The article describes the development and application of agricultural crop yield forecasting methods in the Irkutsk region based on digital analysis. The study involved the representatives from three organizations, demonstrating successful integration of research and innovation work of the scientists. The use of complex statistical analysis and data visualization allows not only carrying out calculations, but also visually presenting the results in the form of graphs, making it possible to assess the accuracy of forecasts through the indicators of their justifiability, absolute and relative error. When creating the
calculation models, a multi-year series of potato yields for all categories of farms and agricultural enterprises in the Irkutsk region (the data provided by the Irkutskstat, the state statistics authority for the Irkutsk region) was used. The proposed desktop application is developed using the C# programming language, has a modular structure and includes three main components: data interaction module, data presentation module, and modeling module. The program integrates both traditional physical-statistical models based on ground meteorological station network data and experimental models using the Leaf Area Index (LAI) obtained through remote sensing methods. The developed models demonstrate high forecasting accuracy with determination coefficients ranging from 0.59 to 0.85. The software product has successfully passed testing and has been implemented in the practical activities of the Irkutsk Department of Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring according to the decision of the Central Methodological Commission on Hydrometeorological and Heliogeophysical Forecasts. Special attention is paid to the system's development prospects, including functionality expansion through the implementation of machine learning methods and development of the models for other agricultural crops.

   The practical significance of the development lies in the ability to obtain operational yield forecasts, which contributes to making informed decisions in agricultural production planning and ensuring regional food security.

   Recommendations for pea maturity groups in the conditions of the Krasnoyarsk forest-steppe are given. The research was conducted in 2017–2023.

   The objects of research were pea samples.

   The number of the analyzed samples in different years varied from 178 pieces in 2018 to 74 pieces in 2022 and totaled 937 pieces during the study period. The study of the samples was carried out in the nursery of the source material (collection) research of the Krasnoyarsk NIISKh according to the methodology of VIR. Soil of the experimental plot was ordinary chernozem medium thick medium-humic heavy loamy soil. Weather conditions of the years of the study differed in terms of heat and moisture availability during the growing season, changing from dry to sufficiently humid conditions. The duration of the growing season, its dependence on HTC and the most acceptable method of assigning samples to maturity groups in the conditions of the region were determined. The duration of the growing season of the samples depended on the HTC of the June–August period. On the basis of the conducted research, taking into account the gradations according to the international classifier of the CMEA genus and the methodology of the State Variety Testing Network, as well as when calculating the HTC of the vegetation period, the scheme of assigning pea samples to maturity groups in the conditions of the Krasnoyarsk forest-steppe was proposed. In arid conditions of the growing season, the following distribution of samples is recommended for classification: ultra-early ripening less than 60 days, early-ripening 61–65 days, medium early-maturing 66–70 days, medium-maturing 71–75 days, mid-dle-late 76–80 days, late maturing 81–85 days, very late maturing more than 90 days. In humidified conditions of the growing season (sufficient and insufficient moisture): ultra-early ripening less than 70 days, early-ripening 71–75 days, medium early-maturing 76–80 days, medium-maturing 8–85 days, middle-late 86–90 days, late maturing 91–95 days, very late maturing more than 96. Excessive pre-cipitation in August allows grading dates to be shifted toward late maturing, increased temperatures toward early maturing.

   Currently, corn hybrids with a high genetic yield potential and its stability under conditions of variable weather factors are of particular interest. Therefore, it is relevant to study the productive potential of domestic corn hybrids of early ripening (FAO 150–180). Within the framework of the conducted research in agroclimatic conditions of the Bryansk region on gray forest medium loamy soil the yield of green mass and grain of early maturing corn hybrids was evaluated.

   The object of research were the early-maturing hybrids Mashuk 168, Mashuk 170 MV, Mashuk 175 MV, Voronezhsky 160 SV, Pyatigorsky 146 MV, Baikal, Mashuk 171, Mashuk 185 MV.

   The field research was carried out according to the Methodology of the state variety testing of agricultural crops, statistical processing according to B.A. Dospekhov. In the course of field experiments it was found that in the conditions of southwest Central Russia on gray forest medium loamy soil the highest yield of green mass was provided by the hybrids Mashuk 185 MV and Baikal (53.48 and 64.76 t/ha, respectively). Having a low degree of stem foliage, the hybrids Voronezhsky 160 SV, Mashuk 175 MV, Mashuk 168, Pyatigorsky 146 MV had a yield of green mass from 25.18 to 32.78 t/ha. The hybrids Mashuk 171, Baikal and Mashuk 170 MV showed the highest biological grain yield of 9.18–10.98 t/ha. The yield of the remaining hybrids was at the level of 4.87–8.43 t/ha. The hybrids Mashuk 171 differed favorably in terms of the content of crude protein, starch in the grain and its yield. The content of crude protein in the grain of this hybrid was at the level of 75 g/kg of dry matter, starch in the grain – 357 g/kg of dry matter. The highest starch yield with a grain yield of 60.0 c/ha was provided by the hybrid Mashuk 171. The starch yield was 1.4–2.6 times lower in all other hybrids.

