Results are given from long-term studies on impacts of techniques for accumulating, conserving and using available moisture reserves on productivity of cereal, grain-legume groats and oil crops grown on chernozems of southern calcareous, dark chestnut and chestnut-like meadow soils in the agricultural areas of Pavlodar Region near the Irtysh. It has been found that an important means for solving problems in optimizing moisture availability of soils is to use a snow retention technology, developed at the Pavlodar Research Institute of Agriculture, by leaving stubble combed with a special comb-type stripper in the fields after harvesting. The technology makes it possible to increase moisture reserves in southern chernozems before sowing spring crops by 25.8–26.3 mm on average, and does not practically yield to bare coulisse-strip fallows, but with higher efficiency of soil fertility conservation and wind protection. The use of zero and intensive technologies for preparing predecessors (leaving high stubble, sowing coulisses, broadcasting chopped straw, and etc.) contributes to improving moisture reserves in dark chestnut, light-loam soils before sowing agricultural crops by 30.5–33.0 and 15.6–27.1 mm, in chestnut-like meadow soils by 17.8–20.2 mm and 11.5–19.2 mm, respectively, as compared to conventional technologies, that results in increasing productivity of cereal crops by 0.12–0.33 t/ha. The improvements in moisture availability of southern calcareous chernozems in the variants with annual stubble combing contribute to additional accumulation of winter precipitation, increase in productivity of wheat and fodder-grain crops by 0.05–0.22 t/ha as compared to productivity of these crops cultivated as a second crop after fallow but without stubble combing.

A study on the cowberry-blueberry hybrid developed at the Central Botanical Garden of NASB was conducted jointly with the Central Siberian Botanical Garden SB RAS in order to determine its origin. Subjects of research were interspecific hybrids between native Vaccinium uliginosum L. (2n=48) and a natural tetraploid Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. (2n=48) used as a paternal plant, which were obtained in 1996. Hybrid F1 was characterized by a range of features resembling to a greater extent to those of blueberry. In connection with the fact that hybrid fruits were black-purple colored and resembled hybrids F1 obtained in Finland, Poland and Russia as a result of crossing of bog blueberry and high-bush blueberry cultivars, and flowers when pollinating were not isolated and red fruits of the cowberry type were absent in the generation F2, a demand for checking their origin arose. Interspecific crossings of Vaccinium uliginosum L. (2n=48) ´ Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. (2n=48) were carried out in 2006–2015, with emasculation and isolation of flowers. Thirty two combinations of crossing, 30–50 flowers each, were made. A morphological description of the cowberry-blueberry hybrid and assumed initial species was given. Extraction of DNA was conducted by a modified procedure. RAPD- and ISSR-PCR analyses were performed. Multi-year Vaccinium uliginosum ´ Vaccinium vitis-idaea crossings produced good results only in 2009, 2013, and 2015. The greatest percentage (3.3–35.0%) of berry setting was observed in 2013. The number of plump seeds in a berry was from 2 to 26. Their germinating ability was poor, and seedlings gradually died off. Berries were not set in reciprocal crossings. By a complex of morphological characters, the interspecific hybrid was closer to half-high blueberry, to a lesser extent to bog blueberry, but it was rather different from cowberry. The most informative primers OPA08 and 17899A were revealed. In the spectra of amplified fragments, components unique for Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. (2n=48) were not found in Vaccinium uliginosum ´ Vaccinium vitis-idaea hybrids, however, components typical of Vaccinium corymbosum L., Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton and their hybrid Vaccinium corymbosum ´ Vaccinium angustifolium were available. Poor reproductive compatibility of tetraploid cowberry with bog blueberry, affinity of the cowberry-blueberry hybrid to half-high blueberry and bog blueberry by morphological characters, as well as results of PCR analysis testify to the fact that the interspecific hybrid studied is blueberry, not cowberry-blueberry. The most likely paternal plant may be a Vaccinium corymbosum ´ Vaccinium angustifolium hybrid.

