Pumpkin crops are an important segment in the structure of cultivated vegetable crops. Their selection is mainly aimed at precocity, increased resistance to adverse climatic factors and the most harmful diseases (true and downy mildew, olive, angular and brown spots, anthracnose, viruses and other diseases). The article presents the main directions of selection work on cucumber, squash, zucchini and pumpkin in the FSBSI "Federal Scientific Vegetable Center". A network of branches of FSBSI "FSVC" engaged in the creation of new varieties, with specified parameters, for the above crops is presented. The features of breeding work on pumpkin crops in various regions of the Russian Federation are shown. 

Relevance. Cucumber is very popular and in demand in households of the population (personal subsidiary farms), as evidenced by the data on the acreage occupied under this crop in the territory of the Russian Federation (37.4 thousand hectares).

Methodology. This article presents the results of evaluating the combinational ability of eight parthenocarpic inbreeding lines and testing thirteen new hybrid combinations obtained on the basis of the studied lines under the conditions of spring-summer turnover in a polycarbonate unheated greenhouse in the Moscow region in comparison with the hybrids F1 SV 4097 CV (Seminis, the Netherlands) and F1 Piligrim (Agrofirma Poisk LLC, Russia).

The purpose of the scientific work is to develop productive and high-yielding heterotic cucumber hybrids with a complex of economically useful traits for cultivation in unheated greenhouses. Testing and introduction of competitive and technologically advanced hybrids into commercial vegetable production is one of the important stages of scientific research in the field of breeding. The research was carried out in ARRIVG – a branch of FSBSI “Federal Scientific Vegeculture Center” in the conditions of polycarbonate unheated ground greenhouses during 2020-2021 (Moscow region, Ramensky district).

Results. As a result of evaluation of the combinational ability of parthenocarpic inbreeding lines, it was found that inbreeding lines L.21 (2.4 kg/m2 ), L.415 (0.8 kg/m2 ), L.993 (0.4 kg/m2 ), L.1010 (0.1 kg/m2 ) should be used during hybridization as a paternal component for obtaining early-ripening parthenocarpic cucumber hybrids. To develop more productive and high-yielding parthenocarpic cucumber hybrids, inbreeding lines L.21, L.415, L.1008 should be used. As a result of the research work, four hybrid combinations (L.993×L.415, L.1010×L.21, L.993×L.21, L.993×L.1008) were identified for high yield and productivity in protected soil conditions, which exceeded the standards of SV 4097 CV F1 and Piligrim F1. 

Relevance. In order to form a targeted assortment of watermelon for specific soil and climatic conditions, an assessment was made and the results of the ecological adaptability of varieties bred by FSBSI “FNTs Rice” and Bykovskaya BSOS in different zones of melon growing were obtained.

Methodology. The object of the study is watermelon varieties bred by two research institutions. Tests were carried out in three agroecological zones: Astrakhan, Volgograd regions and Krasnodar region. Agrotechnical measures were applied in accordance with the recommendations adopted for the study area.

Results. Despite different soil and climatic conditions of cultivation, all varieties showed high potential yield, regularity and stability of fruiting, controlled by the genotype of the varieties. Varieties of watermelon are able to form a high yield in dry areas. Meteorological conditions during the growing period influenced the length of the growing season. From germination to ripening, the varieties of the early ripeness group showed an increase of up to 5...15 days, in the group of varieties of medium and late ripening up to 20...49 days. The spread in the limits of biometric indicators and fruit weight depended on weather conditions, but was within the varietal parameters. The factor of growing conditions did not influence the accumulation of dry soluble substances in the fruit pulp. Marketability of harvested fruits is 80…90% with high taste qualities. The results of the tests have shown that the varieties of the Krasnodar and Volgograd breeding show adaptability to the specific conditions of the region. Using them will make it possible to minimize losses from the weather conditions of the growing season and obtain stable and high yields. 

. Heterotic selection is now widely used in crop production. The superiority of heterotic hybrids over varieties in many respects has long been known. However, the widespread use of heterosis in melon growing is hampered by the high cost of seed material, due to the lack of lines with male sterility. The aim of this work was to evaluate heterotic hybrids of watermelon obtained on the basis of a line with male sterility isolated at the Bykovskaya Experimental Station.

