Results are given from long-term (2011–2015) investigations on water regime of seasonally frozen peat soils in Northern Trans-Ural region. It was shown that the fluctuation in the groundwater level in the Tarmanskoe swamp before draining was characterized by a sharp rise during snow melting in spring, followed by the summer minimum, autumn increase and winter minimum. The intensity of groundwater recession depends on precipitation (r = 0.83) and evaporation. Changes in the groundwater level in winter are strongly influenced by the process of topsoil freezing and thaws. After draining of the swamp, the groundwater level at the atmospheric-alluvial type of water nutrition during the vegetation period is mostly determined by the amount of precipitation (r = 0.76). The deepest occurrence of groundwater on average of 1.97 m during the vegetation period was in 2012, when 56.7 percent of long-term averaged precipitation norm fell. There is no rise in the groundwater level during the fall period on a site drained by tile drains with the spacing of 24 m and depth of 1.5 m. The minimum level of 2.5 m and lower is reached by the beginning of snow melting from the end of March to the first ten-day period of April. The spring rise makes up 1–1.5 m, and depends on the pre-winter humidity (r = 0.65), the height of snow cover, and the intensity of solid sediments melting. The moisture content of the root layer (0.3 m) of medium-deep peat soil with 1.3–1.9 m of the groundwater level under perennial grasses is in the range of 0.5–0.6 HB. When the first cut of perennial grasses is formed, the soil moisture content is optimum (0.6–0.85 HB); in dry years moisture deficit is observed that fails to obtain a full-valued second cut. At the boundary of the thawed and frozen layers, soil moisture is always at the upper limit of the optimum (0.85–0.95 HB). A decrease in soil moisture in summer is temporary. During the winter period, moisture reserves in the topsoil of 0.5 m are replenished by 20 percent due to the underlying horizons. The replenishment of soil with moisture when groundwater is deep mostly occurs during snow melting.

A new soybean variety SibNIIK 9 has been obtained by repeated individual selection from the progeny seeds of the initial variety SibNIIK 315 processed by cobalt-60 gamma radiation in a dose of 50 gray. Breeding research was conducted from 1999 to 2016 in Novosibirsk Region. Some soybean lines obtained by the biotechnology methods, somaclonal variation and recurrent in vitro regeneration, were studied at the same time. The in vitro induced mutagenesis and somaclonal variability methods in combination with multiplied individual selection have proven to be effective in producing new soybean varieties with valuable traits: early maturity, high seed productivity, higher attachment of the lower bean, improved chemical composition of grain. The resulting cultivars have higher level of ontogenetic adaptation, including resistance to unfavorable hydrothermal factors and pathogens. The new soybean variety SibNIIK 9 is not inferior to the standard SibNIIK 315 in earliness, and exceeds it in grain yield on average by 220 kg/ha. The growing period under conditions of Novosibirsk Region lasts 82 to 107 days; the height of attachment of the lower bean is more than 12 cm. The new cultivar is resistant to lodging of stems and pods cracking, and exceeds the standard in resistance to leaf bacteriosis and fusariosis as well as in fat and protein contents in grain. There is a patent for a selection achievement. Resulting from the State variety trials, the variety SibNIIK 9 has been included on the State Register of Breeding Achievements, and permitted for use in Middle Volga, Ural, West Siberian and East Siberian regions of the Russian Federation since 2017.

Studies on heterosis breeding of Sudan grass were conducted in the forest-steppe area of West Siberian region in 2013–2015. A polycross breeding scheme allowed us to study total combining ability in parent forms and variability of polycross populations as to main economic characters. Twenty five polycross populations were studied in the nurseries of polycross progenies. The Sudan grass populations of various eco-geographical origins were used as the initial material; these were varieties Priobskaya, Kulundinskaya, Novosibirskaya 84, Lira and Brodskaya 2; variety specimens VK 37/12, KM 24/10, VR 68/10, SK 135/11, and others. The study of populations on 17 biological and economic characters has shown that the samples in the polycross nurseries are aligned to the height of plants and flowering period. Variation coefficients were 13–27 and 8.7–11.2 percent, respectively. There were distinguished the initial mother forms, promising for breeding, with high values of total combining ability for feed and seed production. There were selected six initial forms with high total combining ability for dry matter yield, five forms for seed yield, and four forms for thousand-kernel weight. There were singled out polycross progenies with heterosis of more than 20 percent. The best polycross progenies made it possible to form complex-hybrid populations (SGP 11, SGP 12), the best mother forms – synthetic populations (SGP 13, SGP 14, SGP 15). Early maturity and affection by bacterial infections in the initial mother forms and polycross progenies were taken into account when forming complex-hybrid and synthetic populations. After the complex-hybrid and synthetic populations formed have been cross-pollinated and propagated in the isolated land plots, they will be included in competitive variety trials to evaluate their economic characters.