Results are given from studies on using growth regulators in the propagation of black currant variety specimens (Glarioza, 1-32, 2-13 and 195-9-81) of various genetic origins by herbaceous cuttings. The studies were conducted in Novosibirsk Region in 2015 and 2016. Annual green shoots of black currant specimens were the initial material. The effects of growth regulators Zircon, Epin Extra and Biostim on the rooting ability, extent of root growth and the number of roots in the cuttings were studied. The process solution was 0.5 ml of the preparation per liter of water. The black currant cuttings were soaked in growth regulator solutions for 16 hours. In the control, solutions were replaced with water. The cuttings were planted in plastic green-house beds. The rooting ability of all the samples for two years made up 100 percent, except for 195-9-81 (90.6 to 100 percent). The growth regulators influenced root formation in different ways. In the variant of the 2-13 black currant specimens with Biostim, the growth of the above-ground part of the cutting rooted has the best result of 23.7 cm. In 2016, the largest number of roots was observed in the variant of Glarioza cultivar with Biostim, and amounted 41.3 cm, the variant of 2-13 hybrid with Zircon showed 38.4 cm; in 2015, the variant of 2-13 hybrid with Zircon showed 38.1 cm of growth. The growth regulators Zircon, Epin Extra and Biostim have positive effect on increasing the number of black currant roots as compared to the control. The number and the length of roots as influenced by various preparations and their concentrations depend on the state of parent plants and shoots cut.

Studies were conducted in 2013–2015 under conditions of a field experiment in the steppe zone of North Kulunda classified according to the agroclimatic zoning scheme as a lukewarm, insufficiently wet region. There is given the dynamics of yields and nutritive values of single-crop and mixed sowings of grain crops and field peas. Energy efficiency indices of annual grasses-and-legumes depending on their components are presented. Recording of green mass yields and determination of dry matter contents in the plants have shown that the 60% oats + 50% field peas mixture is most productive (16.4 tons per ha) when harvested for soilage. The proportion of legume component in mixtures made up from 12 to 40 percent. It has been found that grass mixtures are more (by 13–15%) productive and adapted to weather conditions of the zone as compared with the annual sowings. The analysis of haylage quality showed that the lactic-acetic acids ratio was optimal across the variants, indicating the regulated homofermentative type of fermentation. Butyric acid has been found in small quantities in only the single variant, so the experimental samples of haylage can be related to feeds of high-class and good quality as to biochemical parameters. The haylage obtained from the mixtures corresponds to the requirements for I and II class feeds. The contents of moisture and crude fiber are in full accord with the State standard. The crude protein content also meets the requirements for high-quality haylage: not less than 13% for class I, and not less than 11% for class II.

Studies were conducted in Transbaikal Territory in 1996–2005. There was studied the effect of fertilizers on the contents of major soil nutrition elements in meadow-chernozem soils in a fodder crop rotation: fallow – turnip – maize/sunflower mixture – spring rapeseed – peas/oats mixture. There were found impacts of different variants of fertilization (those were the control without fertilizers; N30; N30P15; N60; N60P30, and 40 tonnes of manure + N60) on productivity, nutritive value and agro-economic energy efficiency of maize/sunflower mixture grown on meadow-chernozem, deep-frozen soils. As the contents of major soil nutrition elements increased, yields of raw mass of maize/sunflower mixture increased by 6.45–20.40 t/ha (21.55 t/ha in the control), dry matter yield by 0.86–2.48 (3.17 in the control), fodder unit by 0.60–1.61 (2.19 in the control), digestible protein by 0.107–0.253 t/ha (0.226 t/ha in the control). As the fertilization level increased, the gross energy output increased from 69.7 to 97.2 ths MJ per ha, the incremental gross energy output from 63.2 to 72.0 ths MJ per ha; the energy ratio decreased from 10.7–11.2 to 4.8 units. The minimum increment of gross energy of 50.5 ths MJ per ha was in the fertilization variant with high energy ratio of 14.0. The maximum payback of fertilizers with extra produce (20 kg of fodder units per 1 kg a.i./ha, or 200 rubles) was received in the variants with N30 and N60 kg a.i./ha, the minimum (1.9 kg of fodder units per 1 kg a.i./ha, or 190 rubles) in the variant with 40 tons of manure + N60.

Results are given from 40-year studies carried out by the Narym Department of Breeding and Seed Production, Siberian Research Institute of Agriculture and Peat, Branch of SFSCA RAS. Resulting from the studies, nine varieties of five perennial grass species differing in productivity and qualitative indices of feed mass and seeds were developed. The climate in the zone under study is sharply continental, with long severe winter and short lukewarm summer. Soils of experimental plots are sod-podzolic, sandy-loamy, with humus content in the plowing horizon of not more than 2%. Due to selection from wild populations, new varieties of Phleum pretense L. (Utro) and Beckmannia eruciformis (L.) Host (Narymskaya 2) were developed. Both of them are winter-hardy, and have a high level of plasticity. The yield of dry matter is up to 6.6–7.4 t/ha, that of seeds up to 0.43–0.70 t/ha. Using mass selection followed by intraspecific hybridization of the best wild populations from Kolpashevskiy District of Tomsk Region, as well as qualitatively different and ecologically remote varieties from different regions of the Russian Federation, new varieties of Festuca pratensis Huds. (Mechta), Dactylis glomerata L. (Narymskaya 3 and Bylina), and Phalaris arundinacea L. (Vityaz and Bogatyr) were bred. The effectiveness of the complex-hybrid population method was demonstrated for Festuca pratensis Huds. and Beckmannia eruciformis (L.) Host. As a result, high-yielding varieties of Festuca pratensis Huds. (Vera) and Beckmannia eruciformis (L.) Host. (Rusalochka) were produced. Both of them are resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses. The average yields of dry matter and seeds in Vera cultivar of Festuca pratensis Huds. were 5.5 t/ha and 0.26 t/ha, respectively, the maximum yields were 7.5 t/ha and 0.38 t/ha, respectively. The yields of dry matter and seeds in Rusalochka cultivar of Beckmannia eruciformis (L.) Host. were 5.4 t/ha and 0.29 t/ha, respectively.

