Field experiments with brewing barley carried out on sod-podzolic medium-loamy soil found that the raising doses of nitrogen application increase the grain yield of barley (by 18- 44%), total protein content and hordein concentration in grain, a-amylase and catalase activity. On the other hand, there was a decrease in the grain unit, globulins, the content of water soluble and non-extractable proteins, and fi-amylase activity resulting in negative effect on brewing qualities of barley grain. Sufficient nitrogen nutrition acoompanied by increased rates of phosphorus and potassium increased the grain productivity of barley, seed germinating ability, a-amylase activity, but decreased fi-amylase and catalase activity and grain protein content ensuring the normative level (less than 12%) that resulted in improved brewing qualities of grain. Basing on experimental data the authors advocate the feasibility of applying novosil phytoregulators for raising the grain productivity of brewing barley and reducing its grain protein content on the backgreound of nitrogen fertilizer application. The authors determined correlations between the concentration of tyrosine in the leafjuice in the phase of the first stem node formation, nitrogen application rates, crop productivity and technological parameters of grain. This indicates the effectiveness of using this indicator to diagnose nitrogen nutrition and forecast the grain quality of brewing barley.

Among more than 20 existing types of longspine sandbur, (Cenhrus longispinus (Hackel ex Kneuck.) Fernald), an annual cereal of North American origin, is of particular importance for the Russian Federation. This plant is widely distributed in temperate countries as a weed plant. It contaminates farm crops, vegetables and melons, vineyards and gardens. It is a quarantine object for the Russian Federation and the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union. On the territory of our country there are small disparate foci localized along railway lines and within urban areas. Identification of the object in the pre-generation state is difficult due to the morphological similarity of the weed with other grasses. For the early detection of the weeds, it is proposed to use a molecular genetic approach based on the use of ISSR markers. The purpose of this study is to search for molecular ISSR markers to differentiate species of the Cenchrus genus and identify the quarantine species of C. longispinus. The authors studied fifteen specimens belonging to eight species of the Cenchrus genus and obtained from the collection of the All-Russian Plant Quarantine Center (VNIIKR). To identify interspecific genetic diversity, a set of twentyone ISSR markers was used. Six of the markers showed polymorphism, which allows identifying the studied species of the Cen-chrus genus. The species-specific profiles of the amplicons of these ISSR markers allow identifying the considered species. For a number of markers, species-specific C. longispinus bands have been identified.

The presented materials are based on the research results obtained by the European Grassland Federation (EGF) and presented at the 26 EGF General Meeting held in Norway in September 2016 as well as on other studies recently performed in European countries. The Meeting paid its main attention to the development strategy of sustainable production of high quality ruminant animal products under changing climatic conditions of Europe. It is shown that grassland-based dairy systems can produce up to 2 kilograms of animal protein per lkilogram of edible plant protein consumed by cows. The authors also prove that the intensification of ruminant production systems is based on high amount of maize silage and concentrates consumed. The paper highlights the innovations in forage production in agroecosystems, further improvement of forage production based on feed enrichment with legumes, and offers opportunities of distance control of gathering data on the productivity of agrocenoses and their assessment in a digital format.

In 2017, a two-factor scientific and production experiment was carried out in the conditions of the Central Black Earth region of Russia in the Voronezh region. The experiment aimed at studying the effectiveness of a new generation of sprayer Amazone UX11200 Isobus as compared with Amazone UX 5200Amaspray using complex tank mixtures. The latter consisted of herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and mineral fertilizers, depending on the intensity level of the applied technology and the presence of malicious substances. It was found that the level of spring rapeseed productivity, the main elements of its structure and the degree of their variation were determined in 41% of all cases by controlled environmental factors (homogeneity levels of mineral nutrition and pesticide exposure), 26% - by uncontrolled factors, and 33% - by their interactions. The greatest increases in productivity and oil output per a unit area were noted in the intensive version of Amazone UX Isobus technology and amounted to 2.21 t/ha and 1082 kg/ha, with an increase in the control variant - 21.4% and 21.6%, respectively. The study revealed the influence of precision spraying on reducing the level on the in-field variability of the segetal component of a agrophytocenosis with an intensive cultivation technology (from 26.5% to 12.4%), which increased the efficiency of using the considered tank mixtures to 90-96%. The stabilizing effect, on the average in the experiment, amounted to 206%. The study has established the economic feasibility of using sprayers with GPS Section Control equipment for spatial positioning and variable-rate application of the pesticide spray materials of tank mixtures taking into accout crop density distribution in the agrophytocenosis. The economic efficiency of intensive technology as compared to the conventional one has reduced the use of crop protection products by 5-7%.

