchasing prices for seeds and their production services. Therefore, now the total volume of seeds imported  in  Russian Federation has nearly been  twice less for the last years than in 2012, but in currency earnings in exporting countries the insignificant changes can be seen, where deviation is only 19-25%  from  average annual value, that means 1675 thousand dollars per year. Besides, for the Russian budget in the ruble currency the total cost of imported seeds has become 2.5 times more expensive since 2012, but the increase of combined cost of  marketable  vegetables  has been  over  2.7  billion  of rubles.  The  main  idea  that  the  seed  production  is  a process requiring the participation of breeders, seed producers and seed companies is main factor to succeed in recovering seed production sector. Exception of any participant or ignoring his interests may destroy all process. For instance, there is a chronic problem of plagiarism and royalty nonpayment causes the break between the business and breeder, affecting on the final result. It is evident  that  the development  of  National Associations for Professional Unions of breeders, seed growers and businessmen with active participation of the governments in building regulatory and legal base, rules and mechanisms of relationships for all partners in seed market enables to develop the effective and stable national system of seed production.

The crops of Brassica rapa L. species are varieties such as pak-choi, tatsoi, wutacai, tsoisum, mizuna, mibuna, brokkoletto and Japanese leafy turnips Komatsuna, Kurona, Hiroshimana, Shirona, Mana, which are all characterized by  early-ripening,  high  productivity,  presence of valuable biochemical compounds and relatively simple growing requirements. The nappa cabbage is widespread and cultivated everywhere in the world as open field and greenhouse crop. Other varieties are grown locally, namely brokkoletto is grown in Italy, whereas other mentioned varieties are mostly cultivated in the Southeast Asian countries, where population uses them for different processing technologies. There is the nappa cabbage that is mostly cultivated, particularly for industrial production  in Russia. The Chinese cabbage (pak choi), Japanese cabbage, Japanese mustard  spinach  or  Komatsuna  are  not  very widespread and practically unknown crop. However, vegetable growers are interested in using new cole crops, and gardeners know about values of related varieties of nappa cabbage in the group of Asian cole crops. The analysis of incoming genetic accessions of Brassica rapa L. crops that have been included into the VIR plant collection is given. All  botanical  subspecies  and  varieties of  leafy varieties have been taken for the study. The detailed description of new for Russia varieties, such as purple, brokkoletto, rosette pakchoi as well as well as types of cultivars that haven’t still included into State Register of Breeding Achievements of Russian Federation are given. According to  research results obtained at Pushkin VIR laboratories (Saint-Petersburg) the  initial  breeding  accessions  have been selected to  be  sources of  such characteristics as productivity,  early-ripening, disease resistance and valuable biochemical compounds.

The main problem of agroindustrial sector of national economy is an absence of sufficient production of plant proteins that are used for food production as well as a forage production. New cultivars of  legumes, namely in  soybean have to  be developed to resolve this task. Soybean seeds contain much protein up to 50%, fat up to 28 %, along with  vitamins, phospholipids,  isoflavones and ferments. Soybean is a short-day crop. The main reason that limits the spread of soybean is the absence of new early-ripening cultivars. Folk cultivars and varieties native to China produce the grain yield at the sum of temperatures over 3500oC. At the beginning of the last century, there were bred the varieties that  produced  the grains at the sum of temperatures  below  3000oC.  Only after  that  the soybean as a crop is started to be introduced in different countries. The study on association among quantitative traits is needed to select necessary accessions for breeding program. In this research estimation of correlationship based on data of structure analysis was carried out within two-year period.  The correlationship  of  economically valuable traits, such as 1000 seed grain weight, number of grains in bean (pod) and other traits such as plant height, stem thickness, the height of pod  attachment, a number of branches, number of pods on the plant, number of productive nodes, average number of pods at node, average number of grains (beans) per plant in field experiment in 2015-2016, Central Zone of Non-chernozem Zone of Russia. It was noticed  the difference in trait correlationship depended on a year, and it needs to be taken into account for realization of breeding program in soybean.