There is given gradation of conditions of postharvest grain processing at Siberian agricultural enterprises, due to three groups of natural areas: without drying of grain harvested (grain moisture of below 15 percent), single-time drying (grain moisture of 15 to 21 percent), and two-time drying (grain moisture of 21 to 27 percent). Enterprises of the first group of zones should be equipped with grain cleaning units, those of the second and third groups of zones with grain cleaning and drying complexes. Based on the volume of grain to be processed and performance of available machinery, four sizes of units and complexes with capacities of 100, 200, 400 and 800 tons of grain a day were established. With regard to the second group of zones, technological schemes for various combinations of conditions of postharvest grain processing were developed, and technical and economic parameters of variants of grain cleaning and drying complexes were determined. It has been found that when the capacity of the complex makes up 100 tons of grain a day, it is preferred, from the point of view of operating costs, to process grain by the flow line method; this requires certain additional investment. In case of investment resources deficit but the sufficient number of employees, an enterprise can use grain stocking at the processing ground. When using complexes with capacities of 200, 400 and 800 tons a day, a variant of grain processing with storing it in the operating silo is preferred. In case of manpower deficit but availability of extra capital investment, an enterprise is recommended to use the flow-line grain processing technology by means of the complex with the capacity of 200 tons of grain a day. If an enterprise lacks financial resources but has the sufficient number of employees, the scheme of grain processing, followed by its reservation at the covered area, should be used.

Susceptibility to MaisTer herbicide was studied in 16 species of weed plants in the sowings of maize for grain. The field trials were conducted under conditions of the vegetation house in 2015, and in the experimental fields in Primorye in 2012–2015. Soils were brown meadow podzolized, containing 3.5 percent of humus in the arable horizon. The herbicide was applied in doses of 0.125 and 0.15 kg/ha with Bio Power adjuvant (1.0 liter per ha) in the 3–7 leaf stage of maize and early stages of weeds. Weed plants were divided, from the observations, into four groups: highly sensitive – barnyard grass (Echinochloa crusgalli (L.) Beauv.), crested late-summer-mint (Elsholtzia cristata Willd.), common amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus L.), St. Paul’s wort (Siegesbeckia pubescens Makino), and three-lobed beggar-ticks (Bidens tripartita L.); sensitive – spotted smartweed (Polygonum persicaria L.) and common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.); relatively sensitive – yellow foxtail (Setaria glauca L.), bristle grass (Setaria viridis L.), hairy cup grass (Eriochloa vilosa (Thunb.) Kunth), Asiatic dayflower (Commelina communis L.), and Asian copperleaf (Acalypha australis L.); and resistant – velvet leaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medik) and lamb’s-quarters (Chenopodium album L.). During the period of studies, the average weed infestation level in the maize sowings 30 days after treatment with MaisTer herbicide in a dose of 0.125 kg/ha made up 209 weed plants per square meter, while in the control (without herbicides) plot were 467 pieces of weeds per square meter with their total above-ground mass of 3485 g/m2at that moment. The use of MaisTer herbicide made it possible to reduce the number of weeds by 55–62 percent and their above-ground mass by 63–67 percent. The increase in maize yields as influenced by the use of MaisTer herbicide made up 1.61–1.86 tons of grain per ha with the yielding capacity in the control of 0.73 t/ha.The herbicidal effect on common ragweed significantly differed across years of study. The maximum effect of 75–80 percent reduction in the weed numbers and 74–93 percent reduction in their above-ground mass was observed resulting from early postemergence treatment of common ragweed, when it was in the 3 leaf pair stage and earlier, and the ambient temperature did not exceed 20oC.

