What is discussed and justified is the necessity of a wide use of the “soil ecosystem" (SE) category as more objectively meaningful and concrete term rather than the concise but differently conceptual term - “soil". The modern soil ecosystem is subdivided into natural and antropogenic or agroecosystem, and the latter is subdivided into conventional, organic and low input agriculture based on exploitation technologies; the key characteristics of organic, conventional and low input agriculture are also analyzed. A new general characteristic of the soil ecosystem is discussed - soil health (SH) and its scientific parameters. The methods of determining soil health in the form of parameters are given. The heterotrophic parameter of soil health (HPSH) and key provisions for perfoming this method and the subsequent ones are described. A new parameter for determining soil health is presented and discussed in the form of a parameter for assessing the self-sufficiency (PSSE) of the soil ecosystem by key biophilic elements, nitrogen and phosphorus. The approaches to the development of parameters for assessing suppressive activity and the control of “pathogenesis” in the soil ecosystem are discussed. The necessity of assessing the health of the soil ecosystemu depending on their types and ecploitation is considered. The conditions for maintaining a healthy soil ecosystem are considered, especially in organic farming systems. Options for conservation and protection of soil health, natural and induced suppressive activity of the soil ecosystem are discussed. The ways of diagnostics and therapy of soils, modern agroecosystems are described based on the developed indicators in the form of a het-erotrophic parameter of soil health and the parameter of self-sufficiency assessment of the soil ecosystem by biophilic elements.

The stem resistance of cabbage to black rot prevents the systemic spreading of the pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris localized in the infected leaves. In 2016-2018, the authors conducted a study to search for effective methods for the stem resistance detection and evaluation in plant breeding material and analyze the resistance inheritance in white cabbage samples. It has been shown that two methods - that of leaf sinus pricking and the excised cotyledons assay can be used to assess this type of resistance. However, the second method is more efficient for mass screening of breeding material reaction. It has been revealed that the stem resistance in the line Tsrl is race-specific and controlled by a single recessive gene. The second recessive gene controls the leaf hydatode resistance. This line has shown immunity to races 0.1, and 3 under all inoculation methods, and proved to be susceptible to race 4 of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris.

The paper is devoted to the issues of ensuring high nutritional characteristics of vegetable oils in the production and prolongation of their storage. Basing on the research of well-known scientists, the authors studied the process ofsunflower oil filtration in the adsorbent layer with acoustic ultrasonic intensification of the process. Basing on the results of the analysis and systematization of information on the spoilage of unrefined sunflower oil with primary and secondary oxidation products, the authors theoretically analyzed the impact of acoustic micro-flows on the filtering process and the filtering element (cartridge), developed an experimental installation for the purification and regeneration of unrefined oils, studied the kinetic laws of the filtering process and designed a machine-hardware scheme of the purification of unrefined vegetable oil after storage. Also, they calculated technical and economic efficiency of an installation for filtering unrefined sunflower oil with the use of acoustic ultrasonic action. Filtering of unrefined sunflower oil was carried out with an experimental ultrasonic installation with theoretically and experimentally determined oscillation amplitude a = 4.52-5106 m and oscillation frequency f = 18-20 kHz, with a possibility of regulating the inclination angle of the filtering element. The authors experimentally obtained kinetic regularities of the filtration process with the use of vibro-acoustic influences on crude sunflower oil, presented research materials on the concentration of pollutants in the treated oil, the permeability of the filtering partition depending on its contamination, and set the indicators characterizing the quality characteristics of the purification of crude oils. The work performed allows improving the quality and cleaning performance, prolonging the shelf life of crude and unrefined sunflower oils.

The effect of inoculation of Rhizobium leguminosarum, Azotobacter chrooccoccum and exogenous phytohormones on pro - and antioxidant activity of the peroxidase enzyme system in the cells of seedling roots ofpea was studied. It is shown that Rhizobium increases the IAA-oxidase function ofperoxidase in soluble and bound to cell walls fractions of the enzyme, which is obviously associated with the regulation of the initial stages of infection. The effect of Azotobacter on the oxidase and peroxidase activity of the enzyme has the same, but more pronounced, orientation with the action of exogenously added to Rhizobium IAA. Joint inoculation of Rhizobium with Azotobacter has a positive effect on the growth of seedlings and causes modulation in the ratio ofpro - and antioxidant functions ofperoxidase in different fractions of the enzyme in comparison with only Rhizobium inoculation.