Recently, the particularities in carrot trait variation, namely root color and shape; carotene content; duration of vegetative period; resistance to diseases and pests have been established. But such traits as yield capacity, root marketability, root quality, long-storability as well as their genetic  determination haven’t  been  well  studied. Consequently, thorough study of  genetically diverse accessions and the search for phenotypically well-identified traits are very actual tasks. The ecological and geographical study of carrot enables to reveal polymorphisms among cultivars, in order to use it in the breeding program. The study of collection accessions of local and foreign origin in contrasted conditions varying in temperature and water regimes revealed the significant variation of main biological and economically valuable traits, including root yield and quality. The root yield was substantially higher in Pushkin (Leningrad oblast) than in Vologda oblast. Comparatively stable yield and quality were shown in local cultivars:   ‘Nanatskay  Krasnaya’,  ‘Princess’   and ‘Gribovskaya’. Very important requirement for highly marketable products is the cultivar resistance to disease and pests. There are no completely resistant genotypes to carrot psylla among accessions studied. Carrot accessions bearing resistance to the pest and also showing high productivity and quality were ‘Losinoostrovskaya 13’ (Russia), ‘Gavrilovskaya’ (Ukraine), ‘Feonia’ (Denmark), ‘New Model’ (UK), ‘Betina’ (the Netherlands) that can be used for breeding program. ‘Krasnaya Dlinnaya’ (Russia) and ‘Chantenay а Coeur Rouge’ (France) were comparatively  resistant to powdery mildew.

Tree-shaped plants of tomato have many useful traits, which gain them advantages over common tomato forms. In world plant collection there are over 200 accessions, cultivars and hybrids of tree-shaped tomato. The aim of the study was to develop new initial tomato accessions for breeding program for tree-shaped cultivars and hybrids that are distinguished by a shape, fruit weight and color, improved by interspecific hybridization chemical composition and resistance to the major diseases. The tree-shaped breeding lines: ‘196/12’, ‘374/08’, ‘909/14’, ‘911/14’ and other were observed with the use of interspecific hybridization and selection in the population F2-F4. The selected lines passed the trial in artificially infected condition with Alternaria, viral diseases (MToV, TSWV) and phytoplasmas. Among breeding lines assessed the ‘911/14’, ‘374/08’ and‘40/11’ were less affected by complex of pathogens. The lines ‘196/12’ and ‘909/14’ passed an assessment in the nursery for variety trial in naturally and  provocatively infected conditions with major pathogens. Both breeding lines had an advantage over standard accession ‘Laguna’ and ‘Maraphon’ for total yield capacity and standard fruit harvest; it was more by 9.6% and 52.2% and 9.5% and 53.4% respectively. Fruits of lines 196/12 and 909/14 had good taste quality with high content of dry matter (5.8% and 6.8%), sugars (3.3% and 3.1%), vitamin C (22.2 and 24.8 mg/100 grams). The selected tree-shaped accessions have been used to develop heterotic hybrids and to be sources of economically valuable traits.

Results of estimation of general and specific combining ability of male and female parental tomato forms were given for complex of traits. The estimation was carried out according to incomplete diallel crosses 15x15. Such varities   as   ‘Trapeza’,  Rosovaya  kapelka’,  ‘Seniorita’, ‘Ocharovanie’,  ‘Tigris’   ‘Vishnya  Zheltaya’  (Gavrish), ‘Denezhnoye Derevo’ (national breeding), and  lines: ‘46/06’,  ‘49/09’,  ‘295/09’,  ‘336/11’,  ‘354/11’,  ‘357/11’, ‘388/09’ (nor), ‘498’ (selection of TARI) were used as intial breeding accessions, differing in bush type (determinate and indeterminate), duration of vegetative phase (ultraearly,  early, medium early, middle-ripening), fruit  shape (rounded, oval), fruit color (red, pink, black, orange, tiger and with the gene nor), fruit weight (10 g. and more), brush structure (dense, friable). As a results, ‘Trapeza’, ‘Vishnya Zheltaya’, ‘Ocharovaniye’, ‘Seniorita’, and lines: ‘295/10’, ‘49/09’,  ‘498’,  ‘357/11’,  ‘354/11’,  ‘388/09’  (nor) were selected and recommended to be used in breeding program for development of heterotic hybrids with high fruit setting and generative bush type. The promising hybrids F₁ with high constants of specific combining ability for a complex of economically valuable traits have been observed. Because of different lines and accessions were used in crossings, these hybrids varied in internode length of cluster type, classical or shorten; rounded or oval fruit shape; fruit  color, red (F₁   combinations ‘354/11’ х ‘Seniorita’, ‘Trapeza’ х  ‘L.49/09’,  L.  ‘49/09’  х  L.354/11), pink (F₁ combination ‘Rosovaya Kapelka’ х ‘L.354/11’), yellow (F₁ combination ‘Ocharovaniye’ х  ‘Vishiya Zheltaya’), deep brown (F₁ combination  ‘L.357/11’ х ‘L.354/11’).

