Results are given from investigations on determining long-term impacts of tillage systems of various intensification levels on density of soil, moisture reserves, and barley productivity. The studies were conducted in 1998-2012 in Northern Trans-Ural region in the regular experiment on dark-gray forest heavy-loam soils in the five-course crop rotation of bare fallow-winter rye-wheat-grain legumes-barley expanded in time and space. It was established that the optimal conditions of density of 1.15-1.21 g/cm3 during the growing period remained only in the 0-10 cm soil layer in all tillage systems studied. Soil density in the 0-20 cm layer corresponded to the upper limit (1.24-1.28 g/cm3) of optimal values for this crop; density in the 10-30 cm layer exceeded the optimal values by 0.05-0.40 g/cm3. During the sowing-sprouting period the tillage methods studied provided equal and favorable conditions to build the arable layer of soil; towards the tillering period, the density in the 0-20 cm layer on nonmoldboard and shallow cultivations increased by 0.03-0.04 g/cm3 as compared with the plowing variant, in the 10-30 cm layer by 0.03-0.07 g/cm3 that deteriorated the assimilation of autumn-winter rainfall. Providing equal moistening conditions during the barley growing period in the 0-30 cm layer, the long-term use of shallow cultivations resulted in decreasing available moisture reserves in the 1 m layer during the sowing-tillering period by 6.5-10.5 mm, or by 6.4-9.4% as compared with annual plowing. The highest barley productivity was obtained under moldboard cultivation system; the reduction in productivity in resource-saving tillage systems made up 2.9-7.2% against the background without fertilization, and 0.8-3.6% with fertilization. It is necessary in planning the tillage methods to take into account conditions of soil density and humidity. With density of 1.12-1.26 g/cm3 and humidity of 10.4-21.4%, nonmoldboard and shallow cultivations, along with plowing, can be effectively used, with high density of 1.32-1.38 g/cm3 and humidity of 14-24%, plowing at the 20-22 cm depth.

Results are given from the evaluation of 137 barley varieties and breeding lines developed by the breeders of Western and Eastern Siberia under conditions of the central forest-steppe zone of Krasnoyarsk Territory for 2008-2012. The years of study were characterized by moisture availability as follows: 2008 and 2012 as dry years (HTC of 0.84-0.99), 2010 as a moderately wet year (HTC of 1.29), and 2009 and 2011 as excessively wet years (HTC of 1.64-1.72). The material studied was drawn into breeding because of their adaptation to local Siberian conditions and ability to more effectively use bio-climatic resources of the region. There were identified genetic sources for early maturity, productive tillering capacity, grain content, 1000-kernel weight, grain weight per main spike, and were determined variation levels of these characters across years. By way of example of certain hybrid lines created with the participation of early-ripening specimens Mig 16 and Vulkan, there were revealed their prospects for development of high-producing varieties combining high yielding capacity with early maturity and high productive tillering capacity. The positive correlation between high grain weight per main spike and yielding capacity has been found that enables to select high-productive genotypes when carried out individual selection. The evaluation of 19 barley specimens in the three environmental areas, those were Minino (forest steppe, Krasnoyarsk), Bely Yar and Beya (steppe, Republic of Khakassia) in 2010 and 2011 and Minino in 2010-2012, allowed us to rank the specimens studied for their ecological plasticity and stability. Resulted from the work carried out, over 100 hybrid combinations involving Siberian specimens were developed, from which the line E-88-5893 called Emelya was selected to be transferred to the State Variety trial in 2016.