Genetic structure of certain cattle populations has been described on the basis of allele frequencies and various genotype combinations of polymorphic loci TNF-a (-824A/G, -793 C/T) and TNFR1. Herds of dairy cattle in Novosibirsk Region and Altai Territory were investigated. The animals of Red Steppe (n=148), Simmental (n=149) and Holstein (n=100) breeds were studied. The tumor necrosis factor alpha gene (TNF-a) encodes a multifunctional cytokine, one of the main functions of which is to be involved in the formation of the immune response. The cytokine biological effect on the cells is manifested through interaction with the specific receptor, encoded by the TNFR1 gene. The TNF-a cytokine and its TNFR1 receptor are part of the so-called tumor necrosis factor family. Proteins of the tumor necrosis factor family participate in metabolic and morphogenetic processes, and affect reproductive characteristics of farm animals. Genotypes were determined by the polymerase chain reaction method with subsequent analysis of the lengths of restriction fragments. Statistically significant interbreed differences on frequencies of alleles are set (p<0.01). Of the 27 possible combinations of genotypes for the three polymorphisms in animals, only 18 have been discovered. In Red Steppe breed were identified 16 different variants of genotypes, in Simmental and Holstein breeds 10 and 9, respectively. The most common genotypes were as follows: the G/A+T/C+T/C (19.9 percent) in Red Steppe breed, G/G+T/T+C/C (61.4 percent) in Simmental, a variant of the combination G/A+T/C+C/C (35.7 percent) in Holstein. There were significant differences between breed groups for the frequencies of occurrence of some genotypic intralocus and interlocus combinations (p<0.01– p<0.001).

There was studied the structure and size of silver and bismuth nanoparticles in preparations Enterovis and Argovit, as well as pharmacological and toxicological properties of these preparations in treating infectious gastroenterites in calves. Bismuth nanoparticles in Enterovis under the microscope represent oval, flat polyhedrons of polymorphic form of 2 to 100 mcm in size, and they, being dissolved, are particles of 4 to 6 nm in size. Investigations by means of transmission electron microscopy allowed us to establish polymorphism of silver nanoparticles in Argovit, as well as their size of 67.7 ± 19.4 nm, with a degree of ellipticity of 1.3 ± 0.3. A 1:10 dilution of Argovit with distilled water caused a decrease in the size of nanoparticles to 36.0 ± 12.7 nm, with the ellipticity degree of 1.19 ± 0.14. The minimum bacteriostatic concentrations of silver and bismuth preparations against reference strains ranged as follows: Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 from 25 to 125 pg/ml, Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 13311 from 100 to 200, Shigella sonnei N20044 from 25 to 100, Staphylococcus aureus 209 p from 12.5 to 150, Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 from 6.25 to 150 pg/ml. The study of toxicology of preparations containing silver and bismuth nanoparticles showed the absence of toxic effects in laboratory animals. The therapeutic efficacy of Enterovis and Agrovit was studied when treating calves with diarrhea signs for gastroenteritis. The use of the preparations studied made it possible to reduce the die-off of calves 1.5–10 times, while reducing the duration of the treatment 1.5–3.0 times.

Results are given from a comparative study on liveweight gains in the young stock of horses of different genotypes. The study was conducted in 2012–2015 on two groups of young horses: purebred Zabaikalskaya and their hybrids with Russian Draft horses. The live weights of foals were monitored by weighing them in third day after birth, at 6, 12, 18, 24, and 30 months of age. The live weights at birth in hybrid foals ranged from 38 to 44 kg, in native Zabaikalskaya foals from 38 to 42 kg. The maximum liveweight gain was observed in the period from birth to 6 months of age, where the highest parameters were recorded in hybrid foals. In this period, Russian Draft horse hybrids had the average liveweight gain of 185.1 kg, native Zabaikalskaya horses 170.5 kg. The difference in gains made up on average 14.6 kg, or 8.56 percent. During subsequent age periods, superiority of hybrid foals over Zabaikalskaya ones in live weight remained. The foals’ ages of 12 and 24 months were for winter keeping and insufficient feeding and severe climatic conditions. In connection with that, a reduction in live weight, as compared to that at 6 and 18 months of age, was observed in both hybrids and native horses. The animals of the experimental groups had rather high average daily liveweight gains even in the absence of extra nutrient. During this period, draft horse hybrids also exceeded native horses in the average daily liveweight gain by 79.8 g, or 8.5 percent.