   Production of new varieties of spring soft wheat which could give stable and high yields possessing the required technological properties and adapted to growing conditions was studied. The research was carried out in 2021–2023 in the Penza region. 15 varieties of spring soft wheat were studied according to grain quality indicators: natural grain weight, vitreousness, protein content in grain, quantity and quality of gluten. All studied samples had a grain size from 750 g/l for the Lutescens 10/12-44-19 line to 803 g/l for the Sensei variety, i. e. corresponded to the first quality class. Vitreousness was at the first class level (not less than 60 %) from 74 % (Lutescens 10/12-44-19) to 91 % (Lutescens 28/09-23-17). The protein content in grain ranged from 13.6 % (Tulaikovskaya 108) to 16.2 % (Pandora), with an average level of 15.0 %. The maximum gluten content was shown by the varieties Irvita and Ekada 113 (33.7 %), the Lutescens line 38/08-9-17 (32.8 %). The gluten deformation index for all samples (92–102 units of the Gluten Strain Gauge device) was of the second quality group, with the exception of the line Erythrospermum 37/08-5-18 (74 units of the Gluten Strain Gauge device) of the first quality group. The greatest contribution to the formation of the natural grain weight was made by the interaction of factors AB (genotype and the year of research) – 63.45 %; factor A (genotype) 25.58 %. Vitreousness was mainly determined by factor В – year (53.75 %), but the level of interaction of factors A×B also showed a significant influence on the value of this indicator (28.78 %). The protein content in grain, the quantity and quality of gluten in grain strongly depended on factor B – year (56.15; 45.65 and 42.70 %, respectively). The varieties and lines of spring soft wheat identified by complex and individual characteristics are recommended to be used as sources of high quality in the breeding process.

   Sorghum bicolor is one of the crops capable of maintaining productivity under water deficit conditions. Biological preparations based on effective strains of bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal (АМ) fungi are actively introduced into agricultural production. These preparations improve mineral nutrition of plants, as well as increase adaptation to various stress factors, including sorghum plants. The effect of microbial preparations on the level of root colonization by AM fungi and its effect on the productivity of S. bicolor under water deficit conditions was considered. The effect of Funnelliformis
mosseae 1-16 association and the biopreparation Microbiocom-Agro on sorghum variety Krymbel was investigated. The pot experiment was conducted on sterile sand-vermiculite mixture. Water and nutrient regime were regulated by artificial irrigation. To create drought conditions, 30 % of the lowest moisture content of the substrate was maintained in the vessels, with optimal conditions – 60 %. Microbiocom-Agro and the F. mosseae 1-16 association have a positive effect on the growth and development of S. bicolor under water deficit conditions, increasing the height of plants by 6.6–11.5 % and dry weight by 6.3–30.8 %. This was promoted by intensification of colonization of the plant roots by 1-16 AM association by 14.7 % under the action of the bacterial preparation. It was shown that the microorganisms used contributed to a significant increase in the content of phosphorus and potassium in the leaves of grain sorghum by 29.8–60.6 % compared to the control without treatment, which was positively correlated with the crop productivity. These indicators also depended on the development of AM 1-16 fungi association in the roots of the studied plant with an average degree of correlation (r = 0,46). It was confirmed that sorghum, as a drought-resistant crop, is able to withstand a significant time with substrate desiccation, but arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and associative bacteria are able to support plants in time of stress and bring them out of it faster.

   The results of evaluation of a new variety of Uzkolistny 53 in competitive and ecological trials, which combines high yield, technology and resistance to adverse environmental factors, are presented. The research was conducted in the southwestern zone of the Central region of the Russian Federation (Bryansk region). The soil of the fields is sod-podzolic loamy with an average level of fertility, pH 5.3–5.6. Bryansk region is included in the zone of moderate humidification, the hydrothermal coefficient ranges 1.3–1.4. A new forage variety of a narrow-leafed lupine Uzkolistny 53 (Lupinus angustifolius L.) is presented. The variety Uzkolistny 53 forage universal type of use is designed for growing grain and green mass and feeding all kinds of animals and poultry. It is distinguished by its monopodial morphotype, lodging resistance and early maturity. The duration of the vegetation period is 85–95 days, matures simultaneously with early spring grain crops. Grain productivity at the end of the three-year competitive variety trial was 3.04 t/ha, green-mowed productivity – 34.0 t/ha, which is higher than the control by 0.55 and 1.7 t/ha, respectively. The data of quantitative alkaloid content in the seeds for 8 years (2016-2023) are presented. The new variety is characterized by consistently low content of alkaloids in grain (0.042 %) and in green mass (0.01 %). The content of crude protein in the grain is 32.6 %, in the dry matter of green mass – 15.9 %. Cultivation of a new variety of lupine in production will contribute to solving the problem of protein deficiency in forages for all kinds of animals and poultry.