Materials and methods. The studies were carried out in 2020 and 2021. at the Bykovskaya melon breeding experimental station - a branch of the FGBNU FNTSO. The object of research is heterosis hybrids of watermelon. The heterosis hybrid of watermelon Barkhan was used as a standard. Classical breeding methods were used in the work: incubation and hybridization.

Research results. The assessment of watermelon hybrids according to the main economic characteristics revealed the best combinations in comparison with the standard. According to the content of dry matter, four hybrids of watermelon stood out, the excess over the standard ranged from 0.6 to 1.9%. The indicator of the average weight of the fetus in one LIR hybrid was at the level of the standard and amounted to 6.5 kg. The remaining hybrids exceeded the Barkhan standard by 1.2-4.0 kg. The average yield of the studied hybrids ranged from 19.0 to 22.5 t/ha. The calculation of such indicators as the degree of dominance, the effects of true and hypothetical heterosis made it possible to identify three combinations with high rates.

Conclusion. Thus, it was found that the yield in heterotic hybrids of watermelon is inherited according to the principle of overdominance. Inheritance of traits dry matter content and average fruit weight ranges from minus overdominance to overdominance in various combinations. According to the complex of economically valuable traits, three combinations of table watermelon were distinguished: LKn, LMr and LFT. 

Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is the most spread melon crop in Uzbekistan. More than 130 local varieties of melon are cultivated in various regions of the republic. Every year melons and gourds are cultivated on the area of 150 thousand hectares. The most harmful diseases of the melon are powdery mildew and Fusarium wilt. All local varieties of melon are susceptible to these diseases. Annually from these diseases, the yield of melon is reduced by 20-25%. The most effective way to combat these diseases is to develop resistant varieties. The Research Institute of Vegetable, Melon Crops and Potato has carried out long-term selection work to create melon varieties resistant to powdery mildew and Fusarium wilt. Breeding local varieties of melon with economically valuable traits and high test quality with genes for resistance to these diseases have been created and included in the State Register of Uzbekistan. 

Relevance. Potato starch is widely used in the food, textile, perfume and pharmaceutical industries. The starch content and the size of starch granules in potato tubers are varietal characteristics (Solanum tuberosum L.). The knowledge of morphological properties of starch plays a key role in the technologies for the production of consumer and industrial goods.

Materials and methods. The studies were carried out in 2020-2021 at the experimental base of Federal State Budget Scientific Institution “Federal Scientific Center of Agricultural Bio-technology of the Far East named after A.K. Chaiki” (Primorsky Krai). The object of the research were 11 varieties of different maturity dates. Morphological structure of starch granules was evaluated by image analysis on Countess II FL automated cell counter.

Results. The varieties studied had predominantly rounded and oval pellets regardless of maturity and genetic origin. Differences in starch granule size depending on tuber size and ripeness group were noted. Early maturing varieties had granule size less than 20 microns regardless of tuber fraction. The exception is the variety Queen Anne, in small tubers of this variety starch granules larger than 20 microns is 67.86%. It was noted that the proportion of medium and large grains increased in varieties with a longer growing season. For example, the variety Augustin medium-ripening had a proportion of medium and large grains in the large and small tuber of 47.72 and 41.48%, respectively. The maximum number of grains larger than 20 microns was observed in the mid-late varieties Kazachok (63.77%) and Smak (92.22%).

Conclusion. The method using a cell counter and subsequent processing of microphotographs of starch granules is an accessible, economical, simple and effective approach to phenotyping potato varieties and hybrids of Solanum tuberosum L. by physical and chemical parameters of starch. This method can be used for accelerated analysis of a large number of samples on a limited amount of natural material, including in field and farm laboratories. 

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a fairly popular agricultural crop in Russia, the tubers of which are the main food of the population. For the North, it is important to replenish the assortment of early potato varieties adapted to growing in extreme conditions. The aim of this research was to study the development of plants of early and mid-early potato varieties in the Murmansk region.

Methods. The article presents the results of studying the developmental biology and productivity elements of 63 early and mid-early varieties from the of VIR world potato collection. The Khibinskiy ranniy variety is used as a standard. The study was conducted on the territory of the Polar Experimental Station of Apatity. The soil of the experimental plot is sandy loam, highly cultivated, the organic matter content is 8,7%, pH 5,2; Р2О5 – 103 mg/100 g, К2О – 39,2 mg/100 g of soil. The total area of the plot was 286,5 m2 , the counting area was 5 m2, the planting scheme was 70x30 cm, the experiment was repeated three times, the distribution of varieties was randomized.

