The article is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Vasily Trushechkin – Hero of the Soviet Union, Laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation in the field of Science and Technology, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Dr. Sci. (Agric.), Professor, Director of the Regional Research Institute of Horticulture in the Non-Black Earth Zone (presently—the Federal Horticultural Center for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery). He was a well-known Russian scientist who made a significant contribution to the theoretical and practical foundations of mechanized cultivation and harvesting of berry crops, as well as the production of healthy planting material of fruit and berry crops. In the years of scientific activity, Vasily Trushechkin supervised 40 candidates and 5 doctors of sciences, published 250 scientific works, as well as obtained 38 inventor’s certificates and two patents for inventions. The scientific legacy of Vasily Trushechkin still finds application today in solving modern horticultural problems.

The article presents the results of DNA testing for 21 raspberry cultivars using the ISSR-PCR method to study genetic polymorphism and identify genotypes potentially resistant to the raspberry bushy dwarfvirus (RBDV). It was revealed that promising hybrids of everbearing raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.), including 9-155-1, 11-165-10 and 9-163-1, exhibited significant genetic relations with RBDV-resistant cultivars. Hybrids 9-163-1 and 11-165-10, both having the hybrid 13-118-1 as one of the parent forms, were grouped with the RBDV-resistant cultivar ‘Poklon Kazakovu’. These forms showed similarities with the resistant cultivars ‘Meteor’ and ‘Atlant’, as well as the sensitive cultivars ‘Evrasia’ and ‘Podarok Kashinu’. The hybrid 9-155-1 was characterized by genetic proximity with the sensitive cultivars ‘Podarok Kashinu’ and ‘Evrasia’, as well as the resistant cultivars ‘Meteor’, ‘Atlant’, ‘Zhar-Ptitsa’, and ‘Heritage’. The Heritage variety is known to be resistant to RBDV, attributed to the Bu gene. This gene is responsible for the resistance to the virus, including the most dangerous isolate R15. The analysis of the constructed dendrites suggested the potential resistance to RBDV in the hybrid 9-155-1.

An important area for improving the effectiveness of agri-food systems under stress conditions is the selection of highly drought- and heat-resistant varieties. The present study aims to develop new approaches to the evaluation of these characteristics, taking into account the ability of varieties to successfully pass through the stages of fruit bud differentiation at high summer temperatures, without their development being suppressed. An analysis of climatic conditions in the Kuban horticultural zone of Krasnodar Krai for 1989–2022 revealed the occurrences of temperatures above +30...+35 C that suppress fruit bud differentiation in fruit crops, thus indicating the need for new data on the stress response of varieties. The variability structure of drought resistance indicators was studied using data for three years (2019, 2021, and 2022): tissue water content and leaf water-holding capacity in sweet cherry varieties grafted on VSL-2, including those bred by an institute (‘Slavyanka’, ‘Kavkazskaya’, ‘Kavkazskaya Uluchshennaya’, ‘Volshebnitsa’, and ‘Alaya’). Their high dependence on seasonal conditions was established. The effect of high temperatures on fruitbud differentiation in cherry varieties was evaluated. The adaptability of plants and varieties to the lack of moisture and high summer temperatures was noted to be inextricably linked. The focus was on a comprehensive approach to evaluating drought and heat resistance in the selection of the best sweet cherry forms that are able to develop normally and set fruitbuds at high temperatures. The latter characteristic should be taken into account when entering varieties into the State Register of Breeding Plantations to establish the possible cultivation limits of the proposed plants and to create new varieties having a higher resistance to temperature stresses. Drought and heat resistant sweet cherry genotypes capable of tolerating summer stresses and regularly yielding crops were identified. The following varieties were found to be resistant to high temperatures: early ripening period – ‘Kavkazskaya’ and ‘Slavyanka’; average ripening period – ‘Volshebnitsa’, ‘Kosmicheskaya’, and ‘Summit’; late ripening period – ‘Alaya’ and low-growing clone of ‘Drogana Zheltaya’.