This paper deals with the results of field trials of domestically produced pheromone preparations for a dangerous quarantine pest - the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys Stal, 1858 (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). In 2017, the domestically produced pheromone preparations for H. halys were first synthesized. In 2018, large-scale field trials of pheromone preparations for H. halys were conducted in the quarantine phytosanitary zone in Sochi (Southern Russia) and the Republic of Abkhazia. According to the study results, the highest attractiveness both for adult insects (imago) and nymphs of H. halys was demonstrated by the preparation consisting of (3S,6S, 7R, 10S)-10,11-epoxy-1-bisabolen-3-ol, (3R,6S, 7R, 10S)-10,11 -epoxy-1-bisabolen-3-ol, and methyl-(E, E, Z)-2,4,6-decatrienoate. This preparation is recommended for the use in pyramidal pheromone traps for pest monitoring at a dose of 4 mg/dispenser, and for mass pest trapping at a dose of 12 mg/dispenser.

Lateral roots play an important role in the formation of an extensive rootage, and therefore determine plant’s potential in search and consumption of water and mineral nutrients and its mechanical attachment to the soil. In contrast to initiation, the development of lateral roots after their emergence from the main root has relatively recently become a separate object of scientific research. Based on the length, an angle relative to the gravity vector, and the number of cells in the columella, six stages of lateral root development have been distinguished. As in the case of the main root, the plant hormones, auxin and cytokinin, play a leading role in lateral root homeostasis. However, at different development stages, the responses of the lateral roots to auxin, cytokinin and abscisic acid differ significantly from the responses of the main root and have a significant influence on the rootage. Differences in the organization of endogenous regulation of the main and lateral roots are clearly manifested in the individual response of the main root and lateral roots to the availability of certain elements of mineral nutrition and salt stress. This review discusses relevant data on the growth rate, orientation, and mechanisms regulating growth and development of lateral roots of the Arabidopsis thaliana model plant.

The paper deals with the growth and ratio of the Romanov ram muscles of a different internal structure determining their functional role. The muscles are divided into four groups: dynamic muscles (Type 1), dynamostatic muscles (Type 2), semistatodynamic muscles (Type 3), and statodynamic muscles (Type 4). The studied muscles make up no less than 78% of the total muscle mass in rams. So it is possible to suppose that the findings present objective evidence and show the structural proportions of muscles of different morphofunctional types. The muscles of two morphofunctional types constitute the main part of the total amount of muscles almost in equal correlation. They are dynamic muscles (9.64%) and dynamostatic muscles (9.52%), having high quality indices. The muscles of the other two types account for a substantially smaller part. Each type of the muscles has been considered, and the age differences in their dynamics have been determined. The comparative growth of muscles with a different internal structure depends on their functional properties as well. The growth of Type 1 muscles shows moderate positive allometry (b = 1.068). Muscles of each morphofunctional type have different growth rates relating to the total mass of animals: some grow rapidly (b > 1.2), some grow moderately (2 > b > 1), and some grow slowly (b < 1). Muscles with high allometry (b > 1.2) are located in different parts of a ram body. In average, dynamostatic muscles feature isometric growth (b = 0.997). Muscles ofType 3 and Type 4 grow slowly on the whole (b = 0,967-0,910). The study of the growth and development regularities of muscle morphofunctional types of the Romanov rams in general, and their components, in particular, has a vital importance for quantitative and qualitative characteristics of meat obtained from these animals. When studying the contribution of different muscles to meat production it is nesessary to state the relationship between their functions and growth rate.