The experimental measuring device based on the capacitance sensor and Agilent 4294A Precision Impedance Analyzer has been developed to investigate dielectric properties of wet grasses. Parameters of the flat ring capacitance sensor have been studied. A choice of compacting pressure on grass samples when determining their dielectric characteristics has been substantiated. The problem of converting parameters of a cable with the connected capacitance sensor measured by the precision impedance analyzer into parameters of tested material has been solved. Grasses were sampled on the optimal dates from May to August in 2013 and 2014 to provide homogenous moisture. The various species of fodder grasses were investigated in the farms of Leningrad Region; these were cock’s-foot grass, timothy grass, meadow fescue, festulolium, red clover, oats, vetch, and grass mixtures. The procedure for preparing wet grasses to measurements has been developed. The grass moisture content was determined according to the GOST 27548-97 State Standard “Grass Feeds. Methods for Determining Moisture Content”. The sensor’s geometric constant has been determined over the frequency range of electromagnetic field. The penetration depth of the electromagnetic field of the sensor into the tested material setting the minimal thickness of a tested layer under the sensor has been studied. Dependences of dielectric permittivity and electrical conductivity of grasses in the chosen frequency range were investigated at the various values of moisture content and compacting pressures. The working frequencies range (10- 15 MHz) and the compacting pressures (0.31-0.50 N/cm2) were determined for tested grasses with the use of the experimental measuring device in 2013-2014.

Draft forces of tillage-and-seeding machine Ob-4-ZT and tilthmakers Leader-2.5N, Leader-4, Leader-6N, Leader-8.5, and Leader 10.8 were analyzed. The energy assessment was carried out at the Siberian State Zonal Machine Test Station in 2003 and 2004 and at the Altai State Zonal Machine Test Station in 2010 and 2011. There were determined the mathematical dependencies of draft force in tillage unit K-701 combined with two tillage-and-seeding machines Ob-4-ZT on a tillage tool’s move depth and soil moisture, and in tillage-and-seeding machine Ob-4-ZT on operating speeds when sown wheat and cultivated fallow. It has been established that the draft force of seeding machines with tillage tools in the form of A-hoe blades working at small depths is to a larger extent influenced by resistance of a machine to rolling movements along a field and operating resistance force of ring rollers. The specific draft force of suspensions in tilthmakers Leader-2.5N and Leader-6N is somewhat higher than that of trails. The specific force at the operating speed of lower than 3 m/c is to a larger extent influenced by the changes in tillage tool’s move depths.

Sheep breeding is shown to be important for the population of Transbaikal Territory, and requires an ongoing adaptation to demands of internal and external markets. The material is presented concerning the elimination of the effective system for state procurement of lamb and wool existed prior to the 1990s due to spontaneous formation of market relations. Results are given from investigations into the formation of the current market of sheep products. The state of the market was analyzed and evaluated, trends in its development and ways to overcome negative impacts are shown. Data are presented on attempts to organize a wool-processing enterprise with the purpose of providing not raw material but washed wool and finished products with high value added. The results of work of the Runo Co Ltd, Aginskiy District, are shown beginning with the start of its activity. The information on wool export from Transbaikal Territory is given from the Statistics Zabaikalkraistat and Customs Direction. There is given the material on wool certification to be needed as a key factor influencing pricing at wool export. There is shown the necessity of an integrated systems approach including the market state regulation and government support of sheep breeding, which should extend to wool producers and processors providing it for the internal market.

A veterinary service support system in the new social and economic environment has been evaluated. The function cost analysis (FCA) is suggested to be used for veterinary service as a method for integrated systems investigation of the objects’ functions aimed at providing of the socially necessary consumer properties of objects and minimal costs for their manifestation. An object of the FCA is an item, engineering process, manufacturing organization information structure as well as their certain elements exposed to a research with the purpose of choosing an optimal variant of their functions’ realization with costs minimized. The content of work on the function cost analysis in veterinary science assumes that it will be consistently carried out as to the strictly-defined interrelated stages: preparation, information support, analysis, creation, recommendations, and introduction. It is generalized that providing of appropriate quality of functioning can be achieved through organizational and economic reorganization of veterinary service by means of transferring it to a complete self-supporting basis with partial budgetary financing for prevention of the most dangerous infectious diseases common to animals and humans.