The pancreas is the central digestive organ in both mammals and birds. For a long time (until 1961), the exocrine function of the pancreas in birds was poorly understood. The reason was an anatomical feature, i.e. the connection of three pancreatic ducts and one bile duct into one pappila, which in turn opens into the lumen of the duodenum, which became an obstacle to obtaining a pure pancreatic juice without a bile admixture. For a long time, attempts were made to obtain pure pancreatic juice (Polyakov, 1961; Sosina, 1965; Aliyev, 1970, etc.), but all of them had a number of significant drawbacks. Only the method of Ts.Zh. Batoyev and S. Ts. Batoyeva (1970) based on the implantation of the main pancreatic duct into an isolated segment of the intestine, was successfully used and is still relevant today. The advantage of this technique is that the pancreatic juice is collected only for a short period of time, and is redirected to the intestines for the rest of the time, which contributes to the preservation of bird productivity. The uniqueness of this work is that the authors have studied numerous indicators of birds ’ pancreatic juice, such as the activity of amylase, lipase, protease, total protein, calcium, phosphorus, bile acids, fructosamine, zinc, and copper. Many of these indicators have not been previously studied in birds. The results suggest that the composition of the pancreatic juice of chickens varies greatly after feeding, while the content of calcium and phosphorus, as well as bile acids remains stable. The obtained data are fundamental and can be used further to study the physiology of pancreatic secretion in birds.

The authors have studied the possibility of tulip cultivation without digging as exemplified by different varieties and species of tulips: three cultivars from the Darwin’s hybrids garden group -Yellow Dover Oxford of Beauty and Beauty of Apeldoorn; Princeps from the group of Foster Tulips and Miscellaneous group samples, their varieties and hybrids; Little Princess, which is a hybrid between T. hageri Heldrelch and T. aucheriana Baker; T. tarda Stapf, T. eichleri Regel., T. vvedenskyi Z. Botsch. Within three years, the researchers recorded a number offlowering and juvenile plants, their biometric characteristics, determined the number and weight of bulbs, and fixed the attack of plants from diseases and pests. It has been established that for the inclusion of tulips in longterm flower beds, attention should be paid to the varietal and species features. Preference should be made for tulips that are less sensitive to dry dormancy conditions (humidity and temperature during the flower formation period), resistant to diseases, with the average coefficient of biological reproduction and with a good energy of growth in juvenile bulbs. It is necessary to use medium and small bulbs in addition to large flowering bulbs to ensure the uniformity of flowering in every growing season. It is recommended to use the following varieties tested in this research: T. tarda Stapf, T. vvedenskyi Z Botsch., Little Princess and Beauty of Oxford.

The aim ofthe experiments was to evaluate new and promising varieties and hybrids ofspring grain crops of domestic and foreign selection and to identify the most adapted ones to the conditions of the Kaluga region. In the experiments, traditional methods of field tests were used. As a result of the research, it has been revealed that on average for three years, the biological yield of wheat grain was up to 2.8-4.5 t/ha on gray forest soils. The highest yield grain was observed in the КВС 655-310 variety and the variety of Kaliksonemetsky selection, and the domestic variety of Voronezhskaya-18. The biological grain yield of spring barley was 3.4-5.01 /ha. The Tango variety of Dutch selection and the domestic varieties of Arshin and Nadezhniy also showed distinguished features. The yield of oats grain was within 2.7-4.9 t/ha. The highest yield was observed in the domestic Fristail variety. Agrometeorological conditions during the years of research had a significant influence on grain yield and crop structure of the studied crops and varieties. The most favorable for the production process of spring cereal crops was the vegetation period of the year 2015, which was characterized by excess heat, sufficient soil moisture in the beginning of the growing season and insufficient moisture in the end of it.

The purpose of our research was to analyze the influence of variety properties, seeding rates and methods of crop care on the level of weediness, productivity and quality of soybeans on row-sown crops. It was done by determining the number of weeds in an agrophytocenosis, productivity level, protein and oil content in soybeans. The author has proved a possibility of soybean cultivation without applying herbicides, using drilling sowing with the lowest yield losses caused by weediness. It has been established that varieties with larger foliaceous area compete with weeds in the best way. Increasing the soybean seeding rate forms a denser agrophytocenosis. This agrophytocenosis is more resistant to weeds. One pre-emergence and two post-emergence harrowing operations decrease the number of weeds by 76%. Varieties with longer vegetation period feature higher soybean productivity than precocious varieties. Optimal seeding rate for precocious variety Romantyka is 800 thousand/ha and an optimal seeding rate for precocious variety Ustya is 900 thousand/ha. The most favourable conditions for the growth and development of plants under the row sowing method were provided with a mechanical method of crop care. Weediness of crops negatively influence the soybean quality. A correlation dependence between protein and oil content has been established. Increasing the protein content results in decreased oil content in soybeans and vice-versa. Increasing the seeding rate leads to increased protein and decreased oil content.