Presently the X-ray separation is used not only for research program, but it is also elaborated and applied for different sectors of economy. The seeds as biological objects that possess the complicated microstructure are very difficult to be exanimated by x-ray technology. The application of x-rays and further elaboration of optical  separators, principle  of action, basic specifications, way of their use and their efficiency was shown in the article. The x-ray separator may distinguish all hidden seed defects as it was described by a programmer, where owing to the use of the optical separating block in visual range it is possible to add some more details as a shape, brightness and a color of object surface being exanimated. The elaboration of such separation equipment is scientifically hard work requiring time and expenses. Last year researchers of ‘LETI’ developed the working model of industrial x-ray separator for examination of grains and nuts in different crops. This model was made on the basis of photoseparator F-5 manufactured at OAO ‘Voronezhselmash’. The instrument state and its mechanism operation are highlighted on monitor. In the regime of processing (separation and examination) of each controlled batch, the passport is produced with  following  information on identification  code,  time of material receiving, time of test passed, number of grains or seeds tested. The code of receiver of material is given to each of established characteristics when working the regime of separation, determination of number of objects with characteristics tested and number of unidentified objects. The application of x-ray separators constructed on the basis of photoseparator F-5 enables to carry out the complex estimation on seed quality and separation in only instrument with the development of electronic protocol with many characteristics.

Brussels sprout (Brassica oleracea convar oleracea L. var. gemmifera DC) is a highly valuable cole vegetable crop, which is grown widespread in Europe and cultivated in gardens in Russia. The breeding program for this crop has been carried out at VNIISSOK. The biological features, useful properties of Brussels sprout along with agrotechnical instructions for cultivation were given in the article. The modern trends in breeding program for the crop were shown. The description of cultivar ‘Hercules’ and heterotic hybrid F₁ ‘Sozvezdie’ bred at VNIISSOK was given.

Napa cabbage is well spread in Japan, China, Korea, but it is not so well known in Far-Eastern regions of Russia. Since 2012 the collection of hybrid accessions has been evaluated at agrobiological station of Blagoveschensk State Pedagogical University located in western part of Blagoveschensk. Twenty local and foreign hybrids have been studied. As a result, seven highly-yielding accessions of different terms of maturity have been selected and included into State Register of Breeding Achievements of Russian Federation.  The  complex  assessment of  most  promising hybrids for uniform heads and excellent consumer’s characteristics has been performed  under the condition  of south zone of Amur oblast.