Resulted from long-term (1986-2014) studies, the causes and eco-toxicological effects of changes in biological properties of soils were established regarding leached chernozem of areas near the Ob under conservation farming system and regulation of soil organic matter content by changing plant residues amount. The three new methods were developed to evaluate parameters of biological activity of soil. When discontinued plowing, the natural stratification process in the root layer was found to rise about 3 times as compared with plowing; rate of the mineralization processes decreased (respiratory activity by 10%, nitrification by 20%) that contributed to forming microbiological prerequisites for deterioration of nitrogenous nutrition of grain crops. A comparative analysis showed that the negative, from the farming position, microbiological processes in leached chernozem of areas near the Ob under conditions of reduced tillage were more pronounced as compared with soils of the southern regions. However, when the tillage minimization levels studied such as alternation of plowing and subsoil tillage, deep subsoil tillage, shallow blade cultivation, no-tillage, and others were applied, the increases in lengths of minimization did not accompanied by deepening of the processes above, and crop productivity did not depend on a tillage method under conditions of mineral fertilization. The eco-toxicological safety of long-term reduced tillage of leached chernozem down to complete refusal to till has been proved. The new methods have been developed, which allow calibrating a relationship between detoxification capacity of soil and organic matter content that enables not only to trace this environmentally significant function of soil but also to evaluate new agricultural technologies.

There are presented the historical stages of developing forage production under severe conditions of Narym. In the paper are used the archival documents, reports from the Siberian Taiga Station, Tiskinskoe and Chainskoe Test Fields, Parabelskaya Experiment Station, Vasyuganskiy Base Station, Narym North Comprehensive Agricultural Station, Narym State Breeding Station (now Narym Department of the Siberian Research Institute of Agriculture and Peat). There are named the scientists who contributed significantly to the formation and development of forage production in Narym. There are given the key research results in field forage production by the Narym State Breeding Station. There were carried out investigations on comparative productivity of fodder crops under conditions of the north of Tomsk Region. The maximum (52.3 t/ha) yield of forage root crops was obtained when applied jointly organic and mineral fertilizers. The maximum yield in the experiments made up 68.0 t/ha of roots and 36.5 t/ha of leafy tops, which was equal to 13.6 t/ha of fodder units. The greatest economic effect was obtained when applied mineral fertilizers. There was carried out the variety trial of different maize varieties and hybrids for silage purposes. There was studied the collection material received from the N.I. Vavilov Research Institute of Plant Industry.

Single nucleotide substitution at the position 793 in the promoter of the gene encoding tumor necrosis factor (TNF-á) in Simmental and Red Steppe cattle was studied. Blood samples of Red Steppe and Simmental cows raised in Altai Territory and Novosibirsk Region were used as the material of research. The gene codes a multifunctional cytokine, which is involved, along with the functions of immune response, in the morphogenesis and development of the fetus, plays an important role in the formation of the mammary gland, stimulates the formation of prostaglandins, and regulates appetite and lipid metabolism. It was previously established that TNF-á -824A/G gene polymorphism in cattle was associated with the protein expression level, milk producing ability, reproductive performance, characteristics of growth and development of dairy cattle. Analysis of the population structure of the -793 C/T polymorphic alleles in the promoter of the TNF-á gene showed genotypic differences in this locus. In Red Steppe breed the frequency of homozygous genotypes T/T and C/C were 38 and 11%, respectively, and the frequency of heterozygotes 51%. Therefore, the frequency of the T allele in the sample was 0.64, and the C allele 0.36. In Simmental population was observed a shift of the structure towards the increase of homozygotes T/T (74%) and the reduction of heterozygotes T/C (25%). Animals with C/C genotype have almost never occurred in Simmental that indicates a possible selection pressure. In this case, the frequencies of allele T (0.86) and C (0.14) are significantly different from the allele frequencies of Red Steppe breed (p <0.001). In both populations, the actual distribution of genotypes corresponded to the theoretically expected distribution of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. This indicates a genetic balance in herds. In Red Steppe cows, milk yield and milk protein yield for third lactation were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in T/C heterozygotes compared to T/T homozygotes by 295 and 11.1 kg, respectively. No significant associations were found for reproduction, growth and development indices.

