The main stages of life and activity of the most talented scientist and biologist of the XX century N. I. Vavilov, who was the first in the world to create the largest gene bank of cultivated plants are briefly described. He also discovered the law of homologous series and identified the centers of origin of cultivated plants.

The article describes the existing structure of fruit plantations in Dagestan. Dynamics of parametrs of gross harvest, yield of fruit crops, plantation areas are analysed. Modern economic and production situation of large horticultural enterprises of the republic are revealed. The key directions of development of branch providing her fastest restoration are offered.

The article presents the characteristics of the three species of kumquat from the Citrus collection: Fortunella japonica - ‘Murami’ (rounded); Fortunella margarita - ‘Nagami’ (pearl); Fortunella crassifolia - ‘Maiva’ (thick-leaved). A number of typical kumquat traits were established: deep winter dormancy, tolerance to winter and to early spring provocative warming, one growth period which begins in the third decade of April. The growth period lasts 35-55 days, average length of annual growth is 7,1-9,5 cm. The single-growth nature indicates the potential resistance of plants to extreme temperatures. Flowering takes place two times per year - the third decade of July and the second decade of August with 6-9 days duration. The fruit ripening begins in early December. Due to these traits, kumquats are included in the hybridization for obtaining dwarf recombinants with a compact crown for resistance to low extreme temperatures. Fortunella Sw. varieties were used as mother plants, and the wild genus P. trifoliata and the interspecific hybrid 3252 (comprising the three genotypes C. unshiu, P. trifoliata, S. leiocarpa) were used as pollinators. Six crossing combinations were performed, the largest fruit set was obtained in combination ‘Nagami’ x 3252 (35,4 %). The lowest fruit set was obtained in ‘Murami’ xtrifoliata (11,3 %). The percentage of seed setting ranged from 25,5 to 75,6. The maximum number of hybrid seedlings was observed from the combinations where 3252 was used as the paternal form. Hybrids obtained with the participation of P. trifoliata are the most valuable in breeding for frost resistance and have both maternal and paternal traits. The number of such hybrids was ranged from 10 to 12,5 %. These hybrids were characterized by a spreading crown, thin shoots with thorns, simple or triple leaves. Obtained plants were deciduous, have deep winter dormancy.

Brief results of the long-term work on apple breeding for higher content of ascorbic acid (AA, vitamin C) in fruit are given. The generalization of data relative to the zones of growing has shown that AA content in fruit increases from the south to the north. The result of the breeding work of many years is eleven zoned apple varieties with higher AA content in fruit (over 14 mg/100 g): Yubilar, Chistotel, Orlovskiy Pioner, Pepin Orlovskiy, Kulikovskoye, Olimpiyskoye, Maslovskoye, Nizkorosloye, Zarianka, Veteran and Ivanovskoye. Seedlings with high AA content in fruit (from 20 to 53 mg/100 g) have been revealed from the hybrid pool. These seedlings can be used as sources for further breeding. Negative as well as positive transgressions for AA content in fruit of hybrid apple families have been found. Hybrid seedlings with fruit containing ascorbic acid from 40 to 50 mg/100 g have been revealed. Such seedlings are a great interest for breeding. Apple breeding for higher AA content is very promising since varieties with high vitamin contents give opportunity to increase preventive and curative value of fruit. To increase the efficiency of breeding for high AA content in fruit it is necessary to have up-to-date equipment and express-methods for mass analysis.

The results of apple breeding for 60 years at All Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding are shown. Methods of geographically remote crossings with involving North-American and Canadian varieties and repeated hybridization were used at the first stage of breeding on the basis of deep study of the features of the ontogenetic development of apple seedlings. Apple varieties ‘Orlik’, ‘Orlovskoye Polosatoye’, ‘Veteran’, ‘Ranneye Aloye’, ‘Pamyat Voinu’, etc. have been obtained. These varieties are widely distributed in the industrial and amateur orchards now. Since 1976 a large-scale target work for breeding scab immune varieties has been carried out at the Institute. Over 20 apple varieties have been obtained and included in the State Register, among them ‘Bolotovskoye’, ‘Veniaminovskoye’, ‘Candil Orlovski’, ‘Solnyshko’ and the first domestic scab immune variety ‘Imrus’ (‘Immune Russian’). Taking into account such positive qualities of triploid apple varieties as more regular fruiting, high marketability of fruits and increased self-fertility, a series of triploid varieties crossed from diploid x tetraploid to tetraploid x diploid was obtained for the first time in the world and zoned: ‘Avgusta’, ‘Bezhin Lug’, ‘Dariona’, ‘Orlovski Partizan’, ‘Osipovskoye’, ‘Patriot’, etc. Triploid apple varieties with immunity to scab are ofspecial interest. Such promising zoned apple varieties are ‘Aleksandr Boiko’, ‘Vavilovskoye’, ‘Maslovskoye’ and ‘Yablochny Spas’. Besides, from two diploid parents another three triploid varieties have been obtained as a result of the formation of non reduced gametes in one of the initial genotypes: ‘Pamyat Semakinu’, ‘Rozhdestvenskoye’ and ‘Yubilar’. The apple variety ‘Rozhdestvenskoye’ is being widely distributed in the industrial and amateur orchards. The created in recent years complex genotypes being donors of diploid gametes, immunity to scab and columnar habit give the opportunity to obtain varieties possessing triploidy, immunity and columnar habit. From the hybrid fund, elite seedlings No. 219 and 295 (candidates in essentially new varieties) with a set of valuable traits have already been revealed.

The biological efficacy of application of the complex elicitors Furolan and Methionine on the own-rooted plants of grape of Bianca variety was studied to reduce the material costs in the cultivation of grapes and production of environmentally friendly products. Preparations Furolan and Methionine were used to enhance the resistance of grape plants to damage quarantine pest phylloxera of grape. Complex elicitors was applied by triple spraying of grape plants at doses of 10 g / ha each. It was found a protective effect of elicitors on the resistance of Bianca grape plants as a root and leaf form of phylloxera, which contributed to the reduction of damage to the roots and leaves of the grape plant. In its biological efficacy effects on plants complex elicitors is not inferior to the use of complex chemical plant protection products in the form treatment according to the regulations, which includes a number of pesticides to protect grape plants from mildew (Kuprosat KS), black patch effect (Kuprosat KS, rapid speed Gold CP, Kabrio TOP VDG, Polishers VDG, Tanos VDG), for the prevention of oidium development (fourfold Microthiol of speshial VDG, once Kabrio TOP VDG Talendo КЕ), on leaf form of phylloxera (BI-58 New КЕ, Fastak КЕ) Lobesia botrana and Helicoverpa armigera (Pirineks КЕ, Avant КЕ). The application of the elicitors allows to increase the resistance of grapes plants to phylloxera and its yield by 2,7 t/ha while maintaining its quality.

Since 2003, according to the project “Fraser” in the area 11 varieties of apple from France were introduced. The studies started since 2008 showed that, compared to the previously introduced and included in the register of regionalized varieties of the Republic, Renet Simirenko and Golden Delishes planted on the MM-106m rootstock in 2005 and 5x3m scheme, Grenni Smith, Fuji, Jonagored, Jonagold, Golden Delicious x 972 were distinguished by higher yields, relatively smaller growth of trees and high productivity of the crown.

Peculiarities of climate change require adjustments to their zoning. In this paper, a temperature data base of winter-spring period over the last 30 years has been created for three zones of the Republic of North Ossetia (Alania) located at different altitudes above sea level. A relief map of the Republic, showing the suitability of its territory for the cultivation of fruit crops on the terrain, has been designed. The tendencies of changes of the temperature regime of winter-spring period, studied in the present work, will be used when embedding agro-ecosystems of fruit crops in complicated landscapes of North Ossetia under changing temperature conditions of the winter-spring period.

The aim of our study was to investigate the adaptive abilities and economic characteristics of new and unconventional plants in Azerbaijan, such are the blackberries, blueberries and gooseberries. It was established that the plants of the foothill region along the length of shoots and the volume of the crown largely exceeded the plants of the lowland zone. All phases of development depend on the sum of active temperatures and for this reason the total duration of the vegetation period in Ganja is longer than in the Goygol district. Some differences were observed in the bush productivity. In the foothill area it was 2,15 ... 7,37 kg/m3 while in the low land 2,13 ... 5,22 kg/m3. The economic yield compare to a low land area was significantly more (an average of 44 c/ha) in the foothill area. It was found that to obtain 1 center of crops, with conditional content of 15 % dry matter in the fruits, in Ganja requires much more (on the area ... 107,31-140,65 m2 - day), photosynthetic potential (PP) than in Goygol (97,55 ... 119,49 m2 - day) district.

The study of six varieties of herbaceous hibiscus of foreign breeding (Jazzbarry Jam, Kooper King, Old Yella, Plum Crazy, Royal Gem, Summer Storm) was carried out in the field conditions at the ARHIBAN with the aim to expanding the range of late flowering perennials. Varieties are interspecific hybrids; North American species of hibiscus took part in their creation, including one of the most winter-hardy - Hibiscus moscheutos L. The plants were obtained in 2014 as rooted cuttings. In the winter 2014-2015 they were stored in containers in the basement, from 2015 after transplantation they were in the open ground with shelter. But only three varieties (Plum Crazy, Royal Gem, Summer Storm) were successfully wintered in 2015-2017. These varieties differed in the flowering period from early to late. The plants blossomed from the second-third decade of August from 4 to 7 weeks. Adult generative plants formed 3-6 shoots of renewal and 8-16 buds. Flowering was inhibited with a stable transition of average daily air temperatures through 8-10 ° C. Based on the results of the studies, taking into account the overwintering in the last 2 years selected most winter hardy varieties can be used in amateur gardening and the greening of Moscow and the Moscow region with shelter for the winter.

The aim of the work is to substantiate and propose an improved method for determining the pressure of caterpillar propellers on the soil. As it is established application of coefficient of unevenness in case of determination of the maximum pressure allows by 3 times and more to reduce the mistake, work-related to sensors of tension. So, if in a near-contact zone the tension under the caterpillar hinge exceeded the tension operating under the middle of a link twice, then at a depth of 20 cm excess constituted only 8 %. Due to state above it was recommended to develop a method of rational restriction of length diagrams tension and determination of actual length of contact of a caterpillar with the bearing area and taking into account all received results to consider the possibility of entering of an amendment of value coefficient of unevenness of distribution of pressure, received in accordance with GOST 26953-86. As a consequence, it was proposed to amend the p. 3.3.5 and 3.5.1 of GOST 26953-86. The method used in this work is analysis and synthesis, as well as experiment. The result of this work is the proposal to amend GOST 26953-86, which would eliminate the drawbacks in paragraphs 3.3.5 and 3.5.1, where the distance between the axes of the first and the last pressure sensors is equal to the horizontal projection of the distance between the axes of the first and last support rollers and A correction is introduced for the length of the i-th diagrams of the area, length and maximum values of the i-th stress diagram, which are determined from the graphical representations of the stress diagrams with the introduction of corrections.