The relevance of the work is caused by the fact that recently the government has been allocating significant funds for the revival of horticulture, which is an important area of development of domestic agriculture. Since the 1990s, fruit growing in Russia has been in a state of decline -the area of orchards has been greatly reduced, the yield and gross fruit production have decreased several times. Now when the situation is changing for the better, new orchards should become competitive, fully meeting the needs of the population of our country in fruit production. For this purpose, it is necessary to take into account the most advanced domestic and foreign developments and technologies.

The Volgograd region, with its complex soil and climatic conditions, needs to develop and preserve an assortment of shrub species suitable for various landscaping purposes. Among the introduced and already existing species in the plantings, the most promising include Cotoneaster lucidus Schltdl., Rosa cinnamomea L., Ribes aureum Pursh., Berberis vulgaris L., Mahonia aquifolium (Pursh.) Nutt., Symphoricarpos albus (L.) S.F. Blake, Amelanchier canadensis (L.) Medik., Ligustrum vulgare L., Chaenomeles japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. ex Spach. The authors found that the studied species, due to their wide distribution area, perfectly adapted to the conditions of the region. In addition, the shrubs described in the paper, while forming new forest-agrarian landscapes, play an important role in enriching the species composition of flora and fauna, serve to preserve and increase the natural resources of the area, perform sanitary, aesthetic, recreational and other functions, which is of great importance in the conditions of desertification. The biological features of the studied species make them promising for agroforestry areas and soil zones with different precipitation levels. Due to the lack of natural seed bases in the territories occupied by protective forest stands, shrubs form the basis for growing planting material that has the entire set of economically valuable characteristics. Being recommended for use in an arid region, shrub species have good growth, development, well-developed shoots; they retain annual growth and decorative properties, and can be used to preserve the collection of the multifunctional plantings.

The study of the floral composition, including rare species on the territory of the Stavropol Krai, started from the first days of the operation of the botanical garden in Stavropol, the 1960s. Between the 1960s and 1970s, the garden staff identified the growing areas of Eremurus spectabilis Bieb. in natural conditions, as well as studied the questions related to biology, morphology, morphogenesis, photoperiodism and methods of its reproduction. In 2009, the garden employees set the task of studying the dynamics of the current state of populations of the Eremurus representative in the vicinity of Stavropol, in the Yankulskaya (Shatyr Kurgan mountain) and Sengileevskaya hollows (Balka Trety Log). The survey of the territories according to the first level of monitoring was carried out in the Andropov region and in the Caucasian Mineral Waters (Kavminvody) region. As a result of long-term expedition trips, some deterioration in the state of the Eremurus spectabilis populations has been recently established in the Trety Log hollow (balka): a decrease in the habit of peduncles and inflorescences, seedcase setting, the manifestation of inflorescence deformation in almost all populations. This can be attributed to deteriorated weather conditions - a prolonged dry spring-summer period against the background of a heavy clay composition of the soil. No diseases or pests have been found. The populations are stable, since the renewal of plants in the populations at this stage is equal to their decrease. According to the ratio of age groups, growing populations are currently noted on Shatyr Kurgan, where young, not yet reproductive individuals prevail. Observations of the state of Eremurus spectabilis in natural habitats should be continued in dynamics (once every 3-5 years) in order to note the success and stability of a particular ceno-population in the community or toanalyze the critical points of its development.

The purpose of this work was to establish the features of growth, appearance, and feed costs as related to the increase in live weight in Aberdeen-Angus calves obtained from bulls of different body types. To conduct the experiment in the company LLC “Hammer” of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, 14 calf bulls were selected in each group from the offspring of 4 large calf bulls and 3 small calf bulls of the Aberdeen-Angus breed. The fathers of the first group of young calf bulls had a higher level of live weight as compared to the fathers of the second group of calf bulls (by 80 kg). Their differed from their counterparts as being high-legged, less broad-bodied and having different massive characteristics. The mothers of the calf bulls of the first group also had a higher live weight (by 49 kg) as compared to the mothers of the calf bulls of the second group. The differences in constitution between them were insignificant. The results of research on intensive rearing of different types from weaning to 18 months of age showed that calves originating from large-type bulls surpassed their counterparts obtained from the bulls of a small type of meat productivity. This distinction is primarily expressed in a greater growth rate and better feed gain in live weight. At the age of 18, calet bulls from large-type parents reached a mass of 442 kg, and those obtained from the small-type ones - 413 kg. These differences are statistically significant (P > 0.99) for the period from weaning to one and a half years of age. Calo bulls originating from large-type bulls spent 8.1 ECU per 1 kg of gain, and those originating from small-type bulls - 8.4 ECU.

In recent years, goat breeds with a dairy-meat-wool or combined productivity type, represented by local breeds that are bred mainly in the foothills and mountainous regions of the North Caucasus, Altai, Tyva and Khakassia, have become increasingly widespread in Russia. The Karachay goat population is the most interesting for research, since in their breeding was aimed at obtaining animals with a number of unique productive characteristics and capable of producing the required outputs under the harsh conditions of the mountain and foothill zones of the Caucasus. In view of the limited research on these animals, in particular their reproductive functions, the aim of this study was to investigate the natural implementation of the reproductive function of the Karachay goats in different geographical areas of breeding. There are slight differences in some parameters of Karachay goat reproduction in high mountain zone (from 2000 m a.s.l.) and middle mountain zone (1000-1500 m a.s.l.). An important conclusion is that the recognized low fertility of the Karachay goats is not genetically determined. Analyzing the number of ovulations and fresh yellow bodies in the ovaries by laparoscopy using Karl Storz (Germany) endoscopic equipment, the authors found a potential fecundity of 3.1 (2.8 to 3.4).

The Vitazar preparation has a rich natural composition and antioxidant properties due to the high content of fat-soluble vitamins - A, D, E, polyunsaturated fatty acids - linoleic, linolenic, oleic, palmitic, as well as trace elements Ca and K, etc. To study the preparation effects on young male minks, animals of the standard black breed of Scandinavian selection were chosen by origin, live weight and age using the method of analogous groups. A total of 128 males participated in the experiment - 32 heads in each group. The first group of minks was the control one. In three experimental groups, Vitazar was added to the general household ration with a different dose of 1.0.2.0.3.0 ml/head with a frequency of three times a week. The preparation was given during two summer months - July and August. During the experiment, the minks were weighed at the beginning of each month. After slaughter and primary processing, the skins were sorted in accordance with GOST 27769-88. According to the data obtained, Vitazar has a positive effect on the live weight and skin production of young minks. The drug in the diet of males at a dose of 3.0 ml/head contributes to an increase in live weight by 191 g, the skin size by 0.6 dm², the proportion of defect-free skins by 8.0% and the quality indicators by 4.0%. The optimal dose of the preparation was found to be 3.0 ml/head. The use of Vitazar in the optimal dose in the diet of male minks increased the cost of one skin by 63.3 rubles. Thy “Vitazar” preparation was studied on young minks for the first time.