№ 3 (2024)

The main scientific results of the work in 2023 of scientific institutions subordinate to the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation and under the scientific and methodological guidance of the Department of Agricultural Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences on fundamental problems in the field of agriculture are presented – optimization of agricultural environmental management, agroecological assessment of lands, creation of adaptive farming systems and agrotechnologies of a new generation based on digitalization and regulation of flows of biogenic elements in agroecosystems, as well as biological and chemical means of intensification of agriculture, symbiotic engineering and genomic editing of the creation of plant-microbial systems, bioindication and biotesting of agroecosystems, and reclamation of contaminated agricultural facilities.

The studies were conducted to assess the totality of natural resources of the agrolandscapes of the southern taiga forest, forest-steppe and steppe zones of the Omsk region. The calculation was performed using equations in which the point indicators of heat, moisture supply and soil fertility were arranged in descending order of their influence on the value of natural resource potential. Agroclimatic conditions were characterized by heat and moisture supply of zones, based on the average long-term data on the sum of air temperatures above +10 °C and precipitation per year. The soil properties were assessed for the types occupying the largest area in arable land. The most favorable conditions for agriculture have developed in the forest-steppe and steppe zones, their resources are estimated at 41…44 points and correspond to the average level. The warm and moderately humid climate of the forest-steppe is close to optimal for cultivating agricultural crops (hydrothermal coefficient 1.0…1.4). The assessment of heat and moisture supply in points was 44…60 and 37…51, respectively. In moderately hot but insufficiently humid steppe regions (hydrothermal coefficient 0.9); agroclimatic resources were assessed with the maximum number of points for the temperature regime (57…60 points) and the minimum for the amount of precipitation (25…28 points). Soil resources of the forest-steppe and steppe are represented by fertile soils: ordinary chernozems, southern and meadow-chernozem soils, the level of their fertility was estimated at 60…67 points. Saline, solonetzic varieties of these soils, as well as chernozem-meadow and meadow soils have an average level of fertility, their assessment score was 40…58. Low fertility and a minimum (34…38) score were set for solonetz. The reduced natural resource agro-potential (38 points) of the southern taiga forest zone is associated with the low quality of sod-podzolic soils (27 points). According to agroclimatic conditions, the zone is characterized as moderately warm and well-moistened (hydrothermal coefficient 1.4…1.6), the point assessment of heat supply by districts was 38…43, and moisture supply – 37…43.

Current tasks in the production of seedlings of fruit and berry crops include improving technologies for growing planting material, including the use of irrigation. Currently, in world practice, the preference is given to environmentally friendly irrigation technologies, which include drip irrigation. The purpose of the research is to develop a scientifically based irrigation regime for drip watering of seedlings of fruit (plum, cherry, pear and apple) and berry (raspberry) crops in the conditions of the Central region of the non-Chernozem zone of the Central Russia. Research to substantiate drip irrigation regimes and study the water consumption of seedlings was carried out in the Michurinsky Garden of the Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy from 2011 to 2022. Field experiments on growing one-year-old, two-year-old and three-year-old seedlings were carried out in triplicate according to the following options: 1) control (without irrigation), 2) maintaining the moisture content of the root layer in the range of 60…80 % of the lowest moisture capacity, 3) 70…90 % of the lowest moisture capacity, and 4) 80…100 % of the lowest moisture capacity. The developed drip irrigation regimes for seedlings of fruit and berry crops make it possible to reduce the inter-irrigation period to an average of 2…9 days with low watering rates (on average 35.3…49.5 m³ per ha) depending on the pre-irrigation threshold (60, 70 and 80 % of the lowest moisture capacity) and moisture content of the growing season, and also ensure maintenance of the moisture content of the root layer of soil in specified ranges. When drip irrigation of seedlings, the main share in the total water consumption comes from moisture from precipitation (64 %) and irrigation rate (24 %).