In  2014-2016  the  assessment of  kidney bean  cultivars bred at Omsk State Agrarian University on yield capacity, quality, and biochemical  chemical compounds  in green beans, such as proteins, zinc, iodine, iron and sucrose was carried  out  in  the  south  forest-steppe  of  Western Siberia. The technological  parameters of  green  beans: the  shape  of  cross-section  area; pulpiness,  fibrous  or non-fibrous,  and bean thickness were estimated. Threeyear study showed that all tested cultivars bred at Omsk State  Agrarian  University  surpassed  control  cultivar  in yield capacity,  chemical composition  and technological parameters of green beans. The cultivar ‘Pamiyaty Rizhovoy’ gave a highest yield: 563.4 g/m²  in 2014; 622.8 g/m² in 2015; and 620.4 g/m²  in 2016. It is worth noticing that this cultivar is also distinguished by contents of micro and macroelements: 21.20-28.68  mg/kg  of zinc; 0.012-0.018 mg/kg of iodine; and 1.8-3.2 mg/kg of iron. In the course of the study, it was noticed the dependence of  yield  capacity  on  hydrothermal  coefficient  (HC). In 2014-2015 the yield capacity was a lowest when the moisturization was insufficient at 0.7 HC. With increase of HC the yield was higher. With sufficient moisturization at 1.0 HC the highest yield of green beans was observed in 2016.  The estimation  of  kidney  bean  cultivars  bred  at Omsk State  Agrarian University showed  that  all beans were  distinguished  by  high  quality  parameters  in  the phase  of  technical  maturity,  such  as  pulpiness,  nonfibrous, thickness 0.5 to  1.0 cm, and green and yellow colors.  The  highest  protein  content  comparing  to  the control  cultivar  ‘Zolushka’  was  detected  in  ‘Marusya’ 23.60%  in  2014,  20.94%  in  2015;  and  ‘Zoloto  Sibiry’ 19.79%  in  2016.  The  observed  results  confirmed  that contents  change of  proteins,  sucrose, and  even micro and macroelements depended on the climatic conditions. In the hot and dry summer the protein content, depending on cultivar increased 18.31% to 23.60%, in 2014, and 17.81 to 20.94% in 2015. The same occurred  with zinc 19.63  to  28.68  mg/kg  in  2014,  and  20.14  to  27.54  to 2015;  and  iron  2.0  to  3.2  mg/kg  in  2014  and  1.6-1.9 mg/kg in 2015.

The squash is one of  the most  ancient plants, bearing numerous qualities. The squash gave high yield and is unpretentious plant, the fruit of which is long-stored and can be used as boiled, stewed, baked, fried product, and be added to bread, mush and pudding, and be prepared as puree, jam, candied fruit and other meals. Owing to useful characteristics the squash is a valuable source or raw  material for  food  canning  industry,  for  health-care and functional foodstuff production. Its best cultivar accessions contain to 30% of dry matter, to 12% of sugars  and  to  36%  of  carotene.  The  species  of  squash includes 4 subspecies and 20 varieties. One accession that came from Spain in 1937 served as an initial breeding accession for many other table cultivars for long time. For 80 years of national breeding program the many cultivars for  table  use have been released. There are the classic cultivars, such as ‘Mramornaya’, ‘Stolovaya Zimnaya’,  Gribovskaya Zimnaya’,  ‘Donskaya  Sladkaya’, ‘Michurinskaya’ that are selected or developed from first Spanish accession. This richness and originality of cultivar squash accessions should be carefully preserved. There are the new generation cultivars, such as ‘Kroshka’, ‘Malishka’,    ‘Rossiyanka’,    ‘Konfetka’,    ‘Moskvichka’, ‘Vnuchka’ and many others, which are short-tendrils and suitable for  modern  mechanized cultivation  technology. Moreover the development of new cultivars, bearing resistance to biotic and abiotic stress is the main goal of nearest breeding program.

The potato is grown in all natural environment and climatic zones, along from high-mountain slope lands, situated up to 2500 meters above sea level to Pricaspian plains, situated under sea level. The total area of planted potato in the Republic  is 22 thousand hectares, where potato producing  takes more than half of mountain region. The mountain area occupies  2.04 million hectares, which  is 38.3% of total area of Dagestan with highest peaks over 1000 meters above the sea. There are some methods of potato  growing  that  are nearly effective  in  all  climatic conditions, and improve yield and tuber quality. The proposed resource-saving technology enables to reduce expenses by 50 %  for  ploughing,  soil preparation after ploughing,  pre-planting  soil preparation, preserving soil fertility  and  decreasing  erosion  processes.  The results based on experimental data presented were to show the influence of resource-saving technology on growth, development and yield augmentation when growing on slope lands of mountain province of Dagestan. Advantages of this resource-saving technology and its economic efficiency were shown as well.