Results are given from studies on productivities of 213 hulless oat accessions. The studies were conducted under conditions of Northern Trans-Ural region in 2012–2015. It was found that the yield formation in hulless oat accessions was 48.6 percent determined by growing conditions. A negative effect of high average daily air temperatures during growing period was observed. Correlation between yield and precipitation was negative (r = – 0.46, r = – 0.64) under extreme conditions, and positive (r = 0.34, r = 0.17) in favorable years. There was observed a positive correlation between productivity and effective heat sum (r1= 0.11–0.96, r2= 0.23–0.83). There was found a negative correlation between productivity and hydrothermic coefficient during the sprouting-panicle earing period (r1= – 0.37…– 0.99), and positive correlation during the earing-wax ripeness period (r2= 0.47–0.79). Correlation between productivity and the sprouting-panicle earing period was positive (r = 0.82–0.83) under sufficient warm availability, soil moisture reserves and abundant rainfall. There was found a positive correlation between the sprouting-panicle earing period and productivity of the plant, productivity of the panicle, thousand-kernel weight, and the number of kernels in the panicle. There was observed a positive correlation between the earing-wax ripeness period and productivity of the panicle (r = 0.42–0.96), the number of florets per panicle (r = 0.35–0.64) and thousand-kernel weight (r = 0.35–0.82). There were determined the main yield attributes of hulless oat varieties grown in Northern Trans-Ural region: productivity of the plant, the numbers of florets and kernels per panicle. There were selected promising variety specimens to be used in breeding for productivity: K-15014, Levsha (Kemerovo Region); K-15339, Progress (Omsk Region); K-10233, Local (Germany), and others.

Productivity and nutritive value of polycomponent mixtures were studied as compared with the single-species sowings of fodder-grain crops under conditions of Northeastern Kazakhstan. Trials were carried out in the experimental field located in Pavlodar Region in 2014–2016. Results are given from studies on productivity and grain quality in 11 variants of single-species and mixed sowings of fodder-grain crops: wheat; oats; barley; peas; barley + peas; oats + peas; wheat + peas; barley + peas + oats; barley + peas + wheat; oats + peas + wheat; barley + oats + wheat + peas. The most productive grain mixtures were found to be those that contain oats: two-component mixture of oats + peas with productivity of 1.27 tonnes per ha, three-component mixtures of barley + peas + oats and oats + peas + wheat with productivity of 1.23 tonnes per ha. The gluten content in polycomponent mixtures is 1.4–3.6 percent higher than that in the single-species sowings. The fiber content in all variants studied was within the standard, 12.8–12.9 percent. It has been shown that cereal crops that grew with peas allowed obtaining grain fodder with a higher content of crude protein from +0.1 to +1.6 percent as compared with the single-species sowings.

Features of seasonal development of the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella L. and its entomophages were studied in cabbage agrocenoses under conditions of the forest-steppe areas near the Ob. A 9-year period of observations has shown that the diamondback moth is one of the main pests of cabbage in Western Siberia. This was indicated by a rapid growth in diamondback moth populations occurring in 2009, 2015 and 2016, while during the span of three years from 2010 to 2012 a medium-size population was observed; during other years the damage caused by diamondback moth was insignificant. Over the years of study changes in seasonal dynamics of the diamondback moth development were found consisting in the increased number of generations throughout the growing season along with a longer pest activity period. During the years when populations were small and medium in size, two or three generations were observed to develop with a pest activity period ranging from 43 to 80 days. The earliest appearance of diamondback moth larvae in cabbage fields was observed during the rapid population growth, when three or four generations of the pest were reaching maturity. In 2015 and 2016 a partial presence of the fifth generation was observed, while the pest activity period extended to 107–109 days. The years with high pest numbers were characterized by the accumulation of effective heat sum against the background of sufficient moistening during the development of the first and second generations of the pest. In Western Siberia, a few different species of cabbage moth parasites have been found, the most numerous of them are representatives of the family Ichneumonidae (Diadegma spp) of the order Hymenoptera. The number of parasitized individuals of the pest varied from 0 to 80 percent during the vegetation period, the number of entomophages considerably decreased as influenced by chemical insecticides.