The results of a comparative assessment of the winter rye population GC-494/15vv, selected for high viscosity of a water extract (VWE) of grain meal (9,7 sPoise) in order to improve the technological and baking qualities of grain, are presented. Cultivated varieties of winter rye Tatiana, Moskovskaya 12, Moskovskaya 15 and Moskovskaya 18 were used as the standard, in which the VWE varied at the level of 4.4…4.9 sPoise. Comparative tests were carried out in 2017–2023 on plots of 12 m² in 3-fold repetition. In terms of yield and other traits the differences were unreliable, but in terms of the number of falling and the temperature of starch gelatinization there was a steady trend in the positive direction, and in terms of the volume output of bread – in the negative. In terms of winter hardiness, protein and starch content in grain there was no correlation with the trait of VWE. The influence of the weather conditions of the year on the dynamics of various traits was analyzed. There is a similar dynamics of such traits as the height of the amylogram, the number of falling and the temperature of starch gelatinization for changing weather conditions of the year, which is confirmed by a reliable correlation between them (r = 0,77…0,87). For the trait of VWE a reliable correlation took place only for the starch gelatinization temperature (r = 0,71). The high potential of the VWE reduced the volumetric output of the formed bread, so that it had the best structural and mechanical properties of the crumb. It is concluded that VWE is an important feature in the breeding of winter rye for high baking qualities of grain.

In this work, using biochemical and molecular genetic approaches, the genotypes of sugar beet were studied under conditions simulating salt stress in order to select stable samples for breeding. Sugar beet plants grown under conditions of 150 mM, 280 mM and 500 mM salinity were used as materials for experiments. Under conditions of 150 mM salinity, samples RMS-127, O-type 2113, OP 021729, MS 020026 showed an increase in catalase activity by 33.0 %, 14.1 %, 81.4 %, 5.1 %, accordingly, with respect to control samples. In these genotypes, with an increase in NaCl concentration to 280 mM, an increase in superoxide dismutase activity was noted, in RMS-127 by 28.9 %, MS 020022 – 78.7 %, O-type 09001 – 54.3 %, OP 021722 – 65.5 %, OP 021729 – 67.3 % relative to the control. As a result of quantitative real-time RT-PCR, the expression of the SOD and CAT genes was detected in the studied sugar beet genotypes under conditions of 150 mM and 280 mM salinity. An increase in the expression of the SOD gene was shown in samples MS 020026, O-type 2113 and OP 021729 at 150 mM salinity, on average 2.5 times relative to the control. The maximum expression level of the SOD gene was established in the genotypes MS 020022 and RMS-127 at 280 mM salinity (1.5 times higher than the control). In MS 020026, MS 020022, O-type 09001, the maximum values of gene expression were recorded at 150 mM and 280 mM of salt, more than 5 times, and 3 times in O-type 2113 at 150 mM of salt, compared with the control. According to the results of the study, all the studied genotypes were selected as salinization-resistant starting material for breeding.

The research was carried out in order to assess the impact of basic tillage and herbicides on weeds and grain yields of the Kadet pea variety. The work was carried out in 2016–2018 in the conditions of the steppe zone of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. The soil of the experimental site is Precaucasian carbonate chernozem of heavy loamy granulometric composition. The scheme of the experiment included the following options: the method of basic tillage (factor A) ‒ dump plowing of PLN-4-35 to a depth of 25…28 cm; non-shaft flat-cutting treatment of CNG-2.2 by 25…28 cm; non-shaft chisel treatment of ACP-2.5 with chisel paws by 16…18 cm; herbicides (factor B) ‒ without herbicides; Tristar, CS 2.5 l/ha, applied to the surface layer of the soil before germination for «blind» harrowing; Garnison, VR 2.0 l/ ha (processing of crops in the phase of 3…5 leaves of culture); Tristar, CS 2.0 l/ha + Garnison, VR 2.0 l/ha. The maximum death of weeds in the experiment was recorded on 28…30 days after chemical treatment of crops in the Tristar application variant, soil action COP at a dose of 2.0 l/ha against the background of dump plowing (81.2 %). The use of herbicides Garnison, VR and Tristar, CS 2.0 l/ha was the most effective when used in combination, regardless of the methods of basic tillage (75…79 % of weed death). Reducing the contamination of crops by the end of the growing season contributed to an increase in the yield of pea grain from 2.2…2.6 to 2.4…2.9 t/ha. The largest increase in the experiment in the amount of 0.5 and 0.6 t/ha was noted when using Tristar CS herbicides, 2.0 l /ha in combination with the introduction of Garnison, VR in the same dosage, but for vegetative plants.