Technology  of  intense  light-culture   has  been  developed to grow different crops under controlled environmental conditions  with  the use of specialized vegetation  apparatus  (VSU). In  the  specialized  vegetation apparatus,  designed  to   grow   plants  of   cucumber, tomato  and leafy crops, the formation of optimal light condition is constructively made with application of separate powerful lamps that have the same or different spectral quality irradiance, providing  the high illuminance,  60-90  W/m²  PAR on  cultivated  plants.  The vertical vegetation apparatus were used to develop technology of intense light-culture  in cucumber. Three modifications of vertical vegetation apparatus differing in  soil blocks  and  the  way of  nutrient  supply  to  root habitation area were elaborated to grow  the plants of cucumber.  The  development  of  cucumber  plants  in three apparatus modifications  was carried out  by one stem,  where  the  growth  was  limited  by  the  sizes of apparatus to  1.8 meter. The result of development  of small-volume and non-soil technology of intense lightculture in cucumber was presented in the article. This technology provides high productivity of plant being grown and reduces the ecological problems related to waste treatment. The application of technology of intense light-culture  in cucumber  assists the plants to realize a biological  potential and to  reach the highest productivity.  The observed plant products  are of high quality without  pesticides  and other harmful contaminants. The nitrate content  in young fruits was significantly lower the threshold allowable concentration (TAC). The basic  principles  of  intense  technology  of light-culture can be used for economically profitable enterprises  for  production  of  raw  material needs  for pharmaceutical and perfumery industries, and to  produce vitamin products  in small volumes for kindergardens, hospitals, schools and private housekeeping.

The description information on new high yield and large fruit tomato  hybrids  F1 ‘Altadena’  and  ‘Bolena’  for  prolonged rotation in glasshouses is given. Technology for their cultivation is presented in the article.

Humic compounds occupy the important place in the chain plant – water. Their application in technologies for vegetable plant growing with the use of drip irrigation enables to increase the coefficient of nutrient compound assimilation from soil with applied fertilizers. The preparation ‘Lighohumate’ presented in the article is integrated fertilizer, possessing the properties of anti-stress, immunomodulator and sticking agent. This preparation has the highest content of humic acids to 20% for liquid and to 90% for dried, consequently it has a powerful influence on plant organism, opening hidden biological  reserves, and improving  the crop  productivity.  The experimental tests showed that ‘Lighohumate’ application trough drip irrigation system together with foliage fertilizers had given significant yield augmentation; 5-20% depending on medium and technology in vegetable crops cultivated with different agricultural techniques. The permanent speeding-up from 3 to 12 days was noticed in the course of plant development with increase of early yield outcome. ‘Lighohumate’  can be used as seed treatment agent as well as foliage fertilizer and already applied giving a result in many vegetable production enterprises.

Physalis (Physalis L.) is grown worldwide.  P. pubescens L. is most widespread in Russia. The analysis of development of biochemical properties in fruits of P. pubescens L. in temperate climate was presented in the article. The berries of physalis have acid reaction and high nutrient value due to polyphenols, carotenoids that give orange color, also contain moderate  quantity  of  vitamin  C.  Moreover  in  the  berry juice there are significant quantities of potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, manganese and boron. P. pubescens L. is a promising exotic  crop  that  can be used for  production  of functional  foodstuffs.   Physalis  berries  are  usually used as fresh vegetables for salad recipes, providing the sweet and sour balanced taste. The whole fruit berries are also processed  into  syrups or  dried,  so that they are regarded as ‘elegant raisins’. Our study showed that the dry matter content was 15.5% in cultivar ‘Zolotaya Rossiyp’ in temperate climate,  while the ascorbic acid content  was 9.9 mg per 100 g. of wet weight. In temperate climate 318 mg GAE/100 g. polyphenols were accumulated in the berry of P. pubescens L. The titrated acidity of ‘Zolotaya Rossiyp’  berries was 0.90%,  at  pH  4.72.  The level higher than 4 confirms the low  acidity. This can be explained by the fact of presence of organic acids as a free forms in the berry juice.

