The study of soil microbial communities under different agricultural crops (flax, clover, barley, potato, winter rye) grown in permanent cropping and crop rotation was carried out. The effect of permanent cropping and crop rotation on the taxonomic profile of the prokaryotic and fungal components of the soil microbiome was studied. The effect of permanent cropping and crop rotation on the metabolic intensity and stability of soil biota in the absence of mineral and organic fertilisers was assessed. The subject of the research was the long-term experience established in 1912 by Professor A.G. Doyarenko at the Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, founded in 1912 by Professor A.G. Doyarenko. It was shown that the highest OUT (operational taxonomic units) values for fungi were found in soils under fallow and crop rotation. For prokaryotes, however, the crop rotation variant had the lowest number of OTUs. Ascomycetes were found to be the dominant fungal taxon in all samples studied. Prokaryotes were dominated by Proteobacteria and Acidobacteriota, followed by Actinobacteriota and Firmicutes, and Chloroflexi were represented to a lesser extent. Among the archaea, the Crenarcheota phylum was dominant. It was shown that continuous cultivation of crops generally has a negative effect on the functioning of the microbial community. With an optimal metabolic coefficient of 0.2 in monoculture, they reached 0.6. The sustainability of the soil microbial community is reduced by the continuous cultivation of potatoes, flax and clover without organic and mineral fertilizers, as well as by the “perpetual fallow” option. Particularly unfavorable conditions were found in potato monoculture. Continuous cultivation of cereals, especially winter rye, does not lead to a significant decrease in the activity of soil biota and the stability of soil microbial communities. Crop rotation makes it possible to optimize microbiological processes in the soil and to increase the stability of the soil microbial community.

In model experiments under field conditions in the Aleksandrovsky district of the Vladimir region, the intake of ¹³⁷Cs from various meadow plants into soddy-podzolic heavy loamy soil was studied. The radionuclide in the form of an aqueous solution of cesium nitrate was applied to the leaf surface of the middle tier, which prevented ¹³⁷Cs from entering the soil. Representatives of different families were used as experimental plants: common cuff (Alchemilla vulgaris L.), rosaceae family; forest angelica (Angelica sylvestris L.), celery family; caustic buttercup (Ranunculus acer L.), ranunculaceae family; common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.), aster family and meadow timothy (Phleum pratense L.), bluegrass family. The experimental results showed that 2.7 to 6.9% of the applied radiocesium can enter the soil through root secretions, and the largest amount of the pollutant was found in the soil of varieties with forest angelica, the smallest – with common tansy. ¹³⁷Cs entering the soil accumulated mainly in the uppermost 0 to 4 cm horizon; in the underlying layers of 4 to 12 cm radiocesium was found 1.2 to 6.7 times less. At the aggregate level, ¹³⁷Cs concentrated mainly on the surface of the smallest soil particles, which were <0.5 and 0.5 to 1 mm in size.

The article presents the results of the study of phenological and morphological characteristics of medicinal plants obtained by clonal micropropagation and adapted ex vitro after transplanting to the open ground in the Vologda district of the Vologda region. At present, in the conditions of import substitution for obtaining domestic pharmaceutical raw materials, it is necessary to grow medicinal plants in demand industrially. Plants of the Hedysarum neglectum Ledeb., Hypericum perforatum L., Artemisia dracunculus L. (cultivars ‘Goodwin’, ‘Monarch’) were studied as research objects. The winter hardiness of 2-year-old seedlings of the studied medicinal plants obtained by the in vitro method after overwintering is 85 to 90% in the first decade of May. Two-year-old plants of H. neglectum had an average height of 55.0 cm, formed a vegetative mass, had high foliage (an average of 12.6 pcs./shoot) and flower racemes (on average 17.5 pcs./shoot). The plants formed generative shoots: H. neglectum – on average 1.7 pcs., H. perforatum – 5 pcs., A. dracunculus – 9.9 to 11.3 pcs. The average length of the raw part of one shoot was 23.2 cm in H. neglectum, 16.6 cm in H. perforatum, and 32.3 to 47.0 cm in A. dracunculus. The wet weight of the raw part of a shoot of two-year-old cultivated medicinal plants was: H. neglectum – 12.9 g on average, H. perforatum – 16.7 g, A. dracunculus – 14.7 to 17.8 g; the air-dry weight of the raw part of the plants was 17 to 25% of the wet weight.