   Methods of controlling the diseases of aquatic organisms during their industrial cultivation have been studied. It is possible to suppress and destroy bacterial microflora in a targeted manner and to improve the performance of aquatic animals by using polymer systems with fluoroquinolone, which are characterized by bioavailability of substances.

   The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of a polymer system with levofloxacin on growth, development and feed expenditure of RoLo hybrid reared in an aquarium setup.

   The article presents information on the possibility of using polymer systems with fluoroquinolone and their influence on the growth parameters of sturgeon fish. Five experimental groups of 10 RoLo individuals in each group were formed according to the pair-analogy principle. Weight growth, feed, protein and energy expenditure per 1 kg of weight gain were studied during the experiment. The effect of the polymer system with levofloxacin on hybrid individuals was studied in the conditions of the laboratory “Progressive Biotechnologies” of the Vavilov University. It was found that the body weight gain in the experimental groups of hybrid seedlings was higher compared to the control groups. Maximum growth was observed in the 3^rd experimental group, where fish received polymer system with 10 % levofloxacin. During the period of research, the minimum feed costs were observed in the 3^rd experimental group, which consumed feed with 10 % levofloxacin, the maximum was observed in the 2^nd control group, and since the growth in this group was not registered, the feed costs were for the maintenance of vital functions of the organism of hydrobionts. The results of the analysis show that the individuals of the 3^rd experimental group have better growth dynamics at minimum feed inputs. The results obtained expand the information on sturgeon fish farming under industrial conditions using polymer systems for delivery of fluoroquinolone antibiotic.

   The results of an experiment on the use of phytonutrients from natural raw materials (coniferous flour, pine nut shell, sea buckthorn, chaga) in the diet of cultivated quails are presented. The experiment was carried out according to the standard method on the Japanese quail breed. The duration of the study was 60 days. For the experiment, three similar groups of 50 chicks each were formed from day-old quail chicks (control and two experimental groups). All groups received the same compound feed corresponding to the physiological characteristics and age of the quails. In the diets of young animals of the 1^st and 2^nd experimental groups, 1.0 % of the weight of the compound feed was introduced, respectively, herbal supplement No. 1 (coniferous flour – 33.3 %, cedar shell – 33,3 %, sea buckthorn – 33.4 %) and herbal supplement No. 2 (coniferous flour – 33.3 %, pine nut shell – 33.3 %, chaga – 33.4 %). The poultry was kept in a cage battery under the required microclimate conditions. The effect of feeding experimental phytonutrients on the following indicators of quail chickens was studied: viability, absolute and average daily gain in live weight, meat productivity and meat quality, biochemical composition of blood. Introduction of phyto-additives into the mixed fodder of the 1^st and 2^nd experimental groups increased the viability of poultry by 2.0 %, absolute live weight gain by 4.97 and 5.34 %, respectively (p > 0.05), while reducing the consumption of mixed fodder per unit of production by 6.74 and 9.58 %. The weight of the gutted carcass in the chickens of the experimental groups was 5.80 and 3.03 % higher regarding the control (p > 0.05). In poultry meat that consumed functional phytonutrients, the dry matter content increased by 0.73 and 0.27 %, fat by 0.39 and 0.23 %, and the amino acid index increased by 4.51 and 11.48%. The intergroup differences in protein, ash, calcium and phosphorus content are insignificant. The intergroup differences in protein, ash, calcium and phosphorus content are insignificant. Increase in the concentration of total protein was noted in the blood of poultry of the experimental groups by 17.31 and 10.54 %.

   The article presents the study of genetic features of Romanov sheep to identify polymorphisms in the calpastatin gene locus (CAST) and to determine allele and genotype frequencies. The paper emphasizes the importance of genetic markers for more effective breeding in genetic programs to improve the quality of meat of farm animals. The studies were conducted at the Novosibirsk State Agrarian University at the Department of Veterinary Genetics and Biotechnology. The CAST gene, localized on the fifth chromosome and consisting of 29 exons, was originally discovered in the Dorset Horn breed. Calpastatin is an inhibitor of calpains – calcium-dependent proteases involved in the regulation of various cellular processes. Two allelic variants were identified in the CAST gene: wild-type allele M and mutant allele N; and three genotypes: MM (contains sequences of length 336/286 bp), MN (622/336/286 bp), and NN (622/622 bp). According to the research conducted on 30 animals, the distribution of genotypes in the Romanov sheep breed is as follows: MM – 70 %, MN – 23 %, and NN – 7 %. The analysis indicates that the genotype distribution does not deviate from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. The observed chi-square (χ²) value for the entire sample was lower than the expected chi-square value (χ² obs< χ² exp, α = 0.05). The results of this study were correlated with the results of the previous studies on other Russian sheep breeds, including the Tuvinian short-fat-tailed, West Siberian and Kulunda breeds. The predominance of the M allele has been observed, while the NN genotype is rare. It is possible that this genotype may be associated with reduced animal viability.