Results. Phenological observations revealed varieties with the shortest interphase periods: Ognivo, Sundinsky ranniy, Uralsky ranniy, Khibinskiy ranniy, Amazone, Aster, Lady Claire. Varieties Daryonka, Lyubava, Dolphin formed berries within three years.

Conclusion. Concorde, Corine и Karatop exceeded the standart at 50, 60, 75 days from planting in the years of study, which shows the ability of the cultivars for intensive tuberization in the early stages, combined with high stable productivity in the North. The significant influence of meteorological conditions on the development dynamics of potato plants, their yield and on the adaptive ability to local growing conditions has been identified. There singled out the cultivars that are characterized by consistently high rates of the dynamics of tuber accumulation in the early stages, possessing a high adaptive ability, which can be used in breeding for early maturity and productivity in the North regions. 

Fruit peel/pulp distribution of biologically active compounds is an important characteristic of plant physiology and the basis of zero waste production in agriculture. Among C. ficifolia, C. maxima and C. moschata the former showed the lowest dry matter content, especially in peel, similar peel and pulp values of antioxidant activity (AOA) and polyphenol content (TP), with the highest levels in fruit placenta. Peel carbohydrate profile of C. ficifolia fruit was characterized by lower levels of disaccharides compared to C. maxima and C. moschata peel and an opposite pattern of monosaccharides accumulation. The analysis of 25 elements content in Cucurbita peel and pulp, using ICP-MS, indicated that C. ficifolia fruit are characterized by significantly high concentrations of Sr, Si and I in pulp compared to the values of C. maxima and C. moschata. On the contrary, C. maxima and C. moschata were characterized by low concentration of pulp Mn. Highly significant positive correlations were recorded between Cr-Sr, Cr-Ca and CaSr (r=0.906; 0.939 and 0.974 respectively) and P-Cu (r=0.968). Despite C. ficifolia, does not contain carotenoids, it is highly valuable due to the high levels of Si, I, Cr and Ca in peel and pulp, which reveals new areas of its application. 

In Uzbekistan, there is a demand of the population for fresh melon fruits during the off-season. In the Research Institute of Vegetable, Melon Crops and Potato for the first time studies were carried out, when grown in a greenhouse, on the vegetative grafting of melon’s Zarkhal variety on the vegetable marrow varieties used as rootstocks. The aim of the research was to study the effect of vegetable marrow rootstocks on the variability of economically valuable traits of the Zarkhal melon variety and to identify promising combinations of vegetable marrow rootstocks that increase the yield and quality of melon fruits.

Methods. The studies were carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the World Vegetable Center. As a control, ungrafted plants of the Zarkhal melon variety were used. For comparison with the control, plants of this variety were grafted onto their own plants. Also, plants of the melon variety Zarkhal (scion) were grafted in combinations on 10 varieties of vegetable marrow, which served as rootstocks. Vegetative grafting of melon on vegetable marrow rootstocks was carried out “in a split” in the phase of the first true leaf when the stem diameter reached 4.1–4.3 mm and plant height 4.4–5.9 cm.

Results. In comparison with the control, in combinations of grafting the Zarkhal melon variety onto the Grecheskiye 110, Unumdor, Delicates and Skvorushka varieties of vegetable marrow, the flowering of paternal and female flowers, the onset of fruit formation was observed 2 days earlier. In the same combinations, fruit ripening was observed on 81-82 days, which is 4-5 days earlier than the control (86 days). They also had the tallest plants (203-205 cm), the plants formed 2-4 leaves more than the others. Marketable yields between combinations ranged from 7.89 to 9.75 kg/m2 . The melon variety Zarkhal, grafted onto its own plants, lagged behind the control in all phases of development and yield. The early yield in combinations was from 3.95 to 5.75 kg/m2 and amounted to 53-59% of the yield. The average fruit weight varied from 785 to 810 g. 

Relevance. In modern vegetable growing in the southern and central regions of Russia, new scientific developments are widely used, including the use of new varieties and hybrids, a drip irrigation system, fertigation with soluble fertilizers with microelements. All these agricultural practices make it possible to increase the yield of vegetable crops by several times, as well as to significantly increase the efficiency of applied fertilizers. The purpose of our work was to establish the effectiveness of the use of calculated doses of mineral fertilizers for tomato with the main application and top dressing under drip irrigation.