There were studied morphometric parameters of the fat body of bees as influenced by acaricidal drugs Sanapin and Varrosan, powder of wormwood, smoke of horseradish root, powder of eucalyptus leaves used for treatment of bee colonies for varroatosis. The work was done at the apiary “Yagyaev”, Belogorskiy District, Republic of Crimea. The thirty bee colonies being analogs of Carpathian breed were selected and divided into six groups in 5 colonies each. To study morphometric parameters of the fat body, isolated cells were obtained by Merzabekov’s methods; their area and the area of their nuclei were measured before treatment with acaricides and a month later. Statistical data were processed using methods for calculating variation coefficients and for evaluating meaningful differences among the average values by Student’s t-criteria. The largest indicators of the increase in the size of the cells of the fat body and their nuclei were observed in the groups of bees treated with Sanapin, with that, the area of the cells treated increased 1.2 times, the area of the nuclei 1.6 times. This indicates the accumulation of the backup material in them, which increases viability of the bee’s organism. The acaricidal effect of the drug was 96.01 ± 2.44%. Treatment with the other preparations also led to an increase in the area of the cells and nuclei of the fat body, but to a lesser extent: Varrosan – 1.1 and 1.4 times, powder of wormwood – 1.1 and 1.3 times, powder of eucalyptus leaves – 1.2 and 1.4 times, respectively. The acaricidal effect of Varrosan was 93.65 ± 2.73%, powder of wormwood 72.90 ± 7.92%, and powder of eucalyptus leaves 55.94 ± 10.21%. Treatment of bees with smoke of horseradish root did not result in a significant change in the morphometric parameters of the cells of the fat body. The acaricidal effect of this treatment was 49.30 ± 5.39%.

Results are given from studies on the effectiveness of using husk of Korean pine cones as a source of biologically active substances in feeding quails during the period of their growth in order to improve quality of feeds and reduce their cost. A 60-day experiment was conducted on Japanese quails at 24 hours of age divided into four groups in 50 each, and kept in a chick battery under required microclimatic conditions. All the groups were on a basal (control) diet developed with a view to meeting their age and physiological characteristics, but quails from the second, third and forth groups were additionally fed on husk of Korean pine cones in doses of 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 kg per tonne of combined feeds, respectively. There were studied effects of various dosages of the feed additive on safety of quails, their growth intensity, meat production performance, and hematological parameters. The optimum dosages of Korean pine cone husk cleaned from resins were found to be introduced into diets for quails during their growth period. Based on them, recommendations to form feed mixtures with this feed additive were developed. Chemical compositions of feeds and quail meat were analyzed at the biochemical laboratory in accordance with zootechnic analysis methods. It was found that adding a new supplement in the amount of 1.5–2.5 kg/t to combined feeds provided the increase in safety of quails by 2–4 percent and average daily liveweight gain by 3.15–6.99 percent while reducing feed consumption per unit of production by 4.4–19.1 percent. Feeding quails on husk of the cones in the indicated dosages contributed to increasing the eviscerated weight of quails by 2.06–9.80 percent, the slaughter yield by 0.81–4.27 percent on average, and improving the biological value of meat; this also had a positive effect on the zootechnic and economic performance of quail rearing. With that, hematological parameters of chickens remained within the physiological norm.

Results are given from a study on the influence of irrigation on diagnostic indices of alluvial meadow-forest soils in the Khuba-Khachmas region of Azerbaijan. Field work was done in 2010–2014. The turbidity of stream and irrigation water was observed to significantly increase (3.79–6.54 g/l) in the rainy spring-autumn periods and drastically decrease (0.80–1.87 g/l) in summer due to the reduced amount of precipitation in the mountainous territories. Weighted deposits and their water-soluble parts are rich in humus (1.7–2.0 and 0.049–0.053%, respectively), total nitrogen (0.09–0.13%), carbonates (5.1–6.3%), and clay fraction. Weighted deposits of stream and irrigation water have been found to significantly influence irrigated soils, which results in forming a deep (50–60 cm) cultured horizon in the soil profile, and distinct indications of irrigation deposits. Soil density commonly reaches to values of 1.38–1.45 g/cm3 in surface and subsurface horizons that is due to an accumulation of clay (65–70%) and clay-loam (28–39%). In the fractional composition of humus in soils under forest, the first fraction of humic acids (21.5–25.3%) and fulvic acids (15.0–23.2%)prevail, while irrigated soils are represented by an increased content of humic acids (30–35%). Unlike virgin soils, irrigated soils contain more humin. The soil profile is rich in Al2O3 (17.4–20.5%) and Fe2O3 (8.4–10.2%) in the total chemical composition, but the content of SiO2 significantly decreases, and that of CaO increases in the arable horizons of irrigated soils due to carbonated alluvial deposits.