Thymus vulgaris L. and Thymus serpyllum L. are sought-after medicinal plants in many countries of the world for their essential oils, flavonoids and tannins. The species of this genus are extremely polymorphic, both in their morphological and anatomical structure and in their biochemical composition. Stomata play an important role in growth and yield formation. The study of the stomatal apparatus and its features is a relevant research topic for agricultural crops.Eight specimens of Th. vulgaris and three specimens of Th. serpyllum from different geographical origins were used for the work. Standard methods of preparation of preparations were used in the study. The results show that both species are characterized by the presence of stomata on both sides of the leaf. In the epidermis of both species analyzed, the diacytic type of the stomatal apparatus predominates, but occasionally the anomocytic type is also found. The size of the stomata for each cultivar was almost constant regardless of the weather conditions of the year, which probably indicates the genetic determinism of the size of the stomata and allows this indicator to be considered as a diagnostic sign in the pharmacognostic analysis of raw materials. The number of stomata on the upper side of the leaf was relatively low (16 to 129 pcs/mm²), while on the lower side of the leaf it ranged from 97 to 701 pcs/mm² (in Th serpyllum VILAR and Th. vulgaris cv. ‘Colchis’, respectively), but mostly fell within the range of 300 to 400 pcs/mm².

The article presents the results of observations of the onset of phenological phases in representatives of the genus Rosa L. in the conditions of the European North. Roses are widely used in landscaping of settlements as ornamental, medicinal and fruit plants. The research was carried out in the Dendrological Garden named after I.M. Stratonovich (Arkhangelsk). Objects of research are plants of the genus Rosa L.: R. pendulina L., R. majalis Herrm., R. laxa Retz., R. spinosissima L., R. rugosa Thunb., R. × hybrida, R. glauca Pourett. The European group of geographical origin accounts for 45% of the studied species, the Asian and Far-Eastern – 27% each. The introduced species are the first to bloom in the European North (late 2nd decade of June): R. × hybrida, R. rugosa, R. rugosa ‘Plena’ and R. spinosissima ‘Plena’. R. majalis, R. spinosissima, R. pendulina are distinguished by abundant flowering (flowering score – 5). Fruit ripening begins at the end of August in R. rugosa ‘Plena’ and continues until the 3rd decade of September in R. glauca. The fruits hang on the shoots until mid-winter. The most abundant fruiting (4 points) in the conditions of Arkhangelsk is observed in R. majalis, R. spinosissima and R. pendulina; the minimum fruiting score (2 points) is assigned to R. glauca and R. rugosa ‘Plena’.

The article presents the results of testing of table beet varieties and hybrids in the fields of farm private enterprise “S.E.V.” (Blagoveshchensk district, Amur region) in 2015–2017. It was shown that the growing season of varieties and hybrids depended on the conditions of the year by 11.3% and on the genotype by 4.3% to 10.3%, and the yield by 26.05% to 49.69% and 16.12% to 17.69%, respectively. The correlation between yield and growing season is inverse mean r = –0.659. Yield structure analysis showed that the yield of marketable root crops depended on their weight and number per unit area. Statistical analysis showed a direct mean correlation between the yield and the mass of marketable root crops r = 0.568 and an inverse strong correlation r = –0.728 between the yield and the number of root crops. The data obtained indicated a high productivity potential for the Bordo 237 varieties and the Tseppo F1 hybrid, with average yields ranging from 33.39 t/ha to 37.59 t/ha. All varieties and the hybrid have high yields of marketable root crops and good taste. Earlier varieties accumulate more nitrate in root crops, and hybrids of foreign selection have more nitrate than domestic ones.