Results are given from investigations carried out under sharply continental climatic conditions of the steppe zone of Transbaikal Territory into the use of Australian Merino rams of the type strong in inseminating ewes of Zabaikalskaya breed with the purpose of obtaining hybrid animals and revealing the most successful crossing variants. The work was done with the purpose of further using hybrids to develop the Argunskiy mutton-wool type of Zabaikalskaya breed. To inseminate ewes were used purebred rams of Zabaikalskaya breed, two to an ewe, and deep-frozen semen of Australian rams. In the following we used half-blood Australianized rams for obtaining Australianized 1/4-blood animals and breeding “in itself”. As a result, we obtained the offspring of 1/2 AMs, 1/4 AMs, 1/2 and 1/4 AMs “in itself”, which was assessed in comparison with purebred Zabaikallskaya sheep as to fertilizing capacity of rams, fertility of ewes and livability of lambs. The changes in live weight of lambs up to 15 months of their age were revealed in the dynamics. Results are given from investigations into the conformation of animals; the conformation indices to detect differences in growth and development were calculated; the manifestation of dog hair in hybrid Australianized sheep was recorded in relation to livability and survival ability of lambs. Data are given on wool production performance and wool quality characteristics. The final lamb accretion on purebred Zabaikalskaya breeds made up 106 animal units, on hybrid Australianized 94 units. The hybrid young lambs of 1/2 AMs, 1/4 AMs, 1/2 and 1/4 AMs “in itself” are characterized by good conformation forms, the developed skeleton, and a deep and broad brisket. The ewes of 1/4 AMs turned out to be most productive. Their live weight at the age of 15 months was 37.92 kg, a fleece was 2.81 kg that was more than those of purebred animals by 1.11 kg and 0.36 kg, respectively.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of live weight of ewes of Argunskiy type of Zabaikalskaya breed on their reproductive capacity as well as on growth, development and production performance of their offspring. Investigations were conducted under conditions of Transbaikal Territory. One hundred and eighty nine ewes differing in live weight were inseminated according to the instruction for artificial insemination of sheep and goats. The ewes were divided into three groups: 50.0-55.0; 56.0-60.0, and 61.0-65.0 kg of live weight. The experimental groups of the ewes and their offspring were under similar keeping and feeding conditions in accordance with the technology for raising sheep agreed upon in Transbaikalia. There was registered reproductive ability of ewes and livability of the offspring for the periods of insemination, lambing of ewes and weaning of offspring. It has been established that survival ability, livability and final lamb accretion in the offspring depend on live weight of ewes. A certain relationship between live weight of lambs at birth and their survival ability and livability has been found. It has been revealed that live weight of lambs at birth and their further development depend on live weight of ewes during the period of insemination. The lambs born from ewes with higher live weights (61.0-65.0 kg) had an advantage because of their live weight at birth and average daily liveweight gain for the period of raising from birth to the 4-month age.

There was evaluated the preventive effect of the drug Ovarinin on the follicle formation process at subsequent administration of the follicle-stimulating drug Folligon. The laboratory Wistar rats divided into one control and two experimental groups were used as the object of the study. The isotonic NaCl solution was administered subcutaneously to the control animals, Folligon to the rats of the first test group, and Folligon and Ovarinin to the second group. The drug Folligon of pregnant mares’ serum gonadotropin caused drastic morphological changes in the ovaries manifested in the 2-2.5 time increased cell nuclei size, increased cell size, saturation of the cytoplasm with structural elements, enhanced cell division process. After stimulation was observed the increase in the size of both ovaries; the intense maturation of follicles and the ovulation occurred. As influenced by hormonal stimulation against the background of the homeopathic drug Ovarinin was observed the 2-2.5 time increase in cell nuclei size as compared with the histological preparations of the control group, hypertrophy of the cell material in the medulla of the ovary with increased content of structural elements. The enhancement of the cell division process, proliferation and lumen increase of the blood vessels network were less pronounced than those in the first test group. The application of Folligon against the background of Ovarinin was accompanied by less drastic morphological changes as compared with the effect in the Folligon mono-variant, the ovulation in the ovaries was much less often. The combined application of the drugs studied drastically reduces a possibility of formation of the ovarian cysts due to hyperstimulation by PMSG drugs. This is significative of the fact that the homeopathic drug prevents the development of ovarian cysts at hormonal imbalance as well as of the efficacy of the combined use of hormonal and homeopathic preparations possessing a mild and effective neuro-hormonoregulation activity.