   Currently, the study of coronavirus infections, including those in birds, is relevant. The virus mainly replicates in the epithelial cells of the respiratory tract, causing lower respiratory tract infections in chickens. At the same time, virus replication in the intestine plays a key role in the development of coronavirus infection. In this study, the localization of preferential replication of the avian infectious bronchitis virus was studied based on the assessment of the ratio of genomic and subgenomic RNA of the AIB virus in the lungs, thymus and intestine. To model the avian infectious bronchitis, 14-day-old Shaver cross chickens were inoculated with a 10-fold dose of the vaccine strain of the avian infectious bronchitis (strain Ma5, serotype Massachusetts). During pathological examination, the thymus, intestine and lungs were collected for polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The ratio of genomic and subgenomic RNA in the thymus, lungs and intestine was estimated as the ratio of threshold cycles in PCR for genomic RNA to threshold cycles for subgenomic RNA. Subgenomic RNA is formed directly in the infected cells. If there is more subgenomic RNA in the studied organ than genomic RNA, this may indicate active replication of the virus in this place. It has been proven that the source of the virus in the thymus is the replication process, and not hematogenous transport. A statistically significant prevalence of subgenomic RNA in the intestine (p ≤ 0.05) has been established, which indicates active replication of the coronavirus in the intestine and the predominant formation of a pool of viral particles in the lungs by the hematogenous and lymphogenous pathways.

   Traditional methods of early diagnosis of diseases, such as pure culture method, microscopic, mycological, polymerase chain reaction, enzyme immunoassay are invasive and require highly qualified personnel, expensive equipment and are not suitable for their effective use in practice. Since plant health is a fundamental indicator in assessing the phenotype of a crop plant, modern non-invasive methods for early diagnosis and determination of plant phenotype are considered.

   The purpose of the research is to select a rational method for early diagnosis of plant diseases and determination of their phenotype directly in the field of cultivated crops.

   Advantages and disadvantages of the vision method based on the analysis of the changes in color parameters of RGB images of plant leaves; fluorescence analysis, in which the efficiency of photosynthesis is estimated; multispectral and hyperspectral imaging methods carried out by determining the limited or continuous spectrum reflected from the surface of plant leaves; thermal imaging method in which the distribution of infrared radiation emitted by the plant is recorded. The analysis of the methods showed that the determination of thermal energy dissipation is a promising potential indicator of health and the presence of disease. In addition, when exposed to most environmental factors, the thermal properties of plant organs, such as leaf, stem, root, and reproductive organs, change. The reason for the limited use of thermometry in the early diagnosis of plant diseases is explained: false rejection by researchers of the fact that it is a highly organized complex of terrestrial and underground organisms. The requirements for devices for obtaining and processing thermal images are formulated and justified. An experimental setup based on the TE-Q1 thermal imaging camera, capable of working with Android devices, has been developed. Its operation has been tested on garden strawberry samples.

   The issues of achieving food security in the Russian Federation today are inextricably linked with the development of high-tech equipment and technologies for the production of food from domestic raw materials. The most important point is self-sufficiency in high-quality livestock products (meat processing and milk processing). Special requirements are imposed on milk processing technologies at all stages of production, where fermented milk products, being functional food products, occupy a separate place. In the article, using the method of correlation and regression analysis, a connection was established between the parameters of the technological process of cold infrared drying of dairy starter cultures, implemented using film electric heaters in a chamber-tray type installation (developed by the Institute of Agricultural Engineering of the South Ural State Agrarian University of Chelyabinsk). Having obtained a graph of the dynamic change in the heating temperature of the product, using the Owen Process Manager software and the 2TRM1 controller of the ARIES Production Association LLC, the authors were able to estimate the dynamics of the transient time constant, which amounted to 4,683 hours, which confirms the value of the drying process end time with an accuracy of 5 %, which amounted to 27 hours.

   The object of the study was selected, the milk starter The First Taste of Detox Menu classic 1 % fat content produced by JSC "Group of Companies "Russian Milk" in Chelyabinsk.

   The object of the study is a pasty living medium in the form of a concentrate of bifidobacteria B. Adolescentis, the amount of lactic acid microorganisms in which is not less than 1*10⁸ CFU/g, and the amount of bifidobacteria is not less than 1*10⁶ CFU/g.