The aim of the study was to develop a new breeding material combining resistance to the main harmful diseases with high yield potential and good baking qualities of the grain. Productive, winterhardy winter wheat varieties of the FRC “Nemchinovka” breeding line, well adapted to the central region of the Russian Federation, and productive short-stemmed varieties of Hungarian selection with resistance to European populations of rust fungi, powdery mildew, fusarium and leaf spots were selected as parental components for crossing. Recombinant production lines of winter wheat combining good winter hardiness with short stem, early maturity, high grain quality and group resistance to fungal diseases were obtained from these crosses. The selected lines (Nemchinovskaya 57 × Nador), (Nador × Pamyati Fedina), (Lucilla × Nemchinovskaya 24), (Bojtar × Nemchinovskaya 24), (Nemchinovskaya 57 × Nador) are being tested in competitive variety testing and reproduction.

The review summarizes the results of domestic and foreign literature on the biological and ecological characteristics and use of orchardgrass in forage production. In Russia and the world, the orchardgrass is one of the most widespread species in natural and seeded meadows. With a sufficient supply of nitrogen, it surpasses other grasses in terms of competitiveness and yield, producing 5 to 12 t/ha of dry matter in different regions of Russia. Under optimal conditions of use, its productive longevity is 8 to 10 years or more. Orchardgrass provides 3 to 5 cuttings per season and is resistant to animal grazing. It provides the earliest fodder in the spring in the green mowing system. Orchardgrass is highly aggressive and will quickly displace other grasses from a sward, so it is often grown in monoculture. It has good foliage and accumulates 15 to 25% crude protein when used before the heading phase. Orchardgrass is superior to meadow fescue, perennial ryegrass, and timothy in terms of drought resistance, but like ryegrass it can be thinned out in the winter-spring period under unfavorable overwintering conditions, and has poor resistance to flooding and near groundwater. Its high shade tolerance makes it suitable for interrow sowing in turf-humus orchards. This improves soil fertility and fruit quality. Under conditions of climate warming, orchardgrass may expand its range in Russia.

Phytopathogenic fungi are among the most common and dangerous plant pathogens, causing significant crop losses and considerable economic costs. The greatest damage to agricultural crops is caused by fungi of the genus Fusarium, making the study of their distribution, species diversity and diagnostic methods more in demand every year. This is particularly important for breeding purposes. The determination of the species composition of this pathogen allows not only to evaluate the level of infestation, but also to perform preventive selection for resistance to Fusarium. The aim of the study was to test the developed primers and probes for the identification of the most common representatives of the genus Fusarium such as F. culmorum, F. graminearum and F. poae. Pure cultures of fungi obtained from different collections of microorganisms were used as research material. We studied 35 varieties of winter triticale from the RSAU-MTAA collection. In order to differentiate the studied species, oligonucleotides were designed for a fragment of the Galactose oxidase (GalOx) gene and its homologous genes from the NCBI database. Diagnosis was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The main analytical characteristics of the developed primers such as specificity and sensitivity were determined. Screening of 35 varieties of winter triticale showed their infestation with fungi of the genus Fusarium. It was revealed that the predominant species was F. poae, which was found in 95.2% of the varieties. For F. graminearum, the highest prevalence was found between 2020 and 2021, when the infestation of triticale samples was 31.4% and 91.4%, respectively. F. culmorum had the lowest percentage of infestation, being found in only 20% of all samples. In addition, the winter triticale varieties of the 2022 harvest K-1–19#14 K-3851 PRAG502 (Dagestan) and K-1–19#42 K3727 SNT-5/92 (Omsk region) were identified as the least susceptible to infestation by the studied species of fungi.