Selenium deficiency is widespread among the human populations  of  different  countries  of  the world  and associating with cardiovascular diseases and cancer that determines the necessity to develop new technology needs to increase selenium accumulation levels by agricultural crops. Besides that, the utilization of selenium containing food supplements, soil and foliar application of selenium salts are the most popular approach to  resolve the selenium deficiency  problem.  At  the same time there is a certain drawback of selenium plant biofortification, which is a low accumulation of the element, and as a result, the possibility of environmental pollution caused the element. The review is devoted to a new direction in improving plant selenium accumulation via utilization of rhizobacteria; their participation in selenium cycle; mechanism of bacteria-selenium-plant interaction; the role of volatile compounds, released by rhizobacteria, on selenium accumulation. The questions that were separately considered were regarding rhizobacteria Microbacterium oxydans extracted from Cardamine hupingshanesis that had an exceptionally high resistance to selenium impact and ability to synthesize selenocystin.

In recent years much attention is given to the search for new medicinal plants and an elaboration of preparation from plant raw material that is used in ethnomedicine  and for  production  of biologically active compounds (BAC). The forest herbaceous plants from Raifskiy district in Volgo-Kama National Park, and group of weed plants from urban and suburb places were exanimated for BAC content. In the group of herbaceous plants the flavonoid content varied from 1.10 to 15.85% in dry matter; the sum of chlorophylls content varied from 1.13 to 3.59 mg/g of dry matter. Among plant species exanimated: stone bramble, European wild ginger, eagle fern and white goosefoot were not regarded as pharmacopoeial plants, but they were characterized by significantly high content of flavonoids 2.74-4.26%.  Flavonoid and chlorophyll  contents  in the tissues of observed plants changed during of process  of  ontogenesis  in  most  species  and were highest in the phase at the beginning of flowering and during flowering time. It was shown that antioxidant and flavonoids contents increased while manmade load rose as noticed in birdweed (Polygonum aviculare L.). Thus, the examined different species of herbaceous plants can be regarded as promising sources of BAC.

Economical  efficiency  of  agricultural  industry  is  a major characteristic of the level of development of an enterprise. A profit from product sale depends on volume and structure of product  sales, self-cost as well as the level of  sales price.  Thus, the gross revenue from cultivated crops and vegetable cultivars can be observed at the time of fruit harvesting. The total sum of  the gross earnings from  the harvest, determining the  efficiency  of  enterprise can  be  calculated  as a product of values of daily price and mass of total harvest. There are no challenging points in the condition of permanent price and vegetable harvest. Even the registration of average-sales prices for vegetable doesn’t make the production difficult. But real market situation essentially differs from accepted practice to register average-sales prices with relatively permanent vegetable  harvest.  The  price  indexes  of  sales  for tomato and cucumber produced in greenhouse in Udmurt Republic with showing the dynamic of retail price for vegetables were presented in the article. It was shown  that  prices  of  tomatoes  and cucumbers had the seasonal factor that meant weekly price wavering.  The  temporal  row  harvest  of  cucumber ‘Tseres           F₁’  and  tomato  ‘Admiro  F₁’  produced  at Zaviyalovskiy greenhouse enterprise was  described. The average derivation between nearest and last harvest was in the  gap  23%  to  29%  in cucumber  and reached up to 70% in tomato. The values of such derivations were occasionally provoked and determined by some inter-enterprise factors. The construction  of trend lines for such series and further line evaluation with  the aid of  determination  coefficient  R²  showed extremely low quality of model  of the kind y=a•x+b. The value of R² cubic  polynominals was in the limits R²=0.32-0.46. Essentially, plans for vegetable production,  constructed  on  the  basis of  this  linear model should be regarded as unsatisfied. According  to the analysis presented above, it is worth concluding  that the principles to plan the production process in greenhouse enterprises have to be changed. As an example, the use of t_k value as a shift of harvest time for kcrop related to price maximum for the crop used can be very effective.