Studies were carried out to substantiate technical equipment of techniques for cultivation of grain crops in the West Siberian forest steppe by way of example of the plateau area near the Ob. The most promising techniques for cultivating grain crops would be as follows: subsoil tillage at various depths (a strip of 0.28–0.3 m deep and 0.4 m wide alternates with an untilled one of the same width); direct sowing of grain crops against mulched backgrounds; local application of mineral fertilizers and bacterial preparations during sowing in accordance with a field map; protection of plants from pests, weeds and diseases due to mobile units on low-pressure tires equipped with navigation and precision farming systems. The most effective machinery to realize these techniques are: tillers of the Leader type capable of tilling soil through the strip at the depth of up to 0.3 m, and equipped with ring harrow for mulching and embedding the seeds of weed plants in the soil; seeding units, allowing the sowing of seeds to the depth preset and with required uniformity against mulched background; mobile units of the Tuman type equipped with precision farming systems to apply fertilizers and protect plants. The costs of cultivating grain crops by means of the proposed techniques is 1795.9 to 1906.9 rubles per ha lower than those of existing techniques.

Results are given from an analysis of 2011–2017 research efforts on applying Internet technologies in agriculture. Results of patent search of available web applications and analysis of information collected are presented. A short description of web applications and their functions used both abroad and home is given; these are AMACA (Italy), WebGro (USA), AGRO (Greece), NextGIS Lesnoi Inspector (Moscow), Information System for Compiling Process Charts for Cultivation of Agricultural Crops (Yurginskiy Technological Institute), PIKAT Software Complex for Supporting Machine Agrotechnologies for Spring Wheat Production at a Level of a Single Farm (SibFTI, SFSCA RAS). There is given the general architecture of web applications, obtained as a result of research conducted, including a mobile information application or user interface in a web browser, a server of databases, a database control system, and a decision support system. It has been concluded that the application of Internet technologies in agriculture provide agricultural commodity producers with the following: an ongoing access to remote resources without a necessity to install software, simultaneous use by several clients, auto-updates, possibility to use at any device connected to the Internet, control and operation of business maintenance.

Materials on the spread of swine erysipelas in Krasnodar Territory are given, and the effectiveness of application of the immunomodulator Immunofarm to stimulate antibody production in the case of hyperimmunization of oxen-producers by the antigen of swine erysipelas was evaluated. From preliminary tests on white mice was established that immunomodulating potential of Immunofarm was most pronounced with three-fold usage before each administration of the antigen: quantity of antibodies in serum was 85.2% higher as compared to the control. The application of Immunofarm has proven to ensure the stable growth and maximum accumulation of specific antibodies to the causative agent of swine erysipelas in the blood of oxen-producers. A ten-fold cycle of hyperimmunization of oxen with increasing doses of the erysipelas antigen, in combination with Immunofarm according to the optimal scheme, ensures the stable growth and maximum accumulation of specific antibodies in blood serum of not lower than 167 EA/cm3 , which is 33.6% higher than in the control samples. When the fractional composition of industrial lots of hyperimmune serum was studied by the electrophoresis method in polyacrylamide gel with sodium dodecyl sulfate, the presence of light and heavy chains of IgG was established, which is a confirmation of the high level of immune reaction of the second type in oxen-producers. During the tests under production conditions, the high therapeutic efficacy of heterogeneous serum against swine erysipelas, obtained by means of application of Immunofarm, was established: the safety of pigs was 97%, which is not inferior to the therapeutic efficacy of homogeneous hyperimmune serum from pig-producers.