The study was conducted to investigate the sensitivity of net blotch of barley (pathogen – Pyrenophora teres Drechsler) to two-component fungicides based on triazole and strobilurine classes. The work was carried out on intact barley plants and in pure culture of the fungus using four preparations (Amistar Extra, SC, Amistar Gold, SC, Baliy, MC, Delaro, SC) and five treatment options with different application rates from those recommended by the manufacturers (0 (control without fungicide), 50%, 100% (manufacturers’ recommended rate), 150%, 200%). It was found that the sensitivity of the P. teres fungus varied significantly depending on the active ingredient in the toxicant and the mechanism of interaction with the preparation – in vivo (indirect) or in vitro (direct). When the plants were treated with the doses recommended by the manufacturers, the minimum biological efficacy was found after treatment with the fungicide Delaro, SC – 76.3% (based on protioconazole (175 g/l) and trifloxystrobin (150 g/l)), the maximum biological efficacy was found after treatment with Baliy, MC – 83.1% (based on azoxystrobin (120 g/ l) and propiconazole (180 g/l)). When fungicides were applied to cups with a nutrient medium, the growth of fungal colonies was slowed down in all experimental variants, the maximum biological efficacy values were found after application of Amistar Gold, SC – 98.8% (on the basis of azoxystrobin (125 g/l) and diphenoconazole (125 g/l)), Delaro, SC – 98.4% (based on based on protioconazole (175 g/l) and trifloxystrobin (150 g/l)); minimum values were found when applying Amistar Extra, SC – 38.8% (on the basis of azoxystrobin (200 g/l) and ciproconazole (80 g/l)). The introduction of all preparations into the nutrient medium caused excessive structuring and pathological differentiation of P. teres fungus mycelium, and an acceleration of colony growth phases was observed on the medium with fungicides in comparison with the control variant. The introduction of Amistar Gold, SC, Delaro, SC, and Baliy, MC preparations completely inhibited sporulation. The conducted studies provided new knowledge on the changes in morphological and cultural characteristics of the regional population of P. teres under the action of fungicides of the triazole and strobilurine classes and its sensitivity to toxicants.

Campanula alliariifolia Willd. is a promising ornamental crop for container gardening in human settlements. The species is listed in the Red Data Book of the Volgograd region. The aim of the work is to study the effect of Bacillus subtilis alone and in combination with salicylic acid on the decorative qualities of the Campanula alliariifolia. The experiment was carried out in culture based on the collection site of the South-Ural Botanical Garden-Institute in 2021–2022. The effect of growth regulators on the phenology, growth dynamics, some morphometric indicators, the level of individual variability and the evaluation of the decorative qualities of C. alliariifolia was studied. The analysis of growth dynamics showed that during the study period, the maximum increase per day was observed in plants inoculated with B. subtilis. The degree of individual variability of the biometric parameters ranged from 6.1 (leaf thickness with B. subtilis) to 87.9% (number of flowers in an inflorescence with the combination of B. subtilis with salicylic acid). A two-factor analysis of variance showed that the effect of factor A (seasonal variability) was significant for flower and plant height, leaf length and width, inflorescence density and number of flowers in an inflorescence. The proportion of variance of the parameters ranged from 35.8 to 83.9%. The effect of factor B (different experimental options) and A×B is statistically significant only for flower diameter. There is only an average correlation between the diameter and the height of the flower. Only the flower characteristics are strongly related to each other. The study showed that the optimal option for increasing the scores for ornamentality, flowering frequency and inflorescence density of C. alliariifolia is to inoculate the plants with B. subtilis.

Orenburg region belongs to the zone of risky agriculture, which is characterized by droughts alternating with dry and hot winds. Helianthus annuus L., variety ‘Poseidon 625’ is an important food crop cultivated in the region, therefore it is important to identify the influence of climatic drought already at the earliest stages of its ontogenesis. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of different concentrations of osmotic substance (sucrose) on the germination and further growth of seedlings of H. annuus ‘Poseidon 625’. The laboratory germination was carried out in a vegetative chamber according to GOST 12038–84. The method of N.N. Kozhushko recommended by FRC VIR was used for evaluation of seed germination in physiological drought conditions. There are six variants of experiments on germination of seeds in sucrose solutions with concentrations of 1.4% (P = 1 atm), 4.4% (P = 3 atm), 7.4% (P = 5 atm), 10.5% (P = 8 atm), and 16.6% (P = 12 atm) and distilled water as a control. The study showed that the effect of osmotic pressure equal to 1 atm has no significant effect on germination, but has an early stress effect on seeds, reducing their germination energy even in conditions of minimal soil moisture deficiency. By means of a dispersion analysis, a significant decrease (p <<0.05) in both germination and growth processes of seedlings of H. annuus ‘Poseidon 625’ was found with increasing concentration of the osmotic solution by variants of the experiment. Thus, according to the reaction to the lack of moisture in the early stages of ontogenesis the studied variety can be assigned to the group of medium drought resistant.