The scope of application of embryonic and fetal stem cells (SCs) is limited due to their multidirectional differentiation in the recipient’s organism and possible formation of teratomas and tera-tocarcinomas, as well as due to some ethical reasons. Therefore, adult stem cells (postnatal SCs) are more widely used. These cells are divided into hematopoietic, mesenchymal stromal, and tissue-specific progenitor cells-precursors. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are able to colonize and provide long-term self-support. Mesenchymal stromal stem cells are the precursors of a number of tissues and have a wide range of possible applications in regenerative medicine. Tissue-specific progenitor cells replace dead cells in the body and are responsible for tissue renewal. Hematopoietic stem cells are used for transplantation and specialized care for patients with various primary and recurrent cancer, hematological, immunological and other diseases. The most effective method is autogenous transplantation, since the risk of transplant rejection is minimal. At present, the allotransplantation of SCs is widely used. However, it requires special training of the recipient and compatibility with the donor. Xenogenic stem cell transplantation is a promising but the least developed treatment method. This is due to the differences in the genotype and the fact that donor cells are not embedded in the recipient’s body. It is shown that xenotransplantation of mammalian stem and progenitor cells to lower-vertebrate and invertebrate poikilothermic hydrobionts with artificially induced pathology leads to the regeneration and restoration of damaged organs. The stem cells of donor mice introduced into the organism of mature crayfish and axolotls stimulate the reproductive activity of recipients. Aquatic organisms can be potential sources of stem cells. The research results reveal the prospects of using stem cells in medical and veterinary practice.

The activity of membrane enzyme systems (ionic pumps), ATPases being their integral proteins, is one of the sensitive criteria for metabolic processes in animals. In particular, physiological and biochemical processes occurring in erythrocytes and secretory cells of the mammary glands during milk formation are not an expetion here. The authors have conducted studies on lambs and ewes of Teksel and Kuibyshevskaya breed to identify the age and breed characteristics of the functioning of ATPases of the red blood cell membrane and the membrane of milk fat globules. The results have shown that the activity of Mg² +, Na +, K+-, Mg² +- and Na +, K+-ATPase membrane erythrocytes of lambs are determined by age with a high degree of confidence (P < 0.001) at 99.45; 99.41 and 98.46%, respectively; the activity of Mg +, Na +, K+-, Mg² +- and Na+, K+-ATPases of the membrane of ewe’s milk fat globules - by 87.15%; 89.36 and 88.09%, respectively. No significant influence of the species of animals, as well as no joint influence of age and breed factors on the activity of all the studied ATPases of the erythrocyte and milk membrane components has been observed. The results of correlation and dispersion analyzes proved a significant effect on the ATPase activity of blood and milk on the age and species of animals; it has been proved that the activity of total, Mg² +- and Na +, K+-ATPases of the erythrocyte membrane is reliably (P < 0.001) determined by the species of animals by 98.83%, 99.45%, and 96.14%, respectively; the activity of the ATPase membrane of milk fat globules - by 95.57%; 92.09% and 82.27%, respectively.

The work is devoted to the study of age-related changes of the morphological composition of carcasses, as well as of the musculature growth character and intensity of carcasses of Simmental and cross-breeding bull-calves obtained by crossing of Simmental cows with bulls of Simmental Meat and Charolaise breeds. The paper contains data on the musculature growth and development character and intensity by the anatomical divisions of half-carcasses of experimental bull-calves at different growth and development periods kept under the same feeding and maintenance conditions. It was found that a high level of feeding contributed to the most complete implementation of biological characteristics of the Charolaise hybrids, namely, an ability to intensively increase muscle tissue for a long time. The Charolaise cross-breeds significantly exceeded the peers of the parent breed by weight of the most important anatomic body parts. The greatest differences were found in the absolute mass of the muscular component of the femur region (21.7%), the vertebral column (29.4%) and the general connective musculature (39.1%). The smallest intergroup differences (2.75%) were determined in the mass of the forearm musculature. Differences in the relative mass of the muscular component of anatomical sections of bull calves ’ carcasses from the compared groups were insignificant and ranged from 0.1 to 1.29%. It is shown that the greatest growth intensity is characteristic for the muscular component of the abdominal part, general binding musculature, and the smallest for the peripheral parts of carcasses. It is noted that the growth intensity of the musculature located in the proximal parts of extremities is much higher than that of the distal sections.