Methodology. Research in 2019-2021 on ordinary heavy loamy chernozem of the experimental field of the Birutchecutskaya Vegetable Experimental Station – branch of FSBSI Federal Scientific Vegetable Center (Rostov Region, Novocherkassk) with a new variety of tomato Krasny banker.

Results. It was revealed that without fertilization, the yield of tomatoes was at the level of 32-35 t/ha; the use of the recommended dose of N120P120K120 in the main application increased the yield to 64- 72 t/ha; the use of the estimated dose of mineral fertilizers (for a yield of 100 t/ha) increased the yield of tomatoes to 95 t/ha. The use of three-fold root feeding of plants with drip irrigation increased the yield by 21%, and with foliar feeding – by 2-8%. As a root top dressing for drip irrigation, a solution of microcrystalline water-soluble fertilizer "Master" with a different ratio of nutrients was used, and for foliar top dressing, an organomineral nanofertilizer with growth-stimulating activity "Arksoil KKR" was used. In general, a set of agrochemical practices made it possible to increase the tomato yield under drip irrigation from 33.7 to 102.8 t/ha, more than 3 times, without reducing the dry matter content in fruits and without nitrate contamination of products. 

Production of functional food with high levels of selenium and other antioxidants is very valuable for human protection against different forms of oxidant stress. Among leafy vegetables parsley demonstrate the highest levels of antioxidants. Biochemical analysis and fluorimetric determination of selenium revealed that foliar biofortification of 4 parsley (Petroselinum crispum) cultivars and Mitsuba (Cryptotaenia japonica) with sodium selenate (25 mg L-1) resulted in the highest biofortification level in curly parsley cultivar Krasotka (102.9) which showed the highest leaf surface area, antioxidant activity (65 mg GAE g-1 d.w.) and flavonoids content (25.9 mg quercetin equivalent g-1 d.w.), and the increase by 1.4 times in carotene content and 1,5 times in total chlorophyll content. ICP-MS method of mineral composition evaluation recorded extremely high levels of B and Si in Mustuba, which increased due to Se supplementation by 1.23 and 1.46 times respectively. In a two-year experiment with control and Se-fortified, leafy parsley, cultivar Moskvichka reached high values of seed yield and viability, and seed Se content (6170 µg kg-1 d.w.). The results of the present investigation demonstrate high prospects of parsley and Mitsuba selenium biofortification for production of functional food with elevated levels of microelement and high antioxidant activity. 

Relevance. Seeds play an important role in obtaining a high yield of vegetable crops of good quality. Breeders usually deal with a large number of samples. To study the source material, the seeds of the samples are sown in boxes with soil for growing seedlings or in collection nurseries of experimental stations and research institutions. It takes an average of ½ hour of shift time to manually extract a sample weighing 10 kg from a batch. Currently, there are no sufficiently efficient devices for isolating tomato seeds from batches of samples with small weights up to 100 kg. The task of research on mechanization is to increase the efficiency of the tomato seed extraction device by improving the working bodies, determining the value of the optimal mass of samples, the extraction of seeds from which is economically and technically feasible.

Material and methodology. Experimental studies were conducted in order to find constructive solutions for working bodies, study their operability and determine optimal parameters and operating modes. The research program included: a study of the productivity of the layout and the complexity of its maintenance; a study of qualitative indicators, including seed loss, seed clogging, seed damage; a study of the modes of working bodies, including the number of revolutions of the whip shaft, gaps between the whips and the sieve, the angle of advance of the whips; an assessment of the convenience of cleaning and visual inspection of all surfaces of parts, in contact with seeds; analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the design of mesh drums, scourges, mechanisms for locking semi-cylinders, the work of the fence that reclines together with the hopper.

Results. As a result of the research, it was found that drum-and-whip type working organs are economically feasible for use in tomato seed extraction devices with a sample weight of at least 100 kg (i.e. mainly in primary and elite seed production), due to the fact that the time for disassembly, cleaning and assembly of working organs is 95% of the cycle (for example for samples weighing 10 kg). The clogging of the seeds meets the requirements, crushing was not observed. 

This article shows the influence of growth regulators and methods of their application on the passage of the main interphase periods and growth processes during melon cultivation. The use of growth regulators is one of the promising directions in the cultivation of melons. In the acutely arid areas of the Volgograd Volga region, the use of mineral fertilizers for melon crops, in bagar conditions, was not effective, since there was an acute shortage of moisture in the soil. Therefore, the most effective and promising for creating favorable conditions for the growth and development of melon plants, with the possibility of leveling negative environmental factors, is the use of foliar treatments in the cultivation technology with growth regulators. The studied drugs of the new generation have a wide range of physiological activity. They are designed to influence the parameters of growth and development of plants as a whole in various phases, as well as their organs, as well as the parameters of plant response to environmental factors.