The composition of the microflora in the human gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) can change constantly. It depends on the conditions in which a person was born, age, diet, lifestyle, region of residence, various diseases and medications taken. It is very important to maintain the correct balance (ratio) of microorganisms in the GI tract. The novelty of the research lies in the development of symbiotic fermented dairy products, including probiotic microbial cultures and prebiotics. This urgent and promising direction for the development of the dairy industry will enrich consumers’ diets and companies’ product ranges with functional and useful products. Probiotic micro-organisms added to milk in the form of pure cultures were not active enough and did not reach the high titres required for the development of curative and prophylactic foods. The addition of prebiotics to milk at a rate of 3% prior to pasteurisation reduces the risk of extraneous microflora developing during production and improves the curd of the final product. The use of a combination of pure strains of probiotic cultures at a higher concentration (5%) and cultures of microorganisms capable of forming a dense milk curd during fermentation allows a product with good organoleptic characteristics, stable consistency and a high titer of probiotic microorganisms (from 1.0×109 CFU) to be obtained. The profitability of the production of such products is on average 35–40%.

The article analyzes the approaches of state statistical bodies to the construction of analytical groupings of private subsidiary farms by the total land area and the total sown area. Analytical groupings published according to the national agricultural censuses, as a rule, represent distribution series, where the characteristics of the selected groups are limited only by the number of farms, the volume of the phenomenon and its ratio to the total. In addition, the program for publishing the results of the agricultural microcensus does not provide for a regional section. In order to improve the quality of the summary, analysis and presentation of the data on private subsidiary farms, it is proposed to revise the intervals for a number of grouping indicators and to significantly expand the set of features characterizing analytical groups. On the basis of depersonalized primary data of the agricultural microcensus, the article shows the possibilities of analyzing the size, specialization and intensification of agricultural production of private subsidiary farms while conducting a complete summary of the signs of the observation program. The trends of decrease in the total number of private subsidiary farms and their land and sown area revealed according to the census data indicate a reduction in the size of agricultural production of the category of households of the population, which makes it possible to raise the question of the expediency of their continuous survey and the introduction of censorship, as it is done in some foreign countries. On the basis of the data of the sample survey of private farms and the microcensus of 2021, an estimation of the value of the gross agricultural production by groups of farms according to the size of the land area was given, and it was proposed to introduce a requirement of 1000 m² of land area for the inclusion of private subsidiary farms in the list of respondents of agricultural censuses.

In modern conditions, the course of sustainable development of the agro-industrial complex (AIC) is considered by the country’s leadership both in the context of solving global socio-economic problems (including improving the demographic situation) and in the logic of protecting state sovereignty. The adoption of new federal initiatives to support the industry in the near future is facilitated by the vector’s focus on import substitution in the agricultural sector and increasing agricultural exports. However, it is impossible to ensure the implementation of strategically important tasks of agricultural companies without attracting the required amount of investment. Under conditions of sanctions pressure the activity of investors may decrease. Therefore, agricultural companies need to develop a methodological approach to assessing the investment attractiveness, the use of which will allow them to get an objective picture of the current level and make appropriate management decisions. Further research to improve the methodology for assessing the investment attractiveness of agricultural companies is relevant and aimed at enhancing the investment activity in the sector. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the development of methodological approaches to the formation of a system of non-financial indicators in the context of two elements: the market environment and ESG factors for assessing the investment attractiveness of agricultural companies. The results of the research are as follows: the approaches to assessing the attractiveness have been systematized; the blocks of the methodology for assessing the investment attractiveness of agricultural companies on the basis of ESG factors have been proposed; the system of indicators for assessing the implementation of sustainable development objectives of agricultural companies and indicators for assessing the market environment has been formed; the proposed methodology has been tested at PJSC Cherkizovo Group.