On the one hand, water scarcity poses challenges to the growth, development, longevity and resistance of grapes to diseases and low temperatures, on the other hand, however, it is necessary to obtain a high-quality harvest. Under the conditions of increasing continentality of the climate, it is of great importance to breed the cultivars characterised by effective fruiting without damaging the grape plant under drought conditions. Identifying characteristics of drought resistance in grapes is a challenging task, given the size of the plants, the extended development period, the absence of a specific criterion for drought resistance and the labour-intensive and time-consuming nature of the exploratory analysis. This study proposes the use of intact leaves from a specific grape variety placed in controlled environmental conditions as a model system. The paper assesses the applicability of intact grape leaves as a reliable model for evaluating drought resistance in the cultivar. It compares variations in physiological parameters—electrolyte leakage, chlorophyll stability index, and malonyldialdehyde content—observed in intact leaves under the influence of sorbitol and in leaf discs under the influence of polyethylene glycol with different concentrations and exposure times. The variations of physiological parameters in grape leaves subjected to controlled soil drought were used as a reference standard. In two independent experiments in 2022-2023, exposure to simulated intense soil drought for three weeks revealed cultivar differences in the ratio of electrolyte leakage and chlorophyll stability index in the test and control cultivars. Similar results were obtained in an experiment on intact grape leaves placed in a 10 % sorbitol solution for 3 hours. It was established that the cultivars ‘Morozko’, ‘Kutuzovsky’ and ‘Dostoiny’ exhibit higher drought resistance compared to the V. vinifera varieties ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ and ‘Barkhatny’. This approach can be used as a preliminary method for determining the drought resistance of grape cultivars, independently or in combination with fi eld studies. 

This study addresses the influence of the Applin drug on the growth and biochemical parameters of the leaves in three annual cultivars of cherries (Tyutchevka, Podarok Ryazani and Chermashnaya) grafted onto the Izmailovsky rootstock. The research was carried out in 2021-2022 both in field and laboratory conditions at the Federal Horticultural Centre for Breeding, Agrotechnology and Nursery. It was established that following treatment with Applin, the biometric indicators improved, with the yield of branched annual cherry seedlings increasing to 100 %. The treatment and removal of apical leaves stimulated the formation and growth of lateral branches in annual plants. The number of lateral shoots in experimental plants of the Chermashnaya cultivars increased by 6 times, while in the Tyutchevka and Podarok Ryazani cultivars, it increased by 3-4 times relative to the control. Growth regulators induced an increase in the average length of lateral shoots to 30-50 cm in all cultivars. The total length of the branches in the experimental Chermashnaya cultivar was 118.5 cm, which is 6.7 times higher than in the control. The other two cultivars exhibited a 4–4.5 times increase in total growth in treated plants compared with the control. Biochemical studies revealed an increase in photosynthetic pigment content in leaves following Applin treatment. The total content of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity exhibited significant changes. A positive correlation (r = 0.709) was observed between the antioxidant activity of the aqueous extract and the amount of phenolic compounds. The content of chlorophylls (a+b) in the leaves of treated plants increased by 5-10%. Depending on the cultivar, the content of carotenoids varied from 1.1 to 1.8 mg/g, remaining practically constant following treatment. All cultivars showed an increase in the “chlorophyll (a+b)/carotenoids” ratio. Applin treatment also influenced the synthesis of primary and secondary metabolites, stimulating an increase in the content of carbohydrates (fructose, sucrose, turanose, and trehalose) and phenolic compounds (quinic and chlorogenic acids) in cherry plant leaves

One non-invasive method for detecting fruit damage involves monitoring them using hyper-spectrometers. Hyperspectral images comprise a set of spatially resolved radiation spectra of a reflected object. By using these data, it is possible to identify the characteristics and parameters of fruits that may indicate their damage. In this study, the spectral and spatial components of hyperspectral images of apple fruits were analysed. Random forest classifiers were used to detect objects in the images, with reflection spectra, vegetation indices and spatial texture descriptors (local binary patterns) used as input data for classifiers. Classifiers based on spectral characteristics proved to be more reliable than those trained without spectral data. Using spectral information about fruits signifi cantly improved the classifi cation results under the conditions of uneven lighting interference. By combining spectral data with machine learning methods, fruit sorting efficiency can be improved. This approach offers advanced development of methods for processing data from hyperspectral sensors installed on sorting lines in order to detect damage to apple fruits reliably