Results. Studies have revealed the dependence of the growth processes of melon plants on the methods of using growth regulators, the length of the lashes in the variants of using growth regulators for processing plants during vegetation is longer compared to soaking seeds, with their maximum length in the Phytozont variant (plant treatment) is 12.7-51.3% longer compared to other studied preparations. 

Relevance. Solanum tuberosum L. – it is one of the main food crops, therefore, the study of the influence of innovative growth regulators on physiological and biochemical parameters and plant yield is very important for the agro-industrial complex.

Material and methods. The research was carried out on the gray forest soil of the Orel region in the conditions of a vegetation house on the basis of the farm Stebakov V.I. in the period 2020-2021. Potato of the Nevsky variety was used as the object of the study. Treatment with growth regulators was carried out by soaking Solanum tuberosum tubers in aqueous solutions of melafene (10-6%), Energy-M (10-3%) for 8 hours. When laying the experiments, the optimal amount of nitrogen (2.3 g), phosphorus (0.7 g) and potassium (3.1 g) was introduced into the soil for potato. Was determined catalase, peroxidase activity. The amount of hydroperoxides, an intermediate product of POL, was estimated by reaction with ammonium rhodanide, the content of malonic dialdehyde by reaction with thiobarbituric acid. The experiment was carried out three times. Statistical processing of the results was carried out by the method of one-factor analysis of variance using the computer program "MS Exel".

Results. Studies have shown that there is an increase in the activity of catalase and peroxidase in all variants of the experiment compared with the control in leaves, in tubers – the activity of enzymes decreases. There was a decrease in the content of malondialdehyde in all variants of the experiment compared with the control. The analysis of the final productivity revealed that the total number of tubers on one bush of the potato in the variants with growth regulators changes slightly, while the mass of tubers increases, so the variant with the growth regulator melafen increased this indicator by 37% compared to the control. 

When cultivating pumpkin crops in most agricultural regions of the world, one of the most aggressive diseases is real powdery mildew, the damage of plants in which, under optimal soil and climatic conditions for the pathogen, reaches 100%. In the open and protected ground, among the cultivated representatives of the Cucurbitaceae family, the most widespread and harmful are the species Sphaerotheca fuliginea (Schlecht ex Fr.) Poll and Erysiphe cichoracearum f. sp. cucurbitacearum (DC ex Merat). In regions where both phytopathogens are present, mixed infections may occur, making identification difficult, and, accordingly, further plant protection measures. The pathogens of this powdery mildew of pumpkin crops have different requirements for temperature and humidity. During the growing season, there may be a change in species composition when conditions change, for example, when a new season begins. Symptoms of the disease in the form of a white or yellowish powdery plaque in the form of rounded spots (mainly on the leaves) can manifest themselves at all stages of plant development, the susceptibility of which increases by the beginning of fruiting. According to biological characteristics, S. fuliginea and E. cichoracearum are obligate biotrophic pathogens, unable to exist independently without living photosynthetic tissue, except for the wintering (sexual) stage of teleomorphs in the form of globular kleistothecia. At this stage, it is not difficult to differentiate pathogens by the morphology of kleistothecium. When analyzing the plant material of melons with the naked eye, S. fuliginea and E. cichoracearum cause similar symptoms of damage, but by microscopy these organisms can be distinguished by a complex of morphological characteristics. Taxonomically significant features are: the location of the mycelium, the formation of conidia (single or chain), the presence or absence of noticeable fibrosin bodies, the features of the appressoria, the size and shape of the conidia, as well as the position and type of their sprout tubes. The works of Russian and foreign scientists have shown the possibility of determining the types and physiological races of pathogens using an indirect method: reactions to differentiator plants. To date, about 30 physiological races of the pathogen Podosphaera xanthii (Sphaerotheca fuliginea) and 2 races of E. cichoracearum are known. However, this method does not always correlate with the methods of molecular analysis. Determination of the species composition of powdery mildew pathogens is a starting point for the development of a further strategy for the cultivation of pumpkin crops and in breeding work for resistance to this disease.