Studies were carried out to assess the pathogenicity of the Diaporthe eres species in relation to soybeans using artificial infection methods to clarify the phylogenetic specialization of Diaporthe fungi. The work was carried out in 2021–2023 in the Amur region under conditions of pot experiment. The objects were soybean plants of the early-ripening variety Sentyabrinka and mid-ripening Kitrossa, as well as two strains of microscopic fungi Diaporthe eres. Identification of Diaporthe fungi was carried out by molecular genetic methods and according to cultural and morphological characteristics. Infection of soybean was carried out at different stages development, agar blocks with inoculum were placed on artificially created mechanical damage on the stems. To confirm the penetration of D. eres through natural routes, soybean leaves were inoculated of the studied strains spores suspension. The appearance of disease symptoms and repeated isolation of D. eres from the tissue of an infected plant indicate the manifestation of pathogenicity of the species towards the soybean. Two studied strains of D. eres, previously isolated from apricot shoots, exhibit low aggressiveness towards soybean (the infection rate did not exceed 10 %) as compared with a strain of Diaporthe sp. isolated from a soybean plant (the infection rate was 100 %). The D. eres MF-Pm-4a strain turned out to be more aggressive than D. eres MF-Pm-5a, since the frequency of its repeated isolation from inoculation sites was 20 % higher, and in 10 % of cases it was isolated from non-inoculation sites. Younger soybean plants in the R-1 development phase turned out to be more resistant, they had a longer incubation period, and no visible symptoms of the disease were noted on the 40th day after inoculation. Soybean infection in the R-3 development phase is characterized by a very short incubation period – 15 days. The mid-ripening soybean variety Kitrossa was found to be more resistant than the early-ripening variety Sentyabrinka.

Studies were carried out to investigate effect of application of growth-promoting rhizosphere bacteria of genus Pseudomonas in artificial contamination of agro-gray soil with copper in concentration above approximately permissible level on fractional composition of metal compounds in soil, weight of spring wheat plants and metal uptake by plants in pot experiment. To assess effect of bacteria on distribution of copper in soil fractions, inoculation with cultures P. fluorescens 20, P. fluorescens 21, and P. putida 23 was used. Wheat plants were grown up to booting stage in contamination with Cu(NO₃)₂·3H₂0 at rate of 300 mg Cu/kg of soil against background of NPK fertilization. Cu accumulation in fractions associated with organic matter, oxides and hydroxides of Fe and Mn and, to a lesser extent, with carbonates was established. Content of Cu in shoots and roots after combustion in mixture of HNO₃ : HClO₄ (2:1) and in soil fraction was determined by inductively coupled plasma emission-optical spectrometry. Bacteria rised plant resistance to high copper concentration and increased their weight by 13…24 %, reducing the phytotoxicity of metal. Positive effect of bacteria in copper contamination is due to increase in content of metal in roots (in 18…19 times relative to variant with copper contamination without bacteria application). Bacteria increased copper content mainly in specifically sorbed fraction associated with carbonates and in composition of ferruginous minerals, to lesser extent in organic fraction and decreased content of metal in residual fraction. Growth in copper uptake by plants from the soil by 19…30 % in application of bacteria corresponded to increase in its presence in soil in relatively mobile forms and decrease in the residual fraction.

The influence of the moisture content during the extrusion of a mixture of rice with chokeberry pomace hydrolysate on the process parameters, physico-chemical, structural, textural and technological properties of the extrudates was studied. The relevance of the study is due to the need to increase the sustainability of technological processing of fruit and berry raw materials and increase the efficiency of using by-products of food industry. Hydrolysate of chokeberry pomace was obtained using a complex of enzymes, including pectinase, cellulase, protease and lipase. The hydrolyzate was dried, added to rice in an amount of 5 % and extruded at various moisture content in the range of 15…24 %. An increase in moisture content during extrusion reduced the process temperature from 165 to 148 ℃, the pressure from 5.0 to 2.0 MPa and the torgue from 88 to 48 %. A decrease in moisture reduced the intensity of the impact of the treated mixtures on biopolymers. The specific mechanical energy decreased from 0.17 to 0.09 kW hour/kg. The trends in changes in thermomechanical treatment modes, determined by moisture as a factor reducing friction, were identical for the control and experimental mixtures without significant differences. With an increase in moisture content during extrusion, the hardness of samples containing berry pomace hydrolysate increased from 11.1 to 43.5 N, bulk density from 97.0 to 278.8 g/dm³, and the sectional expansion index decreased from 8.5 to 3.0. The dynamic viscosity of suspensions of ground extrudates under hydration conditions simulating instant steeping in domestic conditions increased significantly from 2.0 to 3.4…4.4 Pa s with an increase in moisture content during extrusion. Extrusion increased the content of phenolic substances in samples with chokeberry pomace hydrolysate. The maximum value of 631.5 mg/dm³ corresponded to 15 % moisture content.