There was developed and tested a new complex medicinal preparation for local application, sulfogel, possessing high antimicrobic activity against Fusobacterium necrophorum and accompanying microflora at purulent-necrotic processes in the area of the extremities’ distal parts. Taking into account biological properties, antibiotic and drug resistance of this microflora, the preparation was concluded to be multi-component. The composition of the preparation includes such medicinal substances as antibiotics, sulfanilamides, antiseptic remedies, and formers. On-farm tests were carried out at the animal-breeding farms of Novosibirsk Region having a claw disease problem. Purulent- necrotic affections of claws in cattle at the dairy farms are widespread; their clinical manifestations are extremely various. Cattle claw trimming showed the following affections: flesh ulcer, nimbus phlegmon, interdigital phlegmon, Rusterholz’s ulcer, purulent inflammations of claw joints. By bacteriological examinations of the biomaterial taken from several sick animals were isolated the pathogenic isolates of the necrobacteriosis causative agent F. necrophorum. Based on clinical signs and laboratory investigations of the biomaterial, bovine necrobacteriosis and digital dermatitis were diagnosed. Sulfogel was applied locally after surgical treatment of wound surfaces of the claw. The preparation had no by-effects, and did not cause complications. The therapeutic efficacy of sulfogel was 100% with duration of treatment of 12-16 days in the scientific experiment, and that of necrogel was 83.3% with 16-20 days in the control group. During on-farm testing at the farms having a claw disease problem the therapeutic efficacy of sulfogel made up 94.34 ± 0.40% (p < 0.01), that of necrogel 85.07 ± 0.62%.

Problems in producing grain-feed mixtures under conditions of Siberia are shown. They consist in the monopolism of bread grain producers and in combine harvesting that obliges starting harvesting of grain in the full maturity stage. It results in high grain losses, reduced protein value, affections of grain with mold and toxin-forming fungi. We have substantiated the optimal date of harvesting grain for forage purposes that allows increasing yields per 1 ha and considerably improving its biological and nutritive value, and this is the milk-wax stage. To inactivate anti-nutritive matters, dextrinize starch, destruct the material of grain coat, create the microporous structure in grain-feed mixtures, a necessity arises to use power consuming physical methods. Results are given from studies on grain deforming force depending on grain maturity stage. There is given the evaluation of methods applied for preparing grain to be fed. The most power consuming method for heat treatment of grain is roasting; the less power consuming one is steaming with flaking. When comparing dry grain crushing with wet grain flaking was observed that the power consumption coefficient of the latter was 3.6 times lower than that of crushing. During the process of flaking the connection between the seed coat and the kernel is disturbed, which interferes with access of enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract to nutritive matters of the kernel. We suggest harvesting grain for forage purposes by combing. Zootechnic requirements for the technology for producing grain mixtures have been formulated based on studying shortcomings of the traditionally used technology and advantages of a new method patented.

The effectiveness of sowing alfalfa with and without cotton stems harvesting under the cover of winter wheat to improve soil fertility was determined. Investigations were carried out under conditions of light meadow soils in Fergana Region of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The objective of the research was to determine the productive capacity of irrigated lands in the system of cotton/grain crop rotation. Spring alfalfa sowing contributed to increasing soil organic matter up to 13.6-14.0 tonnes per ha. When sown alfalfa in autumn, 11.2 - 11.4 tonnes per ha of organic matter was accumulated in the arable and subsurface layers because of reducing plant density that was 10.3% lower than in spring. Increased soil organic matter contributed to reducing bulk density of soil by 0.02-0.04 g/cm3. It has been found that the cultivation of alfalfa increases the amount of total nitrogen in soil by 9.3-17.8% as well as of agronomically valuable soil aggregates (> 0.25 mm) in the arable layer 1.1-1.2 times in comparison with the control variant.