There was studied the effect of 0.1% solution of epinephrine hydrochloride on resistance of white blood cells in lambs. In 128 lambs at birth, the blood was sampled from the jugular vein to reproduce stress reactions of the peripheral blood system of newborns in vitro and in the Goryaev chamber. Resulted from evaluation of stress susceptibility, the lambs were divided into two groups. The experimental group was made up of the lambs with high susceptibility to 0.1% solution of epinephrine hydrochloride, the control one of the lambs with low susceptibility. By the number of intact and disrupted leukocytes to 0.1% solution of epinephrine hydrochloride into the peripheral blood system at 30, 60 minutes after incubation in a thermostat within animal body temperature, no significant differences between the control and experimental blood samples were found (p > 0.05). However, 120 minutes after incubation showed a significant difference (p < 0.05) by these blood parameters of the peripheral blood system. The newborn lambs with high stress susceptibility (experimental group) had the lesser number of intact leukocytes in the blood system than their contemporaries from the control group did. In the early postnatal period of growth and development the lambs from experimental and control groups differed in live weight and average daily liveweight gain. The stress-resistant lambs were superior to stress susceptible ones in health and production parameters. The method for determining stress susceptibility to epinephrine hydrochloride and a degree of its manifestation makes it possible to differentiate lambs from the early age for stress resistant and stress susceptible sheep offspring. This technique is necessary in what follows to develop the kernel of breeding stock and improve economic traits in animals.

The length of intestinal villi in the jejunum of mice with metabolic syndrome (MS) was studied. The aim of research was to study the state of the mucous membrane of the small intestine in mice with MS using the method of luminescence microscopy. The experiment was performed on C57/black 6 line mice, which were divided into 2 groups: control group animals received a feed with 5% fat content, experimental group animals a feed with 10% fat content. The mass of the internal organs was statistically significantly lower in the group fed with 5% fat feed than that in the group of animals with MS. Fragments of the jejunum were stained with Hoechst 33258 dye. The length of intestinal villi in the control group averaged 417 mcm. The length of the villi in the animal test group was on average 563 mcm. In mice with MS, the length of intestinal villi of the jejunal mucosa was 35% more than the analogous parameter in the control group mice (P < 0.05). The number of intestinal villi per unit area of the intestinal jejunum mucosa in mice with MS was lesser than that in mice of the control group (42 + 4 and 90 + 8 villi per 1 mm2 , respectively). The decrease in the number of intestinal villi per unit area of the jejunal mucosa in mice with MS is explained by the widening of the lumen of the small intestine. The increase in the suction area in mice with MS should be considered as a pathological cycle, which aggravates the development of MS.

There is given an analysis of law practice under Stalin’s leadership in the form of demonstrative judicial processes against agrarian specialists and managers of a local level in the second half of the thirties. Special emphasis is placed on prosecutions of workers engaged in animal husbandry and veterinary service of the USSR. There are given thematic examples and statistics of demonstrative judicial processes in Siberia applied by the authorities as a way to overcome disorganization in agricultural management and production. There is given a general estimate of political and propagandistic goals of show trials and mass participation of villagers in them.

A decrease in producing capacity of irrigated gray-brown soils as influenced by erosion was revealed. The object of study was irrigated gray-brown soils in the Mil-Karabakh steppe of the Kura-Araz Lowlands in the arid subtropical zone of Azerbaijan. The eroded accumulative process is observed in the areas with the slope of more than 0.004° and in the irrigated plots. It has been found that 4–8 tons per ha of deposits together with the irrigation water enter the soil surface during the vegetation period. At the same period, 3.25–18.78 tons per ha of soil, 99–158 kg/ha of humus, 0.9–16.4 kg/ha of nitrogen and 0.80–39.73 kg/ha of phosphorus are levigated as a result of erosion. Resulted from soil transformation were revealed plots with strongly, moderately and slightly washed soil as well as aggradations and unwashed plots. Changes in morphogenetic, morphometric and diagnostic parameters of soil in these plots were observed. A higher content of the sludgy fraction in the solid runoff, as compared with its quantity in soil, was revealed. As water moves over furrows and drains, the chemical composition of the solid runoff changes: the contents of humus, total nitrogen and phosphorus increase. The depth of carbonate deposition in the aggradation shelf makes up 45–50 cm from the soil surface, 10–12 in the upper part of a slope, 15–18 in the middle, and 25–28 cm in the bottom. In the slope aggradation, where the rate of water movement along irrigation furrows drops, the fine soil drifted accumulates, and the humus horizon is getting deep. The carbonate profile in aggradations even out at the levels of magnitudes typical for the upper horizon of gray-brown soils.