A careful 63-year-old work on apple breeding, resulting in the creation of 54 its varieties, included in the State Register of breeding achievements admitted for use, makes it possible to speak about the ways of reduction in the time of the actual breeding process and the subsequent stages of accelerating the introduction of new varieties into production. According to the experience of the Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding, an average of 19 years is spent from hybridization to the adoption of a variety for State trials, and from hybridization to inclusion in the State Register it is spent 27 years. The requirements for new apple varieties are changing and becoming tougher to a large extent during this period. We off er the possibility of reducing the time to create a new variety by combining in time the actual breeding process and the primary variety study. For this purpose already during the selection and transfer of biannual seedlings to the breeding orchard it is necessary to multiply and include the best seedlings on morphological features with a culture of 5 points (no more than 1 seedling per thousand selected ones) in the primary study. In this case the actual breeding process is combined with the primary study. When transferring the variety to the state trial, it is necessary to lay orchards of a small production testing of 20-40 trees of a new variety in each of the three replications. The time of single breeders is a thing of the past. To create varieties that meet high requirements of production (convenient for cultivation, highly adapted to local conditions, with a certain shape of tree crowns, with the fruits of high commodity and consumer qualities), interdisciplinary teams are needed, which include not only breeders, but also pomologists, geneticists, cytoembryologists, biochemists, physiologists, phytopathologists, and agricultural technicians. Usually years, and sometimes decades are spent on the creation of well-coordinated teams of professionals of diff erent specialties, but only such teams are able to create varieties that meet all main requirements. At Russian Research Institute of Fruit Crop Breeding such a team consists of 22 people.

Today the range of crops, which are studied and improved with the help of genetic editing technologies, in particular with CRISPR/Cas system, is actively expanding. High accuracy, ease of editing tools application and relative cheapness allow the use of this method in research in various fi elds of biology. The present systematic review summarizes the global experience of editing the genome of fruit and small fruit crops using the CRISPR/Cas9 tool and considers the prospect of using this newest biotechnological approach for crop improvement. The systematic review employed one of the most authoritative internet resources indexing the reviewed scientifi c publications, such as the Scopus database. By systematic search concerning 37 species of fruit and small fruit crops 115 publications were found, among which 26 described original research on CRISPR/Cas system application to fruit and small fruit crops. A total of 21 target genes have been edited in 8 crops. Some of the studies are consecrated to the approbation of the method or establishing/clarifying the functions of the target genes by their knockout. In the review we distinguished the publications describing application of gene editing tools for improving the properties of plants. By now 12 target genes have been successfully edited in fruit and small fruit plants. The main type of modifi cation is the knockout, which is aimed at negative regulators of the factors of resistance to pathogens or at changing the morphology of plants. In most cases the modifi ed plants have the desired characteristics and have been tested for resistance to pathogens by laboratory tests. It is discussed how much the target mutagenesis application to fruit and small fruit crops can be broadened in future.

Genetic studies of diff erent geographical origin of apricot varieties contribute to the accumulation of information about distribution and cultivation history of this crop. Valuable material in such studies is the local autochthonous germplasm. The local Dagestan varieties can be included to representatives of the autochthonous germplasm of apricot. Genetic studies of the Dagestan germplasm will allow to evaluate its contribution in world apricot gene pool, as well as to determine its place among varieties with diff erent eco-geographical origin. Six SSR- markers previously elaborated on Siberian apricots were used in the genotyping of 12 apricot varieties. Much of the selected varieties were represented by local Dagestan forms. Microsatellite markers used in this study allowed to separate all varieties selected for work as genotypes with specifi c SSR profi les. The polymorphism level, expressed in the number of alleles per locus, had high values, based on the analysis of studies previously conducted in the world. In this regard, we can conclude that the involved SSR markers can be used in further studies aimed at analyzing the genetic diversity of the studied culture. In this study, clustering apricot varieties was used to determine related groups of varieties, based on the data SSR-genotyping. For cluster analysis the neighbor joining (NJ) method was used. The clustering of the samples carried out in the work, allowed us to reveal the intermediate position of Dagestan varieties relative to varieties of diff erent eco-geographical origin. To confi rm the obtained results, the PCoA main coordinates method which refl ecting the relationship of genotyped samples on the coordinate plane was additionally used. The patterns of samples distribution on the plot of coordinates revealed by PCoA generally corresponded to the clustering data using the neighbor joining (NJ). The study made it possible to evaluate the eff ectiveness of the SSR-markers used in the work for the genotyping of apricot varieties and to obtain information on the genetic relatedness of the local Dagestan varieties relative to other eco-geographical groups of varieties.

Studies were conducted in the I. V. Michurin Federal Scientifi c Center and in its Middle Russian branch. For the fi rst time in the North-Eastern part of the Central black earth region, researches are being conducted to study the microbiota of the soil in the garden of pome crops. The aim of this research was to study the micromycetic composition of the soil in the agrocenosis of a multifactorial experience of an intensive apple orchard. Soil samples were taken in the space between rows and near-stem stripes on the sodding, in the space between rows and near-stem stripes on the fallow land. Experimental conditions: 1) control (natural conditions); 2) optimal moisture (irrigation, soil moisture 80 %); 3) waterlogging (irrigation, soil moisture 120 %). As a result of the conducted research, the dependence of the number of phytopathogenic and saprotrophic populations on the elements of agrotechnology was shown. The maximum number of the population was marked in the near-stem stripes on the fallow land and the minimal number was marked in the near-stem stripes on the sodding. The eff ect of moistening on the number of soil micromycetes was revealed. 80 % moisturized sodded space between rows and near-stem stripes, space between rows on fallow land at a humidity of 120 %, and near-stem stripes with 80 % moisture contained a high number of phytopathogens in relation to natural conditions. The greatest species diversity of the soil mycobiota was observed in the sodded near-stem stripes. A strong correlation was established from reverse close (r = -0.98) to positive close (r = 0.83) in relation to the phytopathogens and saprotrophs in the sodded row spacing; in the soil of the sodded near-stem stripes – from close negative (r = -0.90) to close positive (r = 0.92). It was noted that soil mites did not tolerate the over moistened soil, nematodes, on the contrary, were activated in soils with a humidity of 80 % and 120 % in sodded row spacing. The correlation between nematodes and soil mites in all variants remained strong (r = 0.86-0.97), closer in the control. The number of micromycete organisms in the soil was determined by a modifi ed fl otation method. In the course of research, 1 ml of distilled water was added at one of the stages, instead of a 0.1 % solution of potassium pyrophosphate; on the other, 29 ml of 0.1 % potassium pyrophosphate solution was added instead of 29 ml of distilled water.

Wine materials quality characteristics evolve at fruit ripening stage. Grapes must be harvested at their maximum ripeness stage in order to obtain wine with a deep red colour, full body, soft tannins and fruit aroma. One way to evaluate the degree of fruit ripeness is the Glories method, the principle of which is based on determination of the total and extractable anthocyanin potential of grapes. In 2018 reseachs were conducted to study the eff ect of grapevine foliar fertilizing with organo-mineral fertilizers (“Siamino Pro 500” preparation) on productivity and enological characteristics of the vines, as well as the qualitative characteristics of respective wine materials. The studies demonstrated a positive eff ect of the experimental foliar dressing scheme on the grape yield – the increase made 18,1 % as compared to the means over the past 3 years. The experimental treatment scheme proved to stimulate earlier technical maturity of grapes, characterized by a high anthocyanin percentage extracted from peel, reduced by 20 % must enrichment with seed tannin, as compared to control. The oxidative enzymes activity of monophenol monooxygenase and peroxidase in the test sample was by 14 and 37 % lower than in the control. Base wines obtained from grapes treated by the organo-mineral fertilizer demonstrated intense colour, balanced aroma and taste.

The work was performed in the I. V. Michurin Federal Scientifi c Center (Tambov region, Russia) in 2015-2018. The fruits of Sinap Orlovsky variety with high susceptibility to bitter pit, medium – to superfi cial scald and CO₂ -skin injuries were used. The main post-harvest strategy of protecting fruits from bitter pit (BP) is storage in a controlled atmosphere (CA), short-term low oxygen storage (10 days, O₂<1 %) reduces losses from scald and BP, but does not provide protection from diseases of varieties with high susceptibility; post-harvest treatment with ethylene biosynthesis inhibitor (1-MCP) provides protection from scald, but has an ambiguous effect on the development of BP, and may increase the degree of disease appearance. The purpose of the research is the development of innovative technology of managing of bitter pit and other post-harvest pathological diseases. In the experiment, the control and 1-MCP-treated fruits were stored at 0 + 1 °C under regular (RA) and controlled atmosphere (CA) conditions: CA-1 (CO₂ – 1.2-1.5 %, O₂ – 1.2-1.5 %), CA-2 (СО₂<0.1 %, О₂ – 1.2-1.5 %), under conditions of short (10 days) post-harvest impact of controlled factors: temperature 18-20 °С, О₂ – 1.2-1.5 %, CO₂<0.1 % and further storage in regular atmosphere (LO₂ ). Ethylene, α-farnesen and its oxidation products (CТ₂₈₁), phenolic compounds were determined in fruits, losses from bitter pit, scald, CO₂ -skin injuries, quality (fi rmness) were estimated. 1-MCP-treatment ensured a low level of ethylene and CT₂₈₁ accumulation in fruits, protection from scald, preservation of fi rmness in all variants of fruit storage, with maximum effi ciency of variants CA-2, CA-1 and LO₂ . Fruit protection from bitter pit was provided by CA-2 technology, a signifi cant reduction of losses – LO₂ . When using the technology of CA-2, losses from CO₂ -skin injuries, noted in the conditions of CA-1, were excluded. The maximum efficiency of protection of fruits from BP, scald, CO₂ -injuries is provided by the developed technology CA-2 (CO₂<0.1 %, O₂ — 1.2-1.5 %).

The use of glyphosate (720-2880 g/h a.i.) and ammonium glufosinate herbicides (375-1500 g/h a.i.) to control of common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) has been studied in trials (2013-2018) in the vineyards of Rkatsiteli, Liang and Cabernet Sauvignon in Abinsk district of Krasnodar region. Accounting of weeds was done by a quantitative method with counting the number of each weed species in each plot. Counts were performed before the treatment and in 15, 30 and 45 days after spraying. The effi cacy of herbicide was determined in relation to the untreated control and expressed as a percentage. The main evaluation criterion was the eff ectiveness of 100 % in one of the accounts or the average (for all counts) effi ciency of more than 90 %. The results showed that in 95 % of trials spraying of 1440 g/h of glyphosate 1440 g/h of glyphosate (a.i.) and higher ensured processing effi ciency exceeding 90 %. Herbicides such as Roundup, containing 360 g/l of isopropylamine salt, can be recommended for use to control of common ragweed in the application rate 4.0 l/ha. Destruction of all common ragweed observed when using not less than 600 g/h glufosinate ammonium. Thus, Herbicides such as Basta, containing 150 g/l of ammonium glufosinate, to control of common ragweed should be applied by fractional application vegetative weeds (2.5 l/h + 1.5 l/h).

The article presents the relevance of conducting research in the fi eld of scientifi c and methodological substantiation of the rational dimensionality of multifunctional target regulators suffi cient to organize expanded reproduction in such capital-intensive industries as horticulture and viticulture. The current trends in the development of horticulture and viticulture industries are analyzed, and the factors hindering the development of industry sectors of the economy are identifi ed. The necessity of improvement the mechanism and tools for regulating the processes of development of industrial fruit growing and viticulture and substantiation the rational dimensionality of regulators, which ensure the necessary pace of development of industry sectors of the agricultural economy, is proved. A defi nition of the cognitive map of the formation of the mechanism and tools of state regulation of the development of the agricultural economy subcomplexes is given according to the criteria of effi ciency and sustainability, which also takes into account specifi c indicative parameters of their development. This map will reveal the functional relationships between the eff ectiveness of government support measures and the performance of business entities. The methodological basis for the elaboration of cognitive models for the formation of the mechanism and tools of state regulation of the development of industrial sectors of the agricultural economy is worked out. An algorithm for cognitive modeling of the mechanism and rational dimension of development management tools is proposed, including clarifi cation of goal setting and local tasks; evaluation of the adequacy of instruments of state regulation of reproduction processes; development of a cognitive map of the formation of the mechanism and instruments of state regulation; development of a system of criteria and performance indicators of state regulators of reproductive processes and agro-industrial complexes; cognitive modeling of the rational dimension of government regulation tools based on digital technologies and automated system-cognitive analysis methods. The use of cognitive models for the formation of a rational dimension of state regulation tools will provide a fl exible response to all changes in the external and internal environment in accordance with the goals and take into account the territorial